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OpenOffice posts

Filed under: Productivity, OpenOffice.org

OpenOfficeMouse boosts productivity with 18 buttons. Yes, 18. And a joystick.

by Sebastian Anthony Nov 8th 2009

I can see the conversation now:

Open Source Advocate 1: 'So, dude, we really should do something about this Godawful UI. I mean we tried our best to imitate Microsoft but it just... isn't working out.'

OS Advocate 2: 'There must be some other way... some way we can avoid paying any kind of skilled user-interface master to actually develop a sweet-ass interface.'

OS Advocate 1: 'I know! I KNOW! WE'LL MAKE A MOUSE! A homebrew mouse with enough buttons to map EVERY function to it! We'll simply do away with the usual interface! GENIUS!'

OS Advocate 2: 'Er... OK. Stop waving your Perl manual around like that. You're starting to scare me.'
...

Slashdot are reporting that OpenOffice.org has a new mouse -- the succinctly-named OpenOfficeMouse. Manufactured by WarMouse (the awesome naming never ceases), this behemoth has 18 buttons, a scroll wheel and, get this, an analogue joystick. You couldn't make this stuff up. It has macro support, storage for up to 63 profiles... 63!

I know what you're thinking: OpenOffice can't possibly fully-utilise this beautiful piece of (patented) technological mastery. This thing is for gamers.

Tags: mouse, open office, open source, OpenOffice, openoffice.org, OpenSource

Filed under: Kids, Windows, Macintosh, Linux, Office, Productivity, Open Source

Open Office 4 Kids is good for adults, too

WindowsMacLinuxby Jay Hathaway Oct 22nd 2009

The open source movement isn't just for grown-ups: Open Office 4 Kids is a slimmed-down version of the open source Microsoft Office alternative OpenOffice.org.

The target age group for Open Office 4 Kids is 7-12, but after trying it out, I think there are a lot of adults who would prefer it over MS Office or the full version of OpenOffice. It's available on whichever OS you've set your kid up with: Mac, Windows and (of course) Linux.

Less UI clutter helps make OO4K super-fast. Load times for the app and for creating a new document blew away Office 2008 on my Mac, and I didn't experience any of the annoying lag in loading font menus that I sometimes get in Office.

OO4Kids also has large, very obvious buttons for all of the most common functions of each Office app. The "4Kids" branding is almost a shame, because this could also be Open Office 4 Your Mom Who Always Asks You How To Do Stuff in Office.

On the other hand, I'm glad that any 7-to-12-year-olds who use this app will grow up understanding that Microsoft Word isn't the only way to write a paper.

[via Ghacks]

Tags: kids, OOo, open office, open office 4 kids, OpenOffice, OpenOffice4Kids

Filed under: Design, Office, OpenOffice.org, Beta

OpenOffice.Org demos ribbon-style UI prototype

by Lee Mathews Aug 6th 2009


A few days ago, OpenOffice.Org's Renaissance Project introduced a new prototype UI. Predictably, the similarity to Microsoft's Ribbon did not go unnoticed by commenters. "The Office ribbon sucks. Please don't copy it," reads one reply.

It's important to note that this is just a prototype. As OOO's Frank Loehmann notes in his post, "We just want to be able to test the interaction. Content of the toolbars and the group labeling are subject to change. They show just what can be done in this prototype. This allows us to create UX tests that can be run with current OOo and
the prototypes."

If you want to try out the new interface yourself, there's a Java Web Start version of Impress with the new UI applied that you can test.

Personally, I've become a fan of ribbon-style interfaces. It took a little while for them to grow on me, but that's to be expected with such a major change. The only thing I don't like is the amount of vertical real estate they take up on widescreen monitors. Even that isn't a big problem, since most apps allow you to minimize or hide the ribbon with a hotkey.

What do you think of the prototype? Is it a misstep or a step in the right direction?

Tags: gui, interfaces, openoffice, prototype, ribbon-interface, ui

Filed under: Utilities, Windows, Office, Productivity, Freeware, Windows x64

Easily install popular programs after a reformat with Smart Installer Pack

Windowsby Lee Mathews Apr 24th 2009

At work, I usually either use a drive imaging program to load the operating system and applications onto a machine. If I'm reformatting a customer's machine, I use WPI (Windows Post Installer) to silently install programs. At home, however, I'm a little less cautious when I reformat and often forget to back up my program installers.

That's when something like the Smart Installer Pack might come in handy. It's a pre-packed set of popular applications that you'd likely want to install on your own system (or a friend's) after a fresh format.

It includes a host of apps like Firefox, Chrome, OpenOffice, Winamp, Skype, Daemon Tools, Picasa, Winamp, Thunderbird, Adobe Reader and Flash, WinRar, Rocket Dock, CCleaner, and more. Everything downloads in a single file, so you won't be cluttering up your drive with a bunch of separate installers.

SIP has two drawbacks. First, the installers are interactive, not silent, so you'll have to click through manually. Second, there are a few apps I'd normally install instead - like 7zip and Sumatra PDF. Shortcomings aside, this is still a handy way to get a system up and running quickly with a solid group of commonly-used programs.

Tags: ccleaner, chrome, firefox, flash, openoffice, picasa, reader, reformat, reinstall, SIP, skype, smart-installer-pack, thunderbird, winamp, winrar, wpi

Filed under: Windows, Macintosh, Linux, Office, OpenOffice.org, Open Source

OpenOffice.org 3.0 coming Monday, download it today!

WindowsMacLinuxby Brad Linder Oct 10th 2008

OpenOffice.org 3.0
The developers behind open source office suite OpenOffice.org plan to officially push the next major release on Monday. But if you just can't wait to get your hands on the first stable, post-beta, post-release candidate copy of OpenOffice.org 3.0 you can download it today.

That's because the OpenOffice.org team has already sent out the files to a long list of mirror sites. Just pick one in your region, navigate to the folder marked "stable and grab the appropriate files for your operating system from the "3.0.0" folder.

If you're looking for the Windows version you can also download it today from FileHippo, SoftPedia, or MajorGeeks.

[via gHacks]

Tags: openoffice, openoffice.org, openoffice.org-3.0

Filed under: Windows, Macintosh, Linux, Office, OpenOffice.org, Open Source

OpenOffice.org 3.0 RC4: OOo 3.0 inches closer to a final release

WindowsMacLinuxby Brad Linder Oct 7th 2008

OpenOffice.org 3.0
There's good news and no news from the OpenOffice.org camp. First the good news, OpenOffice.org 3.0 RC4 is out, which no doubt features some new bug fixes and tweaks and not a whole lot of new features that were absent from RC3. I can't be more specific than that, because while the developers have done a bang up job of creating an open source office suite, they really need to do a better job of documenting the updates in each release.

The release notes page for OpenOffice.org 3.0 RC4 looks an awful lot like the release notes page for RC3. And both are virtually unreadable, because there's no section that highlights the major differences. Rather, each includes roughly a zillion little feature updates and bug fixes that set OpenOffice.org 3.0 apart from OpenOffice.org 2.4.1, the most recent stable build.

With that in mind, there are a few important differences between OpenOffice.org 3.0 and OpenOffice.org 2.4.1, including:
  • OOo 3.0 includes native support for OS X
  • Support for Office 2007 documents
  • New multi-page view in Writer
  • Multiple users can edit spreadsheets simultaneously
  • Ability to add MS Access databases to Writer
OpenOffice.org 3.0 RC4 is available for Windows, Mac, and Linux.

Tags: office, openoffice, openoffice.org, openoffice.org-3.0, openoffice.org-3.0-rc4

Filed under: Windows, Macintosh, Linux, Office, Freeware, Open Source

AbiWord 2.6 free word processor for Windows and Linux released

WindowsMacLinuxby Brad Linder Mar 31st 2008

AbiWord 2.6
AbiWord is a great little word processor for Windows, Linux, and OS X. It can handle DOC, RTF, TXT, and HTML files, as well as a few other other formats. And AbiWord takes up an awful lot less disc space than OpenOffice.org. So it's certainly worth checking out if all you need is a lightweight but full-featured word processor.

Version 2.6 is available now for Windows and Linux. It looks like the latest version of AbiWord for OS X is still version 2.4.6. The latest release includes a ton of updates including:
  • GNOME office plugin that allows you to embed Gnumeric charts in documents
  • Ability to open files on remote shares using samba, ftp, or ssh shares
  • Improved language support
  • Experimental collaboration plugin
  • Experimental new Office Open XMl import filter
  • Native Windows vista menus
  • Drag and drop images in and out of Unix version of AbiWord
For a full list of updates, check out the release notes.

[via CyberNotes]

Tags: abiword, abiword-2.6, openoffice, word-processor

Filed under: Office, OpenOffice.org

OpenOffice.org 2.4 released

by Brad Linder Mar 26th 2008

OpenOffice.org 2.4
OpenOffice.org 2.4 final is now available for download. Just not from the official OpenOffice.org web page, which is still offering a choice between version 2.3. 1 and release candidate 6 for OpenOffice.org 2.4. But you can find a download link for the latest version from Filehippo.

There are no release notes available for version 2.4 yet, but you can check out a list of features that are probably included by looking at the feature freeze testing page on the OpenOffice.org wiki. Honestly, most of the improvements seem pretty minor, unless you get really excited about things like:
  • Display both in the data point label: value and percentage
  • Reduce complexity: Remove unnecessary display options
  • Remove GUI option "Automatic file name extension" from File-Save dialog (Office Dlg)
If you want to see where OpenOffice.org is headed, check out our preview of Openoffice.org 3.0.
[via CyberNet]

Tags: openoffice, openoffice.org, openoffice.org-2.4

Filed under: Weekend Review

Download Squad week in review

by Brad Linder Mar 22nd 2008

Download Squad logoBeen so busy reading passport records of presidential candidates that you haven't had time to keep up on the week's geekier news? Not to worry, we've got you covered. Here's a few of our favorite stories you might have missed:

Flipping the Linux Switch: Installing and configuring Linux

This week we had a twofer in our Linux 101 series. First up, we wanted to show you just how easy it is to install Linux. Once upon a time, making the switch from Windows to Linux may have required some technical wizardry, complete with the latest model broomstick, but no more. Modern distros like Ubuntu make installation a breeze. But once you've got Linux up and running, you might notice that there's no support for common file types like MP3s, so you might want to take a look at another part in our series which shows how to do some basic configuration and tweaking of a fresh Linux installation.

Download full version of FairUse Wizard DVD ripper for free

This week we discovered that one of our favorite DVD ripping applications, FairUse Wizard was available for free for a limited time. Normally FairUse Wizard comes in two varieties, a limited free edition, and a full featured commercial version. But if you download the full version now, you can save a few bucks. No telling how long this deal will last, so go ahead and grab it while you still can.

Read more →

Tags: digsby, em-client, fairuse-wizard, firefox, ian-hogarth, linux, openoffice, openoffice.org, poll, songkick, twitter, ubuntu

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Filed under: Windows, Office, Shareware

Jarte: Light weight, portable word processor

Windowsby Brad Linder Jan 31st 2008

Jarte
There are dozens of alternatives to Microsoft Word for people who need to create or edit text documents but don't feel like shelling out the cash for Microsoft Office. We're rather fond of AbiWord and OpenOffice Writer around here. Both are full-featured MS Word alternatives that are capable of opening and editing Word documents. And they both come in portable versions which can be installed to a USB flash drive for carrying from computer to computer if that's your cup of tea.

Jarte is another portable word processor. Although you can install Jarte to a Windows PC, you can also download a zip file that contains all the files and settings you need to run Jarte on any computer using a flash drive. Jarte is based on Microsoft WordPad, but it includes a ton of features that you won't find in WordPad including advanced formatting options and a spell checker.

The program also has a rather unusual interface, including tabs for switching between multiple open documents. And while most word processor have a ton of toolbars atop the text field letting you change fonts, colors, or page formating, Jarte has just a few large buttons. You click on these buttons to find submenus with all of those other features, many of which you probably don't use very often. The concept is nice, as it saves a lot of screen real estate. But it's kind of annoying that it takes two or three clicks to perform some functions that take just one click on other word processors.

Jarte is available as a free download. But if you want some of the more advanced features like real-time spell checking, you'll have to cough up $19 for Jarte Plus.

[via Techie Buzz]

Tags: abiword, jarte, ms-word, openoffice, word-processor

Filed under: OS Updates, Windows, Macintosh, Linux, OpenOffice.org, Open Source

OpenOffice.org + extras = OxygenOffice Pro

WindowsMacLinuxby Brad Linder Oct 21st 2007

OxygenOffice Pro
Ever wish OpenOffice.org had more... stuff? OxygenOffice Pro is a modified version of OpenOffice.org. OxygenOffice packs all the same basic features as OOo, including word processing, spreadsheet, and presentation applications. But it also comes with a bunch of extras like clip art and templates.

OxygenOffice Pro 2.3.0 was released this weekend, and it comes with:
  • More than 3400 graphics including clip art and photos
  • 90 fonts
  • Several templates and sample documents.
  • OOoWikipedia integration
  • Enhanced help menu and user's manual
  • VBA support for Excel documents under Calc
  • Enhaned PDF management
  • Direct export to LaTex MediWiki
OxygenOffice Pro was formerly known as OpenOffice.org Premium. But despite the name, OxygenOffice Pro, like its cousin is free.

[via makeuseof]

Tags: openoffice, oxygenoffice, oxygenoffice-pro

Filed under: Security, Windows, Macintosh, Linux, OpenOffice.org

New OpenOffice bug affects Mac, Linux, as well as Windows

WindowsMacLinuxby Ted Wallingford Sep 25th 2007

The forthcoming Aqua-native version of OpenOffice.
ZDNet UK is reporting that a just-discovered bug in OpenOffice can victimize versions of the software running on Mac and Linux in addition to Windows. The bug allows an attacker to use malformed TIFF images to run malicious code on the user's computer, ostensibly for the purpose of spreading the malicious code like a trojan. The official explanation of a heap overflow exploit can be found here. (Sounds likes when there's too much garbage in our can.)

OpenOffice's developers have not yet released a fix for the bug (update: the bug does not exist in version 2.3 or newer), but the firm that discovered it is advising OpenOffice users to "be careful" with attachments received from unknown sources. Good advice--whether you run OpenOffice, Microsoft Office, or Wordstar.

Tags: openoffice, security, virus, worm

Filed under: Windows, Macintosh, Linux, Office, OpenOffice.org, Open Source

Download OpenOffice.org 2.3 a few days early

WindowsMacLinuxby Brad Linder Sep 15th 2007

OpenOffice.org 2.3OpenOffice.org 2.3 will officially be released on Monday. But if you're the impatient sort, you can download it this weekend. The software has been distributed to download mirrors including OSUOSL a few days early in order to make launch day run a bit more smoothly.

All you have to do is select OpenOffice.org 2.3, choose your operating system and language, and away you go. There are a ton of bug fixes and feature updates since OpenOffice 2.2 was launched. Here are just a few.
  • New export filter for writing Wiki pages
  • Spell check 1 letter words
  • New chart wizard
  • A whole slew of new local data including Jewish holidays in the US, and updated currency in Venezuela
  • Language guessing for unknown text
You can find more updates in the release notes.

[via Ejoh]

Tags: calc, impress, openoffice, openoffice.org 2.3, Openoffice.org2.3, writer

Filed under: Office, IBM, OpenOffice.org, Open Source

IBM joins OpenOffice.org developer community

by Brad Linder Sep 12th 2007

OpenOffice.orgIBM has announced that it is joining the OpenOffice.org community. The company will contribute code already developed for Lotus Notes and will assist development in an ongoing basis. From a user perspective, there's no word on what tangible changes we'll see in OpenOffice.org in the near future. But open source development has never been a case of "too many cooks spoil the broth," so we're going to take this as good news.

While OpenOffice.org is open source, the software is based on StarOffice, which was developed by Sun. So IBM is hardly the first major corporation to get involved in developing the Microsoft Office alternative.

The partnership is not one way. While OpenOffice.org applications will likely benefit from IBM's expertise, the open document format is gaining wide acceptance as a standard. The more companies that partner with OpenOffice.org, the better support there will be for ODF in other applications.

[via Once More Unto the Breach]

Tags: development, openoffice

Filed under: Business, Finance, Internet, Text, Utilities, Features, Windows, Macintosh, E-mail, Web services, Google, Microsoft, OpenOffice.org, Freeware, Open Source, web 2.0

Web 2 Cool for school - A rundown of online applications for students

WindowsMacby Chris Gilmer Aug 16th 2007

Web 2 Cool for school - A rundown of online applications for students.With some students already in school, and some preparing to enter yet another journey into a new semester, let DLS make your studies that much more organized with a few free desktop and web applications that will make your school life that much more enjoyable.

From free document creation applications, online to-do's and organization applications, users are faced with a decision, go for the costly desktop versions and upgrade every few years, or stay ahead of the curve with free web based applications that are constantly updating with new growing feature sets. The choice has never been easier.

This DLS special feature lists out current tools that are floating around the web as highly competitive alternatives for both students and professionals.

Read more →

Tags: calc, calendar, campus, college, docs, email, making money, MakingMoney, notes, online applications, OnlineApplications, open office, OpenOffice, school, sheets, spreadsheets, task list, TaskList, to do, ToDo, university, Web 2 Cool for school, web2, web2.0, Web2CoolForSchool, word, writer

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