OfficeX or Open Office for iMac?

Posted:
in Mac Software edited January 2014
I need a better text/spreadsheet/etc program than Apple Works (it's OK, but can't open the Word/excel/power point files I need to edit for my computer class) I know X would be the best from a compatability standpoint, but would hate to pay 140 for the student edition. I have heard of Open Office, but don't know much about it, and the reviews I have found are 50/50. Any advice on which one to get?

(1ghz 17" iMac)

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 12
    baumanbauman Posts: 1,248member
    Might as well try Open Office first... It's free.



    If you don't like it, well, then you can start looking into other (pay) options.
  • Reply 2 of 12
    aquaticaquatic Posts: 5,602member
    OpenOffice needs X11. And nothing 3rd party will ever be 100% compatible with Microsoft.
  • Reply 3 of 12
    Quote:

    Originally posted by iPoster

    I need a better text/spreadsheet/etc program than Apple Works (it's OK, but can't open the Word/excel/power point files I need to edit for my computer class) I know X would be the best from a compatability standpoint, but would hate to pay 140 for the student edition. I have heard of Open Office, but don't know much about it, and the reviews I have found are 50/50. Any advice on which one to get?

    (1ghz 17" iMac)




    I've used OpenOffice for a while now, first on my Linux machine, now on my new Mac, before OpenOffice I used StarOffice 5.0. The OpenOffice project is coming along nicely, it is a very functional office suite. I only use word processing/spread sheets very rarely, so for my occasional use (A paper or two every quarter) it is suitable.



    Unfortunately it doesn't look like a Mac application (because it isn't), and it doesn't work like a Mac application either. Office compatibility has generally worked quite well for me, I'm able to import pretty much anything. I usually save to PDF if no one else needs to edit. I've not had much luck printing directly, so generally I save to PDF, and print from Preview.



    I highly recommend trying OpenOffice, it doesn't cost anything to do so, it is pretty easy to install, You have to have X installed, and then go download the package from openoffice.org. It has a Mac style installer, so it is pretty simple.



    -Spyky
  • Reply 4 of 12
    bartobarto Posts: 2,246member
    I would recommend Office X. Unless you are a Unix power user, you will probably be freaked out by the X11 environment that OpenOffice requires.



    We all have to wait until 2006 for a truly native version unfortunatly.
  • Reply 5 of 12
    iposteriposter Posts: 1,560member
    What about Think Free Offfice for OSX?

    39.99 at amazon.com
  • Reply 6 of 12
    bartobarto Posts: 2,246member
    STEP AWAY FROM THE OFFICE SUITE



    ThinkFree Office is evil. It would make a good present for someone who you really, REALLY don't like. It is slow, and even when 5 minutes after you click the mouse it responds, it doesn't work.



    Barto
  • Reply 7 of 12
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Barto

    STEP AWAY FROM THE OFFICE SUITE



    ThinkFree Office is evil. It would make a good present for someone who you really, REALLY don't like. It is slow, and even when 5 minutes after you click the mouse it responds, it doesn't work.



    Barto




    $140.00 is a small price to pay for something that you'll be using on a regular basis. plus office X is very nice as far as office apps go, so save yourself the agrivation of dealing with openoffice.
  • Reply 8 of 12
    bartobarto Posts: 2,246member
    running with scissors is totally correct on this. NFI why he quoted me though!?



    Barto
  • Reply 9 of 12
    placeboplacebo Posts: 5,767member
    It's called Textedit, can be found in you Applications folder, is free, and opens and saves Word documents perfectly.
  • Reply 10 of 12
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Placebo

    It's called Textedit, can be found in you Applications folder, is free, and opens and saves Word documents perfectly.



    only on panther.



    i use text edit for letters and openoffice for more intensive things. it works fine for me.
  • Reply 11 of 12
    bartobarto Posts: 2,246member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Placebo

    It's called Textedit, can be found in you Applications folder, is free, and opens and saves Word documents perfectly.



    Which is fine, until you want to open an Excel document, as the original poster wants to do.



    Barto
  • Reply 12 of 12
    ryaxnbryaxnb Posts: 583member
    Hmmph. PowerPoint. Hmmph. Appleworks 6.2 (though not 6.0) can open/save Word & Excel, but not PowerPoint.
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