LinuxSA Mailing list archives

  From: Glen Turner <glen.turner@adelaide.edu.au>
  To  : linuxsa@linuxsa.org.au
  Date: Fri, 30 Apr 1999 13:07:41 +0930

Re: MICROSOFT OFFICE

David Lloyd wrote:
> 
> I need a FREE Linux program which will talk to Microsoft Office 97 and 95
> (specifically Word and Excel). I would also like it to use some sort of
> GUI, WYSIWYG interface and not come up with annoying registration screens,
> or die after X days.
> 
> Preferable I'd prefer on a CD ROM, rather than ftp because I'm not
> actually connected to the Net.
> 
> Anyone know of anything?


Your choices are:

 1. WordPerfect 8
      WP only.
      Limited version for free personal use.
      Stable.
      Full version comes on a CD, for money.
      Yet to repsond with site licensing info (amazing, you get
       to use it for 45(?) days for free, then you e-mail them
       saying `I want to pay' and they haven't decided how much).

 2. StarOffice
      WP, SS, slides
      Full version for free personal use.
      Stability and resource issues, possibly related more to the
       Wind/U portkit than StarOffice itself.
      Site license for US$1000, unlimited seats, eternal.

 3. Applix
      WP, SS, slide, e-mail
      Pay money, lots of.  Site license by seat, with LM, by version.
      Stable.

Their ability to import Word documents varies.  This is Microsoft's
fault: there is no docuementation for most versions, and the doco
for 97 versions is wrong.

There are also viewer programs, of varying quality.  A GNU project
for filters wioth MS products has finally kicked off.  Give it
a year or two.

If you are willing to do without total WYSIWYG, then LaTeX and
Xemacs/AuCTeX is your friend.  And seriously, TeX is a godsend
for any document bigger than a chapter.  Can produce PDF output.

The missing product is, of course, FrameMaker.  Does anyone know
what Adobe are doing about Linux ports?

If you are writing *for* MS users, then you could use HTML.

I write most of my doco in HTML nowdays, and the result is
both impressive and sets a good example for MS users (they
want to know what program I use).

-- 
 Glen Turner                               Network Specialist
 Tel: (08) 8303 3936          Information Technology Services
 Fax: (08) 8303 4400         The University of Adelaide  5005
 Email: glen.turner@adelaide.edu.au           South Australia

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