“The latest version of the open-source office suite OpenOffice.org 3.1 has just arrived, and it’s a good one. While some of the improvements are visible to the naked eye, I found that the most important changes were hidden under the hood.” Steven J Vaughan-Nichols takes the latest OpenOffice.org release for a spin.
www.computerworld.com
microsoft
25/05/2009
OpenOffice.org 3.1: the next generation
14/10/2008
OpenOffice.org 3.0
“OpenOffice.org has an impressive feature set, a generally lucid interface, pure open-source credentials, and the decisive advantage of being absolutely free.” Edward Mendelson reviews OpenOffice.org 3.0.
www.pcmag.com
13/10/2008
OpenOffice.org becomes an even better alternative
“If you are considering buying a commercial office suite, don’t do it until you have given OpenOffice.org a shot. That’s particularly true of the new version, which was released today.” Dwight Silverman summarises what’s new in OpenOffice.org 3.0.
blogs.chron.com
10/07/2008
Office 2007 to gain native ODF support early next year
“Users will be able to set ODF as their default file formats under Office 2007, and Microsoft plans to continue support of the OOXML-ODF translator for those using older versions of Office.” Jacqui Cheng details Microsoft’s recent announcement to make Office 2007 compatible with OpenOffice.org.
Personally, I remain sceptical about Microsoft delivering on these promises. But genuine interoperability has to start from somewhere…
arstechnica.com
Users of Microsoft Office may also want to consider the Sun ODF Plugin for Microsoft Office as an alternative solution.
03/04/2008
Switching office suites from Microsoft Office to OpenOffice.org
“Think of this as a virtual guide, the written version of me coming over to your house on a Sunday afternoon to help get to know OpenOffice.org and figure out all the things you’re not quite sure about.” Solveig Haugland offers a virtual hand to hold.
www.fanaticattack.com
07/01/2008
Norway mandates open formats
“In a move to ensure equal access to public information for Norwegian citizens, the government has decided to make the freely accessible document standards HTML, PDF, and ODF obligatory.” Justin Fielding reports on Norway joining countries such as the Netherlands, Belgium, Malaysia, Finland, France, Japan and Germany in a drive to make government documents more accessible.
techrepublic.com.com
19/05/2007
A cost analyis of Windows Vista content protection
“Windows Vista includes an extensive reworking of core OS elements in order to provide content protection for so-called ‘premium content’.” Peter Gutmann looks at the many ways in which Vista will increase the cost of using computers.
www.cs.auckland.ac.nz
04/02/2007
Upgrade rage
“Future archaeologists will be able to identify a Vista upgrade layer when they go through our landfill sites.” Tim Dowling considers the implications of upgrading the software on his current computer.
www.guardian.co.uk
02/02/2007
Analysis of Microsoft’s suicide note
“If Windows XP was Microsoft’s attempt to embed a browser into the operating system then Vista is the attempt to embed Digital Rights Management.” Oliver Day worries that Windows Vista is of real benefit only to content producers, not consumers.
badvista.fsf.org
11/08/2006
What is OpenDocument
“Given the obscurity of document formats and of technical standards work, it’s easy to miss the importance of an XML-based open document format standard.” Sam Hiser on how ODF represents a triumph of common sense and why Microsoft’s petulant response ulitmately is pure entertainment.
www.onlamp.com
30/10/2005
Open formats make history—and maintain it
“Open formats are an important part of computing freedom because they give people control of their own data.” Gervase Markham on why there really is no alternative to open data formats.
business.timesonline.co.uk
21/08/2005
LaTeX vs MS Word
Why even bother with LaTeX? Andrew Roberts explains why learning LaTeX might be worth the hassle after all.
www.andy-roberts.net
21/02/2005
Stick or twist
“It’s hard to justify the expense of £90 to £150 per computer a year to run software that’s definitely no better than the free alternative.” Chris Johnston reports on why OpenOffice.org could loosen Microsoft’s grip on UK schools.
education.guardian.co.uk
20/11/2004
Linux: the thinking person’s IT solution
“It is ironic that a fear of technology has sent thousands of companies hurtling into the arms of an IT vendor that has some of the most complex, resource hungry and insecure server technology on the market.” Malcolm Cartledge prefers low cost and high reliability.
www.biosmagazine.co.uk
21/08/2004
OpenOffice.org: the great escape
“It’s just powerful and sophisticated software at everyone’s favourite price.” Geoff Palmer highlights the benefits of using OpenOffice.org.
www.pcworld.co.nz
21/08/2004
The hidden dangers of documents
“The UK government has now largely abandoned Microsoft Word for documents that become public”, writes Mark Ward. If only they had used OpenOffice.org’s one-click PDF export…
news.bbc.co.uk
14/08/2004
Eleven tips for moving to OpenOffice.org
“Replacing a complicated piece of software like an office suite can be a major undertaking. But, if you apply a few simple rules to make sure your needs are met, you’ll be ready to be productive on the new software right away.”
www.linuxjournal.com
10/07/2004
Microsoft’s sacred cash cow
“Recently, I’ve had a crisis of faith. Perhaps I’ve rebooted Windows one too many times.” Former Microsoft employee Jeff Reifman tells on why addiction to Windows revenue, mediocre products, and missed opportunities could spell doom for the software giant.
www.seattleweekly.com