Ah Microsoft strikes again

[nadinbrzezinski]

so yesterday I ended up loading Word on the machine after some ahem, extensive repairs. I've been using Open OFfice 3.0 since it came out on my three machines. Ok folks, the file was an rtf file... in theory word should have left all formatting alone... not in your life.

I guess word does not ship until OO is not compatible, fully, even when using formats that are quite generic....

Have I mentioned how much I loathe MS practices?

Well most people would go, ok I'll surrender. Not me... I will use the MAC for the final layout of my documents.

And if need be, I will have to open and paste from the OO document into the word program.

There are days... and yes for the real old hands, Microsoft don't ship until Lotus don't run...

[Mike 03]

1. Yeah, I'm really getting upset with MS, lately, and wishing I could move over to Mac.

It's hard, because I'm like an MS addict; it's all I've ever known.

But I'm having nightmare after nightmare lately with my system. It sucks.

My anti-viral software programs can't even keep up with the spyware and trojan assaults I get almost hour by hour on my machine.

It is really depressing.

[nadinbrzezinski]

3. If you are NOT a gamer, I suggest a MAC

If you are a gamer... like hubby... well you see here I am going, I don't want to do SP-1 on Vista... not until they solve all them damn issues

[Mike 03]

8. No, I am definitely NOT a gamer. I haven't played a game on my computer

since that sequel to "Myst" came out way back when. I think it was called "Riven." It was amazing, but I would never choose one computer over another due to one video game.

I wonder how much it would cost to get set up on Mac, and what the new, best computers in that category are.

I have heard about the Mac Book, but other than that I'm quite ignorant.

[nadinbrzezinski]

9. Well they are a little more expensive than their cousins

but you can get hooked with a mac mini

http://www.apple.com/macmini/

Hey at 599 starting is not that bad

Add their own pages software for about 80, or just open office for free, and you're set

I use Safari on my mac book

Now if you want a laptop,

Here you go

http://www.apple.com/macbook/

Of course you can also buy a last year model... I did, and save some money

I used small dog electronics

http://www.smalldog.com/

Which by the way are endorsed by Thom Hartmann too, one reason we went through them

[NYC_SKP]

5. Do it. Come over to the light....

Yesterday I ordered my second iMac (to replace a 2004 20" model that cost 3000.00)]
They've come down, this one was only $1199, refurbished with the same specs as a brand new 24" iMac, $300 off list.
Delivers Wednesday.

Shipment Details

MB585LL/A 3-year AppleCare $119.00

RFB IMAC 24"/2.66/4GB/640GB/SD/MSEKB-USA $1,299.00

EXPEDITED SHIPPING $33.00



:party:

[Junkdrawer]

2. Does WordPad choke too?

:shrug:

[nadinbrzezinski]

4. Haven't checked wordpad

suffice it to say it did weird stuff to a rtf file.

Might save the thing in plain text and see...

:-)

Hell, here we have a nice macbook with pages loaded... which is a light layout program too boot... so I do have choices.

[nadinbrzezinski]

6. My macbook is close to five years now

and it is working just dandy...

I use my lappie but when the lappie dies, it will now be safe to take mac to coffee shop... AHHH

[riverdeep]

7. MIcrosoft broke me down.

It didn't take long either. Here's my tale of woe:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=242x24490

Summation, I had to give up Open Office because even if I was doing everything right on my end, there were people on the other end for whom the files would not work. But a question, why doesn't Open Office take note of this tendency and do an end run? Let them put out one version, then when MS ships, change to something that works seamlessly? Or is that just way too much work for a basically volunteer staff?

[nadinbrzezinski]

10. Nah that is Microsoft for you

for me the solution is easy... PDF

OO has become a real threat like Lotus did at one time.

So now it will be MS don't ship until OO don't run

And here you go

http://www.windowsreference.com/ms-office/how-to-open-odt-files-in-microsoft-word-20072003/

This MIGHT solve it

[riverdeep]

16. Thanks for the help, but

my problem was that I couldn't really ask people to download this and that to make Open Office compatible. I needed their business and people don't like to download stuff. A poster there, RoyGBiv IIRC, was also someone that offered that solution (see post 7 of referenced thread).

And that's the point, MS knows that if they just don't make it convenient enough to switch, they will retain a certain amount of market.

[nadinbrzezinski]

18. And they are violating agreements so this will probably end up in a court

me... I have the luxury of being able to ignore word... and it is a luxury

There are ways for me to work around those issues

[ohheckyeah]

11. I really don't understand all the problems people have

with MS. I use lots of graphics programs, am all over the Internet, etc. etc. and I just don't have a bunch of issues. McAfee protects my computers quite nicely as well.

I used Macs at college for graphics and frankly I prefer my PC.

[nadinbrzezinski]

12. Well I could start with the issues

Vista has... and it has precious little do with viruses, it is the OS period.

But this is actually word not being fully compatible with OO... which means they broke a couple agreements back in oh 2004.

Yes I am going deep into geekese... but the agreement essentially meant that in exchange for OO being compatible with MS, Word would become the standard format for word processing instead of the XML format for Open Office.

Yep, call me a geek or well informed, Will install the filter and see if that solves the problem and also see if it messes up txt too.

[ohheckyeah]

15. I use Office

so I haven't had the issue with Open Office. I'm still using Office 2000. I haven't had any operating system issues with any of the programs that I use which includes Quark, Photoshop, etc. etc. Sorry you are having problems. It's no fun.

[nadinbrzezinski]

17. Well we had to format the drive, I am not loading

dreamweaver on it.

It does not work on Vista... and I have a working copy on OS X, which works

Corel Painter, does not work well under Vista... but works fine on the MAC

And I will do the simple test, if it messes up the file as a txt file, I know I will probably have to ignore I have word on that machine, period

And for the record, I will be highly impressed

[Hawkeye-X]

13. Windows 7 RC puked oh my computer running XP

and I can't roll back. Dammit!

[nadinbrzezinski]

14. This one is using vista ultimate 64 and trust me, I ain;t that impressed

I like the formating capabilities, but what it did to the file is not funny

I will test the damn thing with just a txt file created in OO... I suspect this is MS and its lovely practices