OpenOffice

Scientists build to learn; Engineers learn to build. -Frederick P. Brooks

Bought a new PC for the shop and whilst being comfortable working with Microsoft Office suite before, decided to used another office suite software in order to cut cost.(Business is all about reducing cost and increasing profit right?)

Have been using the trial pack of Microsoft office 2007 for a while, althought the graphic is totally fancy with all the button and stuff, I'm still comfortable using the previous 2003 edition. Called me old fashion but too many graphic details on my spreadsheet definitely didn't help. I'm still groping my way through the macro and button command.

So decided to try the free open source OpenOffice software. It was a project sponsored by Sun Microsystems, which is the primary contributor of code to the project with other corporate contributors like Novell, RedHat, RedFlag CH2000, IBM, and Google. Additonally over 450,000 people from nearly every part of the globe have joined in building the suite.

Of course the great part of the whole open thing is it's FREE. But most of us (like me) who had been using Microsoft office since the first day you learn to open word document will be a little sceptical about the things it can do no matter how cheap the thing is. (and we are missing on some of the great stuff out there)

Installed the OpenOffice 2.4.0 version (they are currently testing the new 3.0 version, so I opt for the most stable and proven version) no problem arises with Vista operating on the background. Here is my experience working with the OpenOffice so far:

1. I have a spreadsheet that is full with macros and command buttons (it was a spreadsheet that function as an invoice /receipt that I developed from scratch in Excel 2003). So my main concern was whether the macro will works in OpenOffice. If not than I will be forking money to buy Microsoft office suite. To my relief, it works just fine, at first the button didn't function, but after editing the button command (the whole problem arises because of the button event arguments, you need to edit the event on the button and assign it to the appropriate macro) it works with the original macro written in Visual Basic. One thing great about OpenOffice is that it is easy to assign the command button on specific event. You won't loose your original macro written in Visual Basic, In OpenOffice you have a few language option in writing codes. I guess this is the part where I need to brush on my BASIC and JAVA. I tried recording a few macros and it was written in BASIC. Need to open my father's programming book after this.

2. The color option, well it just a tiny minor set-back, there are a lot to choose from but not as attractive nor as many given by Microsoft office.

3. The interface is very similar to Microsoft office 2003 suite. So if you had been working with microsoft office for a while, you won't have any problem at all migrating to OpenOffice.

4. You have a choice to save your document in microsoft office type document so you can open it with microsoft office suite if you wanted.

5. It turns out that saving as OpenOffice document saves half your disk space, the document is smaller in size although it had the same function.

6. Anyway the whole cross platform thing (Microsoft office to OpenOffice and vice versa) only works with files saved in the previous MS Office 2003 format. It seems that OpenOffice need a little catching up to do with the new MS Office 2007 format.(They are currently testing the new Beta 3.0 version...the feedback so far is not very encouraging on the whole 2007 fiasco) Hopefully it will improve. So for a person who had been working on MS Office 2007 and saving files in the new format for quite sometimes, changing it to OpenOffice will definitely create problems.

7. As far as word processing and spreadsheed is concern. I'm not having any problem at all. The database program works but it is still quite far behind MS Office Access.(in terms of interface and considering if you are an advance user). But if you wanted it just to create table and view it, have a few reports (things the IT teacher tought in school nowadays). Then go for the free OpenOffice.

So far the program works like a charm ( for a FREE program it certainly is worth your money....err lack of it) for enterprises using this program will definitely safe a lot of money. For person who office software need is only to write letter or spreadsheet, OpenOffice might be your solution rather than opting for the higher price office suite software.

The differences are not minor – they are rather like the differences between Salieri and Mozart. Study after study shows that the very best designers produce structures that are faster, smaller, simpler, clearer, and produced with less effort. -Frederick P. Brooks, No silver bullet, 1987