Comments on: Open Office and Thunderbird Not Ready for Consumer Use http://www.wolf-howl.com/tools/open-office-and-thunderbird-not-ready-for-consumer-use/ Michael Gray rants on SEO the internet and media Sun, 25 Oct 2009 18:58:50 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: tagMacher http://www.wolf-howl.com/tools/open-office-and-thunderbird-not-ready-for-consumer-use/comment-page-1/#comment-60250 tagMacher Thu, 15 Nov 2007 08:06:54 +0000 http://www.wolf-howl.com/tools/open-office-and-thunderbird-not-ready-for-consumer-use/#comment-60250 The point about open source is that it necessarily revolves around a community of developers, testers and users. If you have a problem with an open source software, visit the website; participate in the user forums; ask and learn; eventually teach other newbies, even if you are not a developer who can code bug-fixes. You will soon notice how MSFT and other commercial software companies short-change their customers with buggy software that can only be fixed with more $$ for a new version. For the record, I use Firefox and Thunderbird exclusively at work; OOo partly alongside MSO at work; OOo exclusively at home; I started with OOo build 641 and yes, there were and are problems and solutions follow soon enough for me, which is more that what I can say for Office 2003. The point about open source is that it necessarily revolves around a community of developers, testers and users. If you have a problem with an open source software, visit the website; participate in the user forums; ask and learn; eventually teach other newbies, even if you are not a developer who can code bug-fixes. You will soon notice how MSFT and other commercial software companies short-change their customers with buggy software that can only be fixed with more $$ for a new version.

For the record, I use Firefox and Thunderbird exclusively at work; OOo partly alongside MSO at work; OOo exclusively at home; I started with OOo build 641 and yes, there were and are problems and solutions follow soon enough for me, which is more that what I can say for Office 2003.

]]> By: Antonio http://www.wolf-howl.com/tools/open-office-and-thunderbird-not-ready-for-consumer-use/comment-page-1/#comment-55433 Antonio Wed, 11 Apr 2007 10:02:06 +0000 http://www.wolf-howl.com/tools/open-office-and-thunderbird-not-ready-for-consumer-use/#comment-55433 Thunderbird works, it has some slight flaws connected with huge size mailboxes, but Outlook would not work with those at all... Open Office does all I want and is faster in operation. Two excellent pieces of software I can only recommend...I was a Microsoft user for more than 10 years. I am sorry that I still have to run Windows programs, otherwise I would entirely change, Linux is almost user-friendly now, and Thunderbird/Open Office work thetre as well. The worst thing in XP is that "Explorer". It is buggy and slow, in spite it has improved since the dreadful 2000 version. If you didn't notice, from time to time it even tries to rebuild your desktop, when you are not even touching it... Thunderbird works, it has some slight flaws connected with huge size mailboxes, but Outlook would not work with those at all…

Open Office does all I want and is faster in operation.

Two excellent pieces of software I can only recommend…I was a Microsoft user for more than 10 years.

I am sorry that I still have to run Windows programs, otherwise I would entirely change, Linux is almost user-friendly now, and Thunderbird/Open Office work thetre as well. The worst thing in XP is that “Explorer”. It is buggy and slow, in spite it has improved since the dreadful 2000 version. If you didn’t notice, from time to time it even tries to rebuild your desktop, when you are not even touching it…

]]> By: Google Success http://www.wolf-howl.com/tools/open-office-and-thunderbird-not-ready-for-consumer-use/comment-page-1/#comment-12282 Google Success Tue, 03 Oct 2006 20:04:25 +0000 http://www.wolf-howl.com/tools/open-office-and-thunderbird-not-ready-for-consumer-use/#comment-12282 Yes, Thunderbird and Open Office are way behind Microsoft now. But we also have to understand the enormous funds that are avaialble to Microsoft teams. A healthy competition from such products improves the overall quality of tools anyway. Yes, Thunderbird and Open Office are way behind Microsoft now. But we also have to understand the enormous funds that are avaialble to Microsoft teams. A healthy competition from such products improves the overall quality of tools anyway.

]]> By: Maxi http://www.wolf-howl.com/tools/open-office-and-thunderbird-not-ready-for-consumer-use/comment-page-1/#comment-9667 Maxi Sat, 02 Sep 2006 23:31:52 +0000 http://www.wolf-howl.com/tools/open-office-and-thunderbird-not-ready-for-consumer-use/#comment-9667 Lea, Open Office does have a function to "paste values" or "paste as values"... here's how you use it: 1. Copy the range. 2. Select the cell where you are pasting to. 3. Right-click and choose Paste.. Special 4. If "Paste All" is ticked, untick it. Many other options now become available. 5. Under "Selection", untick everything but "Numbers". Click Ok. 6. This might seem like a bit of a hassle, but it retains your settings for the next paste, so you don't have to keep ticking and unticking boxes. Lea, Open Office does have a function to “paste values” or “paste as values”… here’s how you use it:
1. Copy the range.
2. Select the cell where you are pasting to.
3. Right-click and choose Paste.. Special
4. If “Paste All” is ticked, untick it. Many other options now become available.
5. Under “Selection”, untick everything but “Numbers”. Click Ok.
6. This might seem like a bit of a hassle, but it retains your settings for the next paste, so you don’t have to keep ticking and unticking boxes.

]]> By: David Russell http://www.wolf-howl.com/tools/open-office-and-thunderbird-not-ready-for-consumer-use/comment-page-1/#comment-9084 David Russell Wed, 16 Aug 2006 14:12:41 +0000 http://www.wolf-howl.com/tools/open-office-and-thunderbird-not-ready-for-consumer-use/#comment-9084 I'm a great fan of open source software, but not to the point of losing essential functionality. For the vast majority of computer users, who send ordinary emails and use office software for letters and their kids' homework, Thunderbird and OpenOffice are fine. Unfortunately if you are writing a piece of word-limited work such as a university essay (and need an accurate word count), or have a PDA (and need to synchronise calendar data with it), both functions which are commonly required by business users. Thunderbird and OpenOffice WILL get there, it will just take another year or two. I’m a great fan of open source software, but not to the point of losing essential functionality. For the vast majority of computer users, who send ordinary emails and use office software for letters and their kids’ homework, Thunderbird and OpenOffice are fine.

Unfortunately if you are writing a piece of word-limited work such as a university essay (and need an accurate word count), or have a PDA (and need to synchronise calendar data with it), both functions which are commonly required by business users. Thunderbird and OpenOffice WILL get there, it will just take another year or two.

]]> By: Steve from Malaysia http://www.wolf-howl.com/tools/open-office-and-thunderbird-not-ready-for-consumer-use/comment-page-1/#comment-8700 Steve from Malaysia Mon, 31 Jul 2006 05:44:41 +0000 http://www.wolf-howl.com/tools/open-office-and-thunderbird-not-ready-for-consumer-use/#comment-8700 hey, for the price of one computer ($400-$500), i could live with all the shortcomings. :) And, use Abiword instead of the Open Office version. The future of office application will all be web-based. hey, for the price of one computer ($400-$500), i could live with all the shortcomings. :)

And, use Abiword instead of the Open Office version.

The future of office application will all be web-based.

]]> By: jamie http://www.wolf-howl.com/tools/open-office-and-thunderbird-not-ready-for-consumer-use/comment-page-1/#comment-8601 jamie Thu, 27 Jul 2006 19:18:28 +0000 http://www.wolf-howl.com/tools/open-office-and-thunderbird-not-ready-for-consumer-use/#comment-8601 sweet Khurram, we should see that in the marketplace around 2009 sweet Khurram, we should see that in the marketplace around 2009

]]> By: Khurram Ali http://www.wolf-howl.com/tools/open-office-and-thunderbird-not-ready-for-consumer-use/comment-page-1/#comment-8597 Khurram Ali Thu, 27 Jul 2006 18:22:07 +0000 http://www.wolf-howl.com/tools/open-office-and-thunderbird-not-ready-for-consumer-use/#comment-8597 wait till you see whats in store in MS office 2007, it will blow you away. wait till you see whats in store in MS office 2007, it will blow you away.

]]> By: Roland http://www.wolf-howl.com/tools/open-office-and-thunderbird-not-ready-for-consumer-use/comment-page-1/#comment-8593 Roland Thu, 27 Jul 2006 16:43:52 +0000 http://www.wolf-howl.com/tools/open-office-and-thunderbird-not-ready-for-consumer-use/#comment-8593 I started the same personal experiments. Level of use is key. I write a lot and use MS-Word, Excel and PowerPoint daily for work. I've been using OpenOffice on the PC for a month now. I'm not convinced yet that it is a bad experience. Overall, no one I work with has complained about the files I sent them which I created or edited with OpenOffice. The presentation app "Impress" does seem to render tables a bit oddly when I'm editing files originally created in MS-PowerPoint. The word processor "Writer" does a fine job. No complaints here. I use tables and formating extensively, but never use features like mail merge. The spreadsheet program "Calc" does a fine job for me too in terms of simple formulas and graphs. I haven't had need for extremely advanced functions. I've been very happy using Thunderbird on the Mac for personal use. I'm much more satisfied with Thunderbird than Apple Mail or MS-Entourage. I wish Thunderbird was better at managing junk mail. I spend a lot of time trying to block spam at the server level instead because the client app doesn't do a great job. For work, I have to use Outlook -- there's just no adequate replacement for that and sharing a calendar among co-workers. I've used Firefox for the past year on both my PC and Mac. Love it! I started the same personal experiments.

Level of use is key. I write a lot and use MS-Word, Excel and PowerPoint daily for work.

I’ve been using OpenOffice on the PC for a month now. I’m not convinced yet that it is a bad experience.

Overall, no one I work with has complained about the files I sent them which I created or edited with OpenOffice.

The presentation app “Impress” does seem to render tables a bit oddly when I’m editing files originally created in MS-PowerPoint.

The word processor “Writer” does a fine job. No complaints here. I use tables and formating extensively, but never use features like mail merge.

The spreadsheet program “Calc” does a fine job for me too in terms of simple formulas and graphs. I haven’t had need for extremely advanced functions.

I’ve been very happy using Thunderbird on the Mac for personal use. I’m much more satisfied with Thunderbird than Apple Mail or MS-Entourage. I wish Thunderbird was better at managing junk mail. I spend a lot of time trying to block spam at the server level instead because the client app doesn’t do a great job.

For work, I have to use Outlook — there’s just no adequate replacement for that and sharing a calendar among co-workers.

I’ve used Firefox for the past year on both my PC and Mac. Love it!

]]> By: SeoRookie http://www.wolf-howl.com/tools/open-office-and-thunderbird-not-ready-for-consumer-use/comment-page-1/#comment-8591 SeoRookie Thu, 27 Jul 2006 14:37:47 +0000 http://www.wolf-howl.com/tools/open-office-and-thunderbird-not-ready-for-consumer-use/#comment-8591 So resistance IS futile ! That's news to me about the new Yahoo mail beta. I'll have to sign up. Hopefully they let you delete entire folders now. So resistance IS futile !

That’s news to me about the new Yahoo mail beta. I’ll have to sign up. Hopefully they let you delete entire folders now.

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