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Analysis of SuSE Linux Desktop
pdajames writes "ZDNet UK has a look at the new SuSE Linux Desktop, running Microsoft Office. They seem to think Linux is just about there when it comes to desktop users, although their words about StarOffice are not so kind. It seems like some of the reality of desktop Linux is starting to match the hype." Not being an Office power user myself, I felt that way a long time ago, but it's cool to see projects like Evolution get some more street cred.
SuSE is what allowed me to leave windows.
I've tried RedHat, Debian, and Mandrake. They all really do not work well for the desktop.
SuSE, however, has automatic updates (nightly!), EXCELLENT support (although RedHat has support, it is very expensive.)
All in all, fine tuned, ergonomic, German Precision.
A++.
You can try it out if you do an installation right from an FTP server. Granted, ISOs would be nicer, plus the FTP install doesn't come with all the extra software found in the Professional bundle, but still...
The ruckus over Ximian Desktop was because it replaces a lot of core system packages (well, gnome/gtk packages) so must be tuned for each distribution separately. It's a bit odd that XD2 doesn't support the "Enterprise" editions of distros though.
It will be in version 1.1. Just as PDF export for windows and swf export.
You can download beta2 and see for your self.
Signature Pro version 1.13.2-3 release 83.5 beta3try7 after-breakfast edition
There isn't a macro recorder, and for obscure technical reasons, there isn't likely to be one in the near future.
That's plain wrong, there's already a Macro recorder in OOo Writer 1.1 beta2. I also wonder which version they've used. I've been running 1.0.1 for professional purposes without big problems. And the problem I encountered were fixed in 1.1beta2.
They have a Basic intrepreter for stuff like that. It's called IIRC OpenOffice Basic.
Click here or a puppy gets stomped!
My
Progression over the last 3.5 years, '()' indicate experiments:
Mac 8.6, WIn98, (RH6.1),Win2K, (Yellow Dog, PPC) WInXP Home, Suse 8.1.
The Mac installs were always ez, the win installs were tedious, the RH & Yellow Dog/PPC had me reading manuals left & right. The SuSE install was brain-dead easy (easiest one of the bunch!, even easier than Mac), except for my lack of experience in assigning partitions (found a nice partioning scheme in the LAMP book (Lee, Ware - Addison Wesley).
Still fighting the WIn2K server & converting some Office docs, but that's just a matter of studying.
I'm not really a web designer, I just play one on the Internet.
Here...
Office is one of the 'richest' windows programs in that it uses every possible API under the sun.
It's not like it's just using Win32 like for example Winamp or Regedit would... on top of the regular stuff (GDI, Win32), it extensively uses COM/DCOM/ActiveX, and not the simple features in those either.
Kudos is what I have to say. Even though I agree with parent post =)
I've been trying to switch over completely from *f*ing MS Office to OpenOffice, but unfortunately the lack of Outline view/function in OpenOffice is a major problem, that and lack of support for support for EndNote (a reference managing program).
:]
(As a scientist, I have to write a lot of grant applications for my living). Thus, outlining big hairy elaborate boring technical writing things is vastly helped by an outliner. Probably like this post would have been.
Anyway, does anyone know of a good Linux program that allows one to prepare and re-organize writing in an Outline form? No, don't tell me to use Emacs, that would be like a, er, well I can't think of anything clever so I'll just say a mis-use of a fine product.
I think, therefore I thought.
Oh what a pile of BS. Come sit in #commits on freenode for a while. The last few commits have almost all been usability related, even really small stuff like getting the use of ellipses right.
The rest of the post is just talking about OpenOffice. Yep, it has not so great usability. But OTOH neither does MS Office, I mean really the thing is riddled with problems.
You can't take ONE program, which has been open source for not very long at all, and extrapolate that to the whole world of open source code.
If you want an easy to use, HIG compliant word processor, use AbiWord 2. Most of the work done on the GTK2 frontend lately has been about HIG compliance.
I think most of the problems you note about OO are very much because it was a commercial product. It did things to unnecessarily copy MS Office, or to look superficially fancy or featureful, or it used a monolithic structure necessitated by the commercial distribution process.