[ILUG] Disappointment with OpenOffice

[John Madden]

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On (25/10/04 13:52), Timothy Murphy didst pronounce:
> However, I tried editing the .xls file in OpenOffice under Linux,
> and was really quite disappointed with the result.
> In fact I didn't trust the program, and so gave up using it.
> 
Your email seems to suggest that this is the fault of the OOo team.
However, IMO, the blame falls on Microsoft.

You said that using the open CSV format, everything worked perfectly.
But, when trying to open a .xls file the program didn't respond as you
expected -- I presume how you expect it to run is to open the file and
display it as Excel would. If you want this, then use Excel. 

However, since Microsoft won't release any specs for their document
formats, and are constantly changing them, how can you expect open
source developers to keep up? Actually, would you blame them if they
chose to drop support for Microsoft formats completely?

I do come across the same problems as you've come across with this .xls
file, and since I don't have any computers with Microsoft software, I
have no choice but to depend on the conversions that OOo and others
provide. When it doesn't work though, I don't blame the developers of
the program I'm using. I either give up on the document (if I don't
really need to view it), or I ask for the document in a different
format. Now that you've seen the problems with cross-platform (and even
cross-application) viewing of closed source document formats, perhaps
you'd think of explaining to people the problems with dealing with these
types of document formats, and ask for a more open format in future.

Sorry, this mail is kinda OT, but I felt the original mail needed a
reply, since it seemed to place blame wrongly for problems dealing with
the .xls file.

- -- 
Chat ya later,

John.
- --
BOFH excuse #223: The lines are all busy (busied out, that is -- why let 
them in to begin with?).
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