It's a "freedom" thing, not a...

[dmoc]

...Linux vs Windows thing: check out
OpenOffice 1.1 at OpenOffice.org. Download it, use it! As someone who has done plenty of MSO development in the past I'd say this is more than ready for mainstream use. It's free, what are waiting for!? Spread the word.

[Saboteur]

I use OpenOffice some years ago, in Windows and Linux. I recommend it.

[freedimension]

I use OpenOffice since the days it was still called StarOffice developed by Sun.
It's cheap and for home use, more than sufficient.
I never liked the idea of spending hundreds of Euros only for writing a letter now and then.

[Num3]

Another Open Office User here

Very nice, and getting more and more powerful each day...

[PB]

> It's free, what are waiting for!?

Well... does it sync with my Pocket PC device (ie. contacts, notes, etc) ?
If not, then that's why I have to stay with MS Office. Also, I'm currently
searching for a new job, and most employers want my resume in MS Word
format. If I create a document with OpenOffice, can they read it with
MS Word?

[dmoc]

IIRC MSO has no ability to sync, that functionality is provided by third party sw. It may be different in later versions. I never saw anything that justified an upgrade beyond MSO97.

Have you actually checked out the OO features? You'll find that it can both read and write to a number of different file formats, including MSO's... that is until MS come up with a way to scupper it... which is enough of a reason for me to support OO rather than MSO.

No insult intended but don't be another drone. At least install it and have a look-see. I was hesitant as well before the 1.1 release because I end up using Excel in almost every project I've done and even been known to use it to create non-ms applications (long story). I recently got around to using CALC and apart from a few quirks I'm not even aware I'm not using Excel.

My final point: having to supply information in a MS format *is* a loss of your freedom or at least a restriction on your freedom (prob same thing but suttle difference). As I get older I think it's no cooincidence that successive generations do not realise how their freedom is being eroded or even the ways in which it could be eroded. So even if you reach the conclusion, for whatever reason, that OO is not for you at least try it and feed some constructive critism back to the developers. Who knows, one day the adverts might say "Your cv must be supplied in an *OPEN* format".

Edit: corrections (must type slower 8O )

[Kale]

I'm currently searching for a new job

Again? you do get through some jobs

[PB]

Kale wrote: "you do get through some jobs"

I haven't had a stable job since my redudancy in March this year.
My wife has just gotten a job as receptionist for www.conexus.com.au,
which is great, but I'm still looking. My age (33) and experience (TV
industry) is going against me -- I'm either too old (LOL!) or don't have
the "real-world experience" (since they consider a TV person to be out
of touch or something).

Dmoc wrote: "At least install it and have a look-see"

I was thinking of doing that. But most places here in Australia require
that you know MS Word, Excel, etc to get a job. As such, there's no
point in using something else at home, if your job requires the MS one.

I too wish MS didn't dominate the world in the way it does. But when
push comes to shove, I simply have to use what employers are using...

[blueznl]

pb, don't worry, i am 38 and unemployed as well (former telecom)

i am considered too old for most jobs, they're only hiring freshmen

it's beginning to get a little on my nerves, but i'm not the one to give up, if necessary i start my own company

[Fangbeast]

pb, don't worry, i am 38 and unemployed as well (former telecom)

I'm considered too old by some companies, overqualified by others. But the strange thing is that mose jobs I on't get is because I don't drive. Go figure that one.

@PB I've also used OpenOffice since it was called StarOffice and it can output to most versions of ms. Strangely enough, the only people who ever had problems with my files were agency idiots.

The actual people doing the hiring were more computer literate than the agencies going to interview me and had no trouble with my document exports to word format.

P.s..I've never used anything to synch to Microsoft yet because there are just too many things to synch and too much effort. I just use the palm desktop to synch the palmpilot and Lotus Organiser and if I need any other apps, I write custom filters. Then I synch the palmpilot to the mobile :)

[PB]

> i'm not the one to give up

I'm not giving up either -- but it is frustrating.

> if necessary i start my own company

I don't have that luxury. For one thing, TV is all I know, but I'm not an
editor or anything, so I can't offer any services. Another little problem
is that I have no money to start a company (only $7 in the bank). My
wife and I are living in a tiny caravan at her parent's house. Grim, eh?
Oh well, at least the money will start coming in soon from her job, and
we can perhaps look at renting a place again. Ain't life grand? :roll:

[dmoc]

39 and unemployed (or is that "unempoyable"? <<< Edit: may be that's the proble, bad splelling ). Seems to me to be enough spare brain matter in these forums to do something useful, maybe even profitable. Stone soup anyone?

PB, what did you do in the tv industry?

[blueznl]

dmoc you too?!? one would almost think that is related to using purebaisc... now that's a scary thought!

[LarsG]

LOL..
I'm unemployed too... But I just started my own company though..
(starting a one-man company in Norway doesn't cost you anything)
Actually sent my first invoice out on thursday.. (I'll be even more happy when the money comes in.. )

-Lars

[blueznl]

doesn't cost anything in the netherlands either, as long as you have another source of income, either unemployment benefit or a job...

after one and a half year, you're no longer allowed to have any sort of income beyond wellfare... unless you have your own company as the major source of income, and then they'll tax you heavily