[Wylug-discuss] Linux on the desktop (was [Wylug-help] Fw: Re: Installing a speedtouch modem)

[Rik Wade]

On Mon, 17 Nov 2003, Jim Jackson wrote:
>
> [...] my experience is that OO is easier to use and less frustrating than
> MSoffice. So I'd be interested to know why, Nik and Rik seem to think it
> is inferior?

I didn't really mean to give the impression that OO was "inferior"
to MS Office -- this obviously depends on your requirements and criteria
for choosing a package. I suppose I was talking from a corporate
"productivity apps on the desktop" perspective. When it comes to
working with many other people, all of whom are using MS products, it is
very difficult to use any alternative package.

If you are a home user who is free to pick and choose according to specific
requirements, then something like OO is fine. However, an example would
be my wife, who is doing a degree where all assignments must be submitted
in MS Word format. I was tempted to suggest OO, but experience told me not
to mess around and we got hold of Microsoft's Mac Office (which works
just fine). If it had been home use (letters etc.) I would have used OO
without hesitation.

If all you're doing is documents for yourself or others who use the
same package, then choose whatever you like. As soon as it involves
exchanging data with "MS-based industry", or submitting (for example)
a CV to an agency, then unfortunately MS products are still the standard.
(In the latter case, PDF is becoming more accepted however)
--
rik