On Sun, 23 Mar 2008 12:37:09 -0700 Kim Garback wrote: > Hi, wonderful minds of Open Office. > > Here's an idea about how to market for Open Office: make it compatible > with Microsoft Word.
So you would prefer it be a Word look alike. This would mean it could never be better than Word because it would only ever be trying to play catchup - Agreed? > I wasn't happy to begin with because Open Office doesn't have all of > the options Microsoft Word offers for its documents. By golly Microsoft Word does not have all the options of OpenOffice.org either (like the ability to have page styles). > Then I found out that I can't use Open Office documents to send them > to friends and teachers who have Microsoft Word because the file ends > up as "corrupted" and cannot be opened with Microsoft Word. Umm, you really got it wrong here. OpenOffice.org can save files in Word format - You only need to learn how (2 minutes tuition - or 1 polite email to this list). What it does do as default is saves in the International Open ISO standard ODF format[1]. The one being adopted by various governments around the world[2]. Microsoft Word can actually open these files but you have to download a third party extension to do it[3], because Microsoft want to keep all their customers locked in[4] to their format with the secret bits in it that only Word is meant to understand[5]. No corruption here, just a lack of knowledge on your part. OpenOffice.org can even be made to save in .doc format by default. > Doesn't do me any good, so I bought Microsoft Office. > Boy have you got egg on your face now. > Just thought I'd let ya know: your product sucks. Lets see: o You suggest we make it compatible with Microsoft Word - It can Open and Save Word Docs... so it is compatible. tick! o You said the file format was corrupted - Microsoft don't want people to use a format that isn't theirs, so Microsoft dont won't thier program to Open or Save in an Internationally Standards accepted format. Word can't open a perferctly good file that at least nine other programs can[6]. Wheres the corruption there? o You paid really good money for a program that locks you into a system that you have to keep paying for. All because you didn't ask for help when you got it wrong. o And you reckon the free program that can do more than your Store bought Word can, like Opening a simple file format, sucks. Go figure?!? [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OpenDocument [2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OpenDocument_adoption [3] http://www.sun.com/software/star/odf_plugin/index.jsp [4] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vendor_lock-in [5] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vendor_lock-in#Microsoft [6] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OpenDocument_software_comparison#Word_Processors -- Michael All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well - Julian of Norwich 1342 - 1416 --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] For additional commands, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
