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Linux and OpenOffice save Microsoft Presentation

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the now-thats-just-silly dept.

EvilGrinUK writes "A presentation about Shared Source (SSI) by the head of Microsoft Ukraine was almost ruined when the Windows machine (a Tablet PC) linked to the projector developed problems. The solution was to adopt OpenOffice.org 1.1.2 and ALT Linux Compact 2.3, which was already running on the presenter's laptop (an IBM Thinkpad). Here's a picture."

14 of 447 comments (clear)

  1. Is it true? by sebisor · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Can somebody verify that the info is accurate?

    1. Re:Is it true? by archen · · Score: 5, Insightful

      I believe this isn't the first time someone associated with MS has done this. I've heard of a similar incident happening in Europe. Really I don't think this is newsworthy information. All of us know that you can end up with a bad office install, or office will end up with corrupted documents. Many of us also know that you can open such documents with Open Office just fine. I recommend this to uses on our own network every so often, so this is old hat. Another nice trick is to open MS office documents with Open Office, then save them with OO (to the MS format) and watch the file size decrease up to 30% at times and be able to open them JUST FINE in MS office.

  2. uh oh! by aweiland · · Score: 5, Insightful

    He is so fired

  3. Not to be a partypooper but... by Spy+der+Mann · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Will this appear in ANYWHERE but slashdot? I mean, will common people know about it? And more important... will they even care?

    1. Re:Not to be a partypooper but... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful
      I mean, will common people know about it? And more important... will they even care?

      Ummm, let's review: a Ukrainian Microsoft rep had a laptop problem, so they showed his presentation on someone else's Linux laptop.

      Why on earth would "common people" (charming phrasing, BTW) care? This is only "news" in the sense that it's fuel for today's anti-Microsoft raving.

      We Powerbook owners pull some Windows user's fat out of the fire on a weekly basis -- it's not really news.

    2. Re:Not to be a partypooper but... by bman08 · · Score: 4, Insightful

      No because it's not a big deal to anybody who doesn't read slashdot. Welcome to life in a niche. It's just like how it would be awesome to some people if some racecar driver who was sponsored by pepsi drank a coke or something. While it may mean next to nothing in the grand scheme, it's funny to us, let's just enjoy it.

  4. Intersting. by Atzanteol · · Score: 5, Insightful

    And not one story about all the presentations given at Linux World that were done using Power Point on Windows.

    --
    "Ignorance more frequently begets confidence than does knowledge"

    - Charles Darwin
  5. Re:Big deal? by Space+Coyote · · Score: 4, Insightful
    What's the big deal here? Right tool for the job. The other laptop wasn't working during crunch time, so why not?

    Microsoft demonstrating that Linux and OO.o can be the right tool for such a job? That is a big deal.

    --
    ___
    Cogito cogito, ergo cogito sum.
  6. Not to be cynical but... by DaedalusLogic · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Can we see a schedule for this conference and where it took place? All we have is links to organization web sites and this photo at the moment.

    If this is supposed to be proof of something, I want confirmation. Then I'll really start laughing.

    Because honestly, who is to ay it wasn't just one guy putting up a slide and snapping a photo?

  7. Well, what would *you* have done? by Neopoleon · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I figured the comments would be full of negative little "ha ha" moments.

    But, if you've ever given a presenation, then you *know* how tough it can be. Demos and talks which have been working fine for days, weeks, and months have a way of suddenly breaking down when you need them most. Don't know why this is.

    So, this guy (if this is true) did what he had to so that the presentation could continue.

    Is that really something worth laughing at?

    Plus, it just goes to show that not everybody at Microsoft feels the same way about certain... "other" technologies. Yeah, it might be a fine "ha ha" for other people at the company, but those of you who are pushing the OSS agenda should really be congratulating this guy for sticking his neck out.

    And, had this been a presentation on some Linux subject and something had gone wrong with the presentation machine (Linux machines *do* crash, too, you know), then what would the presenter have done?

    People are laughing, but many of us on the Windows side of things have no problem firing up an alternative operating system. We have our loyalties, but it doesn't mean we're all totally pig-headed.

    --
    - Rory [Microsoft Employee] | Free dirt: neopoleon.com
    1. Re:Well, what would *you* have done? by team99parody · · Score: 3, Insightful
      But, if you've ever given a presenation, then you *know* how tough it can be. Demos and talks which have been working fine for days, weeks, and months have a way of suddenly breaking down when you need them most. Don't know why this is.

      There's something seriously wrong with your infrastructure (OS, application, hardware, etc) for that to be happening.

      I really hope you never work on medical equipment or airlines or weapons systems or anything else that matters if you tolerate the attitude that "[anything] which has been working for days, weeks, and months [could] have a way of suddenly breaking down whhen you need it most".

      It's fine if he's demoing a pre-release-prototype or something; but this was a supposedly "released" non-beta product that was screwing up whatever he was trying to accomplish.

      Yes, I've given many many presentations before. What would I have done? Had a backup of the presentation on a CD or USB device so regardless of what failed in my laptop, I could have given it successfully by borrowing someone else's laptop.

  8. Re:Big deal? by shadowzero313 · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I don't work in some big huge corporation or something, but I'm a student tech for my high school. I have to retrieve quite a few files for students, especially off slightly mangled floppy discs. I've learned to love hex editors in the process. High school kids can put an incredible amount of useless crap in a powerpoint or word doc, and openoffice can open them just fine, and resave them to office with no problems. I don't know how you can say 2.0 will fail horribly when 1.1 is fine for most importing anyway.

  9. Re:Not First Time Strenghts, Weakeness Demonstrate by 110010001000 · · Score: 3, Insightful

    It must be nice to be caught in a reality distortion field. There is no excuse for Linux World presenters not to be using Linux/OSS for their presentations. The "projection equipment" is not dependent on Powerpoint - it simply uses the VGA output port. BTW, this story is a hoax. The last time it supposedly occurred in September during a joint MS/Novell conference. But dont let reality creep in!

  10. Re:oh my by Xyde · · Score: 4, Insightful
    that's microsoft's fault for not using an open standard document format.

    Yes, that's right.

    Shame on Microsoft. And how rude that Office 2003 doesn't implement and utilize the wonderful and open OASIS file format that was ratified 3 days ago.

    I don't expect much from Microsoft these days (god knows I'd be constantly disappointed if I did) but I somehow feel time travel is probably asking a bit much - even for them.