Comments on: You Must Be Anti-Proprietary To Stop Using Windows

By: Vertimyst

Vertimyst — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:24:23 +0000

Dude, you have problems if it took you that long to figure out how to type in OpenOffice, it’s exactly the same as Word, as is the Print function, AND practically every other ‘basic’ function that’s in every other word processor.

And when I say MS Office is the lesser in terms of being intuitive, it’s because I find the menu systems confusing, but that’s because I’m used to OpenOffice now.

By: David M

David M — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:02:46 +0000

No, it wasn’t intuitive. Why should it take over a half hour just to figure out how to type a letter?

You open up Word and bam….you just start typing. File/print..and its done…period. Real easy.

It does not take a computer geek to figure it out.

By: Gifin

Gifin — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 18:56:12 +0000

I use Linux on a USB drive, no problems. I don’t even buy the equipment any more and I get all the apps to email, browse etc.

By: mikebartnz

mikebartnz — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 10:36:01 +0000

“Nothing was intuitive!”
So it is intuitive to find Shrink to Fit as a button on the Print Preview instead of like WordPerfects Make it Fit under the Format menu where it should be. Besides the fact that Words version is next to useless.
“I gave up after a half hour.”
If you only gave it half an hour you didn’t really trie it at all. How many people moving to Word would achieve anything in half an hour. I sense someone who doesn’t like change.

By: Vertimyst

Vertimyst — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 03:59:08 +0000

Nothing was intuitive? Are you kidding me? It’s gotta be one of the easiest applications to use, and in my opinion, MS Office is the non-intuitive app.

Maybe you tried an older version of OpenOffice, maybe you should try it again. Of course, you may be talking about a different part other than Writer – I have no experience with the rest.

By: john

john — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 03:01:37 +0000

if you use the internet for anti-proprietary reasons you are being proprietary of the internet so u can never truly be anti-proprietary.

By: David M

David M — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 02:21:08 +0000

BTW, I tried Open Office…it sucked big time. Nothing was intuitive. I gave up after a half hour.

By: David M

David M — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 02:17:57 +0000

I don’t care for storing my personal data or information on the internet for two major reasons.

1. This requires too much trust in strangers. I simply do not trust and should not trust the people, jokers, screw ups, crooks and website administrators would who have access to my data. Why in hell should I trust them? Too much of peoples personal information has been released to the public and there are no laws or penalties which prohibit the release of personal information. Peoples private information is bought and sold like a commodity in fact.

It always seems like its computer geeks who have no problem advising people to put all their data on the internet. In many cases, its these same geeks that have access to your personal information through their jobs. Sure geeks don’t mind, they know how to protect their information…but does the typical computer user? Hell no!

2. As you said, for this to work you must have an internet connection.

By: Vertimyst

Vertimyst — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 01:15:41 +0000

Internet Explorer does not live up to standards, actually, whereas Firefox and Opera, for example, do. The reason Office renders everything better in IE is because they are both Microsoft applications.

As for the GUI of Office 2007, I must agree that it is rather pretty, and probably will never hold a candle to OpenOffice.

And no matter how much money may ‘talk’, I personally do not believe that more money invested equals a better program. Effort is key here, not cash. Building upon that, I know people say time is money, so yes, in a sense the program quality is better when more money (time) is put into a program, but as I’ve said I don’t think cold hard cash has anything to do with quality.

By: Sharron Field

Sharron Field — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 00:59:30 +0000

The reason that I use Microsoft Office rather than Open Office is that M$ Office renders everything much better; at least in IE6 & 7 – IE7 still being my favourite browser. I know I know; but it is so there. Firefox and the others just don’t quite make the same standard when running Windows XP for an os. Also I do like the GUI of Office 2007 – and I am aware a heck of a lot of people will disagree with me on that alone: I had issues with it at first – but after using it a couple of weeks I got to really like it.

You say that M$ Office is the industry standard because M$ had a stranglehold on the market until recently. Whilst I agree with you that M$ did indeed have a stranglehold on the market to a certain extent I beg to differ inasmuch as I honestly don’t believe it is because of that fact: Rather I believe it is the fact that MS Office is better developed that makes it the leader in its class. Te reason for that is that MS have thrown a load of money into developing it – Money that open-source programmers, no matter how well intentioned, simply don’t have.

Let’s face it; the fact is that money talks, no matter what the language.