__/ [ 7 ] on Sunday 24 September 2006 16:49 \__
> Roy Schestowitz wrote:
>
>> __/ [ 7 ] on Sunday 24 September 2006 16:12 \__
>>
>>> asstroturfer flatfish+++ wrote on behalf of micoshaft:
>>>
>>>> On Sun, 24 Sep 2006 09:19:51 +0100, Roy Schestowitz wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> OpenOffice.org Writer
>>>>>
>>>>> ,----[ Overall ]
>>>>> | I'm pretty happy with Open Office. I definitely wouldn't pay $200 for
>>>>> | it -- but I would happily use it instead of Word, even if Word came
>>>>> | free. However, if I already have Word set up to be as minimally
>>>>> | obnoxious as possible, I'm not going to install Open Office to
>>>>> | replace it.
>>>>
>>>> Translation:
>>>>
>>>> I love this Yugo that I found for free.
>>>> I wouldn't pay $40,000 for it like I did for my Porsche but it's not
>>>> bad for free.
>>>>
>>>> Interesting though how Linux is free, but usage is still dismal.
>>>
>>>
>>> This kind of asstroturfing on behalf of micoshaft is out of date.
>>>
>>> The Linux experience and windope experience has been the same
>>> for the past few months.
>>> Products like Open Office make the user experience the same.
>>> You should download and switch to Linux
>>> http://www.livecdlist.com
>>> http://www.distrowatch.com
>>> and save yourself from having to pay for micoshaft licenses.
>>> If you must pay for 24/7 support, then buy a RHat, SuSE or Mandriva etc
>>> license.
>>
>>
>> Same experience? For the past few months? I beg to differ. I sometimes see
>> some Windows users at work. They regularly need to reboot, then restoring
>> a desktop one application at the time. They are also forced to tolerate a
>> desktop environment that reduces productivity, and even spend time
>> 'maintaining' the machine with FS checks, anti-virus software, you name
>> it...
>>
>> Oh yeah... and they are always low on cash. Proprietary lines of code are
>> being *gasp* charged for.
>
>
> You are of course right Roy. I phoned up for a reservation
> a few days back and the person at the other end said the usual things...
>
> ...the system is going slow...
> ...err...
> ...ITS CRASHED!......
> ...rebooting now - please wait....
>
> That system cost billions to make!!! BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!
>
> For today, I think we just give these micoshaft asstroturfers
> the benefit of the doubt and say the user experience is about the same
> and let them contest it if they can.
>
> So far, they are unable to contest I note.
>
> Tomorrow, it can be stated the user experience is superior even
> though it is superior already today.
> Patience Roy, patience.
I have just prepared (well, it was a couple of hours ago) a beautiful
presentation using OpenOffice Impress. The output file is OpenDocument
Presentation (ODP), which is essentially a compressed file that contains a
well-build set of XML files, as well as pictures and videos in aptly names
directories. Can you smell that too? It is the scent of control; the joy of
open format; and Freedom! The user /owns/ his/her data.
I typically do my presentations in HTML (with some JavaScript), but my
Supervisor wishes to edit as well. I showed him that editing a clean HTML
file (separate CSS and JS files) is simple, but he wants to stick to his
long-acquired habits. OpenOffice is compatible with Office 2003 for all I
can tell and judge by. It is also secure (it requests authorisation for
macros to be invoked). So WTF do those FUDmeisters talk about? It's just
sickening that they would spread so much disinformation. Would PowerPoint,
for example, enable me to compose the presentation on my home computer (also
runs SUSE) while at work? Will it be windowable? Will it render just the
bits that change in a small window, which is sent via X11 on a fairly
low-bandwidth connection? Will I be able to move to full-screen mode from my
home machine while at work? And have some other applications 'on the side'
(e.g. a second monitor)? Windows and Office are old-tech. Face it. It's a
broken model for facilitation of transparency, portability, openness, and
participation with other users.
Since you mentioned stability (I had to reread your message more carefully),
OpenOffice has /never/ crashed on me. I can't comment on its state on a
flaky Windows platform though. It's unpredictable as it's closed-source.
Some people also say it's slow (_ON WINDOWS_), which is probably because the
O/S occupies whatever amount of RAM (usually gigabytes) is available and
they also compare that against a competing software package that loads all
its libraries _whenever you start the computer_, which slows down booting (a
frequent occurrence in Windows) and, boy oh boy, does it hog resources
thereafter. Same argument have been made in reference to JRE applications;
Microsoft appears to conveniently penalise Java performance, just as it will
position OpenGL as a goddamn layer atop DirectX in Windows Vista. Don't like
somebody else's application? Then cripple its performance using the software
it resides on (e.g. a commonly- and widely-0wned operating system layer).
That, my friend, is the Microsoft strategy. Grab the applications by the
balls and you can always squash them. Netscape is s fine example. No company
should be in possession of such a crucial layer (controlling networking,
applications, storage, and more).
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