Microsoft FUD Machine Aims at OpenOffice.org

Roblimo writes "If you're using Microsoft Office and considering a switch to (free) OpenOffice.org, Microsoft would like you to read their Open Office Competitive Guide first, in which they tell you how much better/faster/cheaper MS Office is than OOo. Taran Rampepersad, an IT consultant in Trinidad, believes this "Competitive Guide" is nothing but FUD, so he wrote a detailed rebuttal to it -- and released his article under the FDL so you can feel free to republish his piece or share it with anyone you like, however you like." A followup to this story. Newsforge and Slashdot are both part of OSDN.

Comments

no

[KalvinB]

MS Office is seamless. Why in the world would MS want to try to work with every document format on the face of the planet? Most of which it doesn't have rights to? You'd have a never ending selection of formats to save in. If you want cross platform with MS Office you save in CSV or RTF.

"Try to edit an MS Office 2003 file on a system that's using MS Office '97."

So you're telling me Open Office has exactly one file format?

All MS Office products offer the ability to save your work in any relavent MS format all the way down to the first release of the product.

If you need to use a 2003 document in 97 you save the file as a 97 or earlier document. All versions are backwards compatible. No duh they're not forward compatible. Kinda hard to see the future. Formats change as more features get thought up.

I'm going to take a stab in the dark and either assume Open Office has never changed it's file formats or saves them in such a way that old versions can ignore new data it doesn't understand. Or, all documents are saved in all formats simultaniously and the version loading the version just picks the one it understands best.

Or more likely, you've failed to make some valid point against MS.

Open Office has it's own formats and just works with whatever it can get its hands on. If you need PDF files you buy Adobe Acrobat (or whatever it is now) and you're all set to go. You can convert MS documents back and forth to and from PDF to your hearts content as long as you have MS Office as well. OmniPage can take advantage of any format you've installed on your system much like VirtualDub can work with any codec you have installed.

It's really not MS' place to sell a product that takes the place of Acrobat. After all, aren't you all bitching about how MS is such a monopoly?

So why are you now complaining when MS doesn't support competing formats?

Open Source can get away with reverse engineering. MS would be sued for it.

Ben

nooo! mod me down dammit!

[the_twisted_pair]

..it was supposed to be sarcasm.

Ah well, friends don't let friends drink beer and surf /.

Re:What's the big deal?

[HotNerd]

Yer, but what Redhat have 2 say about microsux isnt really fud now is it?

So what then use MS office

[codepunk]

Nobody gives a rats ass if you use open office or not. I don't like giving Microsoft the only key to my data. If you feel you need to buy or pirate MS office then by all means use MS office. If you do not like the way it handles a multi user environment then you fix it.

Re:Office and reasons to switch.

[Bush Pig]

No, it isn't.

I _never_ use grammar checkers, and rarely use spelling checkers, as I'm old enough to have been taught properly.