OpenOffice separating itself from Oracle and going it's separate way

[pparks1]

Saw the news story on the Register this morning.
OpenOffice files Oracle divorce papers • The Register

OpenOffice.org project is now The Document Foundation while the OpenOffice.org suite has been given the temporary name of LibreOffice.

 

[strollin]

Here's the link where you can download the LibreOffice beta: LibreOffice Productivity Suite - The Document Foundation

 

[blackroseMD1]

I think that, will all the negative press Oracle has received lately, this is a smart move. I still use Office, but the fact that The Document Foundation is removing their association with a company that has made a lot of anti-open source statements in the recent past can only be a good thing.

 

[BCXtreme]

I'm not sure why they need to change the name (IMO it sounds kinda ridiculous now), but maybe at least now they'll be able to make a product that can realistically compete with MS Office, if even just a better GUI.

 

[strollin]

I'm not sure why they need to change the name (IMO it sounds kinda ridiculous now), but maybe at least now they'll be able to make a product that can realistically compete with MS Office, if even just a better GUI.

They had to change the name because Oracle owns the name. In the article it talks about how they have requested for Oracle to donate the name.

 

[BCXtreme]

I'm not sure why they need to change the name (IMO it sounds kinda ridiculous now), but maybe at least now they'll be able to make a product that can realistically compete with MS Office, if even just a better GUI.

They had to change the name because Oracle owns the name. In the article it talks about how they have requested for Oracle to donate the name.

Ah. If Oracle has any sense left, they'd give them the name.

 

[blackroseMD1]

Ah. If Oracle has any sense left, they'd give them the name.

Oracle and sense really do not belong in the same sentence anymore.

 

[CarlTR6]

Ah. If Oracle has any sense left, they'd give them the name.

Oracle and sense really do not belong in the same sentence anymore.

+1 Well stated.

 

[pparks1]

I'm not sure why they need to change the name (IMO it sounds kinda ridiculous now), but maybe at least now they'll be able to make a product that can realistically compete with MS Office, if even just a better GUI.

I've used Open Office at home for years and it works just fine. Heck, I get MS office through the Microsoft Home Use Program for $9.95 and I haven't bothered to buy it as it's $10 I don't need to spend.

It's not exactly MS office and it doesn't have the ribbon bar and conversions aren't perfect...but it's $0. I have regular MS office on my work laptop, so when I need something converted perfectly, I can always use that.

 

[swarfega]

They did state that LibreOffice is a temporary name. If the team are smart, theyd hold an open competition for the new name and logo.

 

[blackroseMD1]

WeHaveAbsolutelyNothingToDoWithOracleOffice... WHANTDWOOffice for short.

 

[BCXtreme]

I'm not sure why they need to change the name (IMO it sounds kinda ridiculous now), but maybe at least now they'll be able to make a product that can realistically compete with MS Office, if even just a better GUI.

I've used Open Office at home for years and it works just fine. Heck, I get MS office through the Microsoft Home Use Program for $9.95 and I haven't bothered to buy it as it's $10 I don't need to spend.

It's not exactly MS office and it doesn't have the ribbon bar and conversions aren't perfect...but it's $0. I have regular MS office on my work laptop, so when I need something converted perfectly, I can always use that.

I didn't say it doesn't work. I said it can't realistically compete with MS Office. The last version I tried (3.x) had a GUI that belonged on Windows 95. I put a lot of stock in the visual appeal of a program, and to me OpenOffice just hasn't kept up with the times in that department.

I would hope that LibreOffice can get themselves a better, 21st-century GUI so they can really compete with MS Office. I probably would still stick with MS Office, but the competition would probably improve both products.

 

[jimbo45]

Hi there
I could probably "live with" the word processor or even the Power point "clone" but I'm afraid that MS EXCEL is so far ahead of the competition -- especially for power users that I would keep Office just for EXCEL alone.

I'm NOT knocking Open Office and I think this new direction is good -- but if this is done with future indications of becoming a Paid for product then its History.

Cheers
jimbo

 

[Nickmix]

I used OpenOffice, and he did it can not compete with Microsoft Office, but when my college (I'm a lecturer) was not licensed software, we have successfully used them. It must be to spoof, if you want to follow the law, especially in the former Soviet Union.
Suppose further successfully developed.

 

[pparks1]

I didn't say it doesn't work. I said it can't realistically compete with MS Office. The last version I tried (3.x) had a GUI that belonged on Windows 95. I put a lot of stock in the visual appeal of a program, and to me OpenOffice just hasn't kept up with the times in that department.

I think that OpenOffice looks similar to MS Office versions prior to the Ribbon bar. So, I guess if you are a fan of the ribbon bar interface..it really would feel old school. And while I like a nice GUI as well....$149 for the Home and Student version of MS Office is more than I am willing to spend for looks.

I'm NOT knocking Open Office and I think this new direction is good -- but if this is done with future indications of becoming a Paid for product then its History.

I don't think that there is any intent whatsoever in becoming a commercial product with this move.

 

[BCXtreme]

I didn't say it doesn't work. I said it can't realistically compete with MS Office. The last version I tried (3.x) had a GUI that belonged on Windows 95. I put a lot of stock in the visual appeal of a program, and to me OpenOffice just hasn't kept up with the times in that department.

I think that OpenOffice looks similar to MS Office versions prior to the Ribbon bar. So, I guess if you are a fan of the ribbon bar interface..it really would feel old school. And while I like a nice GUI as well....$149 for the Home and Student version of MS Office is more than I am willing to spend for looks.

As of v3.x, OpenOffice's interface also predated MS Office 2003. I used OpenOffice for probably three months at one point, and ended up going to back to MS Office because I was finding that I still frequently had to switch to MS Office to get some things done that simply weren't working as desired in OpenOffice, and I figured if I therefore had to have MS Office anyway, why make it difficult for myself by juggling two suites? [/end run-on sentence.] Not to mention that I had always liked the look of MS Office 2007+ better (the ribbon just seems so much more organized to me than older programs' bottomless structure of menus and submenus). To me, MS Office makes it easier for me to do the things I do most often. And the less tech-savvy people I know seem to have had less difficulty finding tasks with the ribbon than they did with the old menu-submenu-subsubmenu GUI.

I mean, even in MS Office 2002/XP, every time I needed to do something that wasn't on one of my toolbars, I felt like I was looking for a needle in a haystack.

Based on the website, it looks like the new LibreOffice beta might be finding a way to make the GUI blend with the newer OSes better, so hopefully they can accomplish that...

 

[pparks1]

Not to mention that I had always liked the look of MS Office 2007+ better (the ribbon just seems so much more organized to me than older programs' bottomless structure of menus and submenus). To me, MS Office makes it easier for me to do the things I do most often. And the less tech-savvy people I know seem to have had less difficulty finding tasks with the ribbon than they did with the old menu-submenu-subsubmenu GUI.

For myself, I personally prefer the menus and the sub-menus. While I use newer versions of Office, I often spend time hunting for things and having to ask coworkers (who are also IT guys) and they always chuckle saying...yeah I never can find this crap either.

 

[fseal]

"OpenOffice.org" (that was it's actual name) is dumb and LibreOffice is no better.

What they NEED is to get someone, ANYONE, with a tiny bit of marketing sense to come up with a NON political yet descriptive name for it. Something that normal people will see and be attracted too and know what it is they are looking at without feeling like they are having to get involved in some kind of movement.

The word "Open" is so over-used and poitically charged now I think it should seriously be avoided. But we don't need a an eyerolling name like "nepomukoffice" either...

Time for them to step up on the public image and a great place to start is a new forward thinking name...

P.S. Don't ask ME for the perfect name, that's what marketing people do, I'll just know it when I hear it, and I'll know they messed it up again when I hear it too!

 

[Vector]

"Nacho Libre Office" would spice it up a bit

 

[bobtran]

Can't say I'm very supprised......I think this was a forgone conclusion when Oracle bought Sun. I'm sure we will also hear about MySQL breaking off eventually as well.

I would venture to guess that about 95% of people would find OpenOffice LibreOffice to be all the office product that they require to meet their needs. Some people are truly power users requiring some of the Microsoft Office "only" options but in reality very few average home users / students require these.

I have used the OpenOffice LibreOffice product for years alongside my Microsoft Office suite and have come to realize that the cost is not really justified for me or most people I know as they just want the basic functions.......as posted previously OpenOffice LibreOffice interface is effectively the same as pre-ribbon office and if its worth the cost for the ribbon then people should by all means pay for Microsoft Office. I currently run Microsoft office 2007 on my Desktop because I was able to purchase Office basic (including outlook without onenote) instead of home and student. I run OpenOffice LibreOffice on all other computers I own (8 of them) or that my family/Friends own (many more than 8). When someone needs an office suite I just take my disk over and install it...no muss no fuss. Haven't had any complaints in the last 5 years so far from anyone about it not meeting their needs.