Customers Say Microsoft Office Offers Superior Value to OpenOffice

[JMH]

A number of customers have dumped an open source productivity suite for Microsoft Office, citing superior value from the Redmond company’s solution.

Just as Windows has an open source alternative in the various distributions of Linux, so Microsoft Office is rivaled by OpenOffice.

And just as it is the case with Linux and additional open source offerings, the most applauded advantage over closed source software is related to the cost.

Open source is by definition free. However, Microsoft has been challenging this, noting that as far as companies are concerned cost does not stop with the acquisition.

In addition to the direct costs implied by a specific product, there is also an additional, indirect cost. Enterprise customers refer to is as Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) and it includes expenditures such as support, and tech assistance.

Microsoft has highlighted a total of 15 customers which dumped the free OpenOffice for Microsoft Office citing multiple reasons such as cost advantages, better support, enhanced productivity, etc.

“After many years of listening to the supposed promise of free software and even trying it themselves, these organizations and individuals were brave enough to recognize a lack of cost savings on top of the constant headaches around managing OpenOffice.org,” revealed Microsoft’s Raymond Thomas.

“I’m sure that OpenOffice.org fanatics will respond with all sorts of criticisms and links to customers who’ve moved from Microsoft Office to OpenOffice.org."

“While this may seem like a valid counter-argument I urge you to consider that with an install base of over 750 million users it’s not difficult to find a few who want to investigate alternative solutions."

Source -
Customers Say Microsoft Office Offers Superior Value to OpenOffice - Softpedia

 

[LiquidSnak]

lol

 

[swarfega]

Ive had several people say to me who arent computer experts by any means that they dont really like openoffice and find the ribbon of ms office helpful.

 

[pparks1]

I think in the even of a business....many of them will have enterprise contracts with Microsoft and this covers the OS as well as the office suite....so if you are already paying for it...you might as well use it.

Also, as a business...centralized management of these applications via Group Policy and such is a requirement. But for a home user, it's unnecessary and I think home use is where the majority of Open Office users are situated. I know for a fact that is true for my use of Open Office.

 

[Darician]

Having worked in an office that tried OpenOffice for a while to save costs and not upgrade to Microsoft Office 2007/2010, I can tell you that it was a failure because when you get right down to it for business, OpenOffice is very lacking. Additionally, the Ribbon interface is far more intuitive than the interface OpenOffice currently uses. This same office now uses Office 2010 as everyone, except the CIO (now former CIO) who loved OpenOffice hated having OpenOffice. There are certain spreadsheets that we have to work with for one of our clients who in OpenOffice, we wasted at least 10 to 15 extra minutes per spreadsheet, per day to make them look half way presentable with OpenOffice whereas with Microsoft Office, we just get our work done.

 

[SMOKKINU]

How can you say something that costs money has more value in it when compared to something that is free and accomplishes most of the same tasks?


I am a MS Office 2007 Pro user, but even I know that OpenOffice is the best free alternative, and with free, it makes it the best "Value" because it did not cost a cent to begin with.

 

[pparks1]

How can you say something that costs money has more value in it when compared to something that is free and accomplishes most of the same tasks?

Because free doesn't necessarily mean that it works well enough to make it worthwhile. In the case of a business, if files have to be converted and they don't convert well, it costs more in workers time to work around the issue than they likely pay for Microsoft Office. Therefore, while cheap, it doesn't offer enough value to to the business to justify it's use.

 

[Benjamin Hall]

As nice as Open Office is, I do prefer the actual Office suite.

 

[pparks1]

As nice as Open Office is, I do prefer the actual Office suite.

I do too. But when it comes to 2 or so machines in my house, I'm not willing to pay for MS Office...so I use Open Office. When i "need" MSOffice, I can use the copy on my work laptop which I have to carry home with me everyday.

 

[Vertex]

Even MS Office 2007 is far superior to Open Office.

Don't get me wrong, I use Open Office on Linux but I've also managed to install MS Office 2007 there using Wine. MS Office just tops them with the ribbon interface obviously. MS Office seems to have more options and I got used to it better. It also felt faster and less buggy compared to Open Office that crashes more for me. The portable version of Open Office crashes even worse than the non portable one.

The only weakness of MS Office is that its not free and like many Microsoft products nowadays, consumes more space and installs more things compared to its open source counterparts.

 

[n0th1n9]

I love microsoft office. Especially because I was able to get Microsoft office 2010 professional+ for just 10 USD. Thanks to the enterprise agreement our company has with Microsoft.

 

[madtownidiot]

This thread and the article it's based on are ridiculous. If openoffice cost the same as microsoft office, or even anything at all besides the time it takes to download and install, and both created the same kind of files, then there would be a rational basis for value comparison based on features, cost and productivity. What the article fails to mention is that MSO is deliberately designed to create files that are incompatible with anything other than MSO applications by default.. and that microsoft would sue anyone into bankruptcy if they created another office application that could create or edit MSO files. Also, if you use MSO and need to work with PDF documents.. you have to get a third party suite like Acrobat, which also costs a fortune.. So how is it a better value? $400 for office professional, plus another $500 for acrobat vs. one free application that can do most of what both of them combined can do.. with nearly everything that is lacking also available as freeware? Get real folks.. the BS is getting kind of deep

 

[Vertex]

Also, if you use MSO and need to work with PDF documents.. you have to get a third party suite like Acrobat, which also costs a fortune.. So how is it a better value? $400 for office professional, plus another $500 for acrobat vs. one free application that can do most of what both of them combined can do.. with nearly everything that is lacking also available as freeware? Get real folks.. the BS is getting kind of deep

Well there are free PDF readers like Foxit. And of course you got different editions of MS Office suite to choose from if that is the case.

People will continue to use MS Office because its where many of them have accustomed themselves into. Even myself would take some time to get used to Open Office which for me is buggy.

Just remember, Micro$oft wants to maximize their profits. If freeware is better for you, who is forcing you to use M$ Office???? All people have their preferences.

 

[pparks1]

Well there are free PDF readers like Foxit.

I'm sure madtown is discussing the ability to Create PDF files from within Microsoft Office...not read them. OpenOffice has had the ability to "Save AS" a PDF file for years. While MS has tried to add this in the past (to 2007), Adobe had a stinking fit and MS removed the functionality from the base product. While you can add it back, you have to find it on your own from MS website and install it....most customers aren't aware of this and don't do it.

I'd say the majority of home users who feel that MS office offers more value
1). get office for like $10 because of a work home use program
2). use office from their technet subscription
3). pirate office.

 

[madtownidiot]

Thanks for making my point for me.. the only thing M$ cares about is maximizing their profits ...by any means possible. They can't stand up to even the possibility of competition, which is probably why so many propaganda articles are written and the reason so much effort is made to corner as much of the market as they can. People prefer MSOffice because it's the only thing most of them know about. A trial version has been preloaded on nearly every mass produced PC on the planet as part of an agreement they've had with manufacturers who sell windows PCs and laptops.. for the past ten years. Neither MSO or openoffice a better value than the other.. there isn't any logical basis to make a comparison

@pparks.. you're correct.. and the reason Adobe sued Microsoft about the PDF issue was microsoft would have probably have decided to make Adobe products incompatible with Windows.. effectively killing that part of the company.. same thing with xml.. there's a good reason windows doesn't come with a good xml reader/editor

 

[logicearth]

@madtownidiot, Microsoft is a business, to be in business you have to be thinking and care about maximizing profits. Otherwise you are no longer in business. This is not something only Microsoft does, ever business is like this, EVERYWHERE. Money makes the world go round and everyone wants a piece of the pie.

@pparks.. you're correct.. and the reason Adobe sued Microsoft about the PDF issue was microsoft would have probably have decided to make Adobe products incompatible with Windows..

What? How would supporting PDF capability in Office make Adobe software incompatible? What are you smoking?

same thing with xml.. there's a good reason windows doesn't come with a good xml reader/editor

Again, what? First off, IE reads XML just fine and dandy better then any other browser. Also Windows Vista/7 both come with MSXML to handle XML and XML-supporting (Scheme, XSLT) documents which is a very good implementation of XML.

Seriously, what are you smoking?

Futhermore, OpenOffice can open Word 2007/2010 documents and Office can open OpenOffice documents. That alone completely contradicts you. The format that Office 2007/2010 uses is also an open standard! Anyone can use it.

 

[DeaconFrost]

How can you say something that costs money has more value in it when compared to something that is free and accomplishes most of the same tasks?

Because the first thing you'll learn about in the business world is that value isn't always about money. It's what you get for your money, and from my own standpoint as IT Management, the fact that the ribbon is more intuative, and my users already know how to use Office, I can save on training costs and time...and cut down on help desk calls. Add in the fact we're a non-profit, and I get Office for next to nothing...the initial cost argument goes right out the window.

Thanks for making my point for me.. the only thing M$ cares about is maximizing their profits ...by any means possible.

For the record, on forums, it is tough to take posts seriously when they contain M$, MicroShaft, or Windblow$. I'm not pointing my finger at you, just making a general statement. Now, what business, aside from non-profits, isn't out to maximize their profits any legal way they can? I was laid off from a company who cut their IT staff from 15,000 to 1,500 globally to maximize profits.

 

[nailgunner]

I am a decades long user of Excel and love it. Have used it in an office environment both big and small. I can see where switching to OpenOffice could have had a pretty large cost associated with it, and those with a pay grade higher than mine never attempted the switch. That said, I use OpenOffice at home (after using Gnumeric, not sure how I ever got talked into using that mess), and it works great for my personal applications. On a recent computer purchase, I deleted my free trial of MS Office immediately and installed OpenOffice.

 

[DeaconFrost]

Honestly, if I didn't have a bunch of licenses, I wouldn't run Office at home, at least not the installed version. I'd be using the Office Live version that's online and free.

 

[nailgunner]

Honestly, if I didn't have a bunch of licenses, I wouldn't run Office at home, at least not the installed version. I'd be using the Office Live version that's online and free.

I'm actually using the Live version to share some spreadsheets with family. The only downside I have is that if I want to edit it online, it insists on converting my xls file to a xlsx file, which doesn't always carry over all the formatting changes when I then open it with OpenOffice. But I assume if you use nothing but MS products, there would be no issue. Also there is no direct print function available with the xlsx spreadsheet, you have to print via the browser, which I could NEVER get to work the way I wanted. Not sure why no direct xlsx print, because they do let you print docx documents directly. So I did the quick convert to PDF on the xls in OpenOffice, shared both which makes it easy for them to download and print.