Shortcomings of OpenOffice and Working Around Them?

1mck asks: "Most free office software does the job, and after a hard drive failure, I decided to go MS Office free, so I'm trying out OpenOffice; however, I've noticed that there are a few deficiencies that I'm having a hard time getting around like the 'Shrink to fit' function, and also having PPS files open up directly in 'Presentation' mode rather than in the Edit' mode. Has any one else picked up on other deficiencies in OpenOffice? I realize that it is free, and it won't be as well featured as most purchased software, but when I went on the hunt for the workarounds at the OpenOffice forums, and on the web I've come up with very little to no information at all. Have I chosen the right free software, or would you suggest something else?" What minor irritations and shortcomings have you found in OpenOffice and how have you adjusted to (or worked around) them?

Comments

Expectations != Deficiencies

[mswope]

Is it possible that you've expected behavior from OO? I'm not certain that OO's credo is to "replace" M$ Office as an exact copy. However, they probably intend to include *equivalent* functionality in most cases. So, simply opening in a different state ("edit" vs. "Presentation" mode) is a case of you expecting an M$ Office behavior when working with an entirely separate, discrete, different, non-Microsoft Office piece of software.

Re:Expectations != Deficiencies

[PinkyDead]

I agree, working in OO the other night, I wanted a different header for the front page. I've been using OO since its early versions but there are still some things I haven't got to grips with yet and this was one of them.

Instincts (derived from using Word for too many years) tell me to insert a section and disconnect the headers from the previous sections. I tried and it just makes a complete mess - OO couldn't be this bad could it.

Then decided to bite the bullet and RTFM.

Go to the page, open page styles and select 'first page'. Once I'd done it, it just made so much sense. The Word way is just plain stupid.

Most of the techniques that we have gotten from the Windows/Office world were hard won and difficult to give up, but that doesn't make them right.

Well featured software?

[jbrax]

Cliff wrote:
I realize that ... it won't be as well featured as most purchased software

With OpenOffice I can easily "send as pdf-document" or export my presentation into flash animation and publish it on the Web.

With OpenOffice I can save my valuable data in standard format (OpenDocument) so that ten years from now it will still be readable with any standards compliant word processing software no matter what my operating system is.

From my perspective OpenOffice seems to be well featured software compared to the "most purchased software" :-)

Re:Well featured software?

[dbIII]

With OpenOffice I can save my valuable data in standard format

This is a very important point - some of you may remember the different MS Word97 versions that could not open files produced by each other. The first annoying thing is they came in identical packaging, the second was the MS suggested solution was to use the RTF format and live with the problem for three years. The real answer was to install every machine in the building from the same disk and keep all the others snug in their plastic wrap and be prepared for complaints if someone let *.doc format files out of the building.

Reference Manager

[Dr. GeneMachine]

Shortcoming: No decent reference/literature managment system available.
Workaround: Use MS Office+Reference Manager/Endnote, unfortunately.