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OpenOffice 2.3 Released
ClickOnThis writes "Surely I'm not the only one who noticed that OpenOffice.org has announced the release of version 2.3! From the website: 'Available for download now, OpenOffice.org 2.3 incorporates an extensive array of new features and enhancements to all its core components, and protects users from newly discovered security vulnerabilities. It is a major release and all users should download it. Plus: It is only with 2.3 that users can make full use of our growing extensions library.' You can download it but be kind and use a P2P client instead, such as bittorrent."
With any luck, I won't have to fire up MSOffice ever again...
Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from a rigged demo
--Andy Finkel (J. Klass?)
Well I didn't want to come across as a whinger and I did want to get the first post so I had to make it quick ;) but I was referring to a general sluggishness. It does work. It does work well and I use it as my main suite at home, and I have never had any problems with MS formats (other than some obscure PPSs with macros but I understand why this is like that [and how to fix it] so I don't complain about that). Nevertheless it does take its sweet time to load the application and to open large, heavily-formatted files. Also the fact that it freezes while saving is annoying. So my point was: it is good, but rather than adding extra functionality I would like it better that they made the excellent stuff they have now to work faster. Like somebody else rightly said, making it feel smoother adds a lot to the "it's a serious and professional app" experience.
+Raider of the lost BBS
Have you tried turning off Java and increasing memory usage?
Doing that makes OO on Linux run about as well as MS office on Windows on a P4 with 1Gb (I know, I know, but its the only comparison I have).
It is still slower than Gnumeric or Lyx, which start up instantly and are never sluggish, but that is not an altogether fair comparison either.
Of course Oo are still at fault for using defaults that MOST people would be better off changing.
I'd have to agree - compared to proper packages like OriginPro (or even Matlab) Excel produces the most amateurish and ugly looking graphs. Simple tasks (like adding error bars) are made much harder than they should be. Data analysis options are non-existent, and forget about being able to export to EPS.
The big feature, as far as I'm concerned, is the fact that the page is now centered in print layout view. Until now, it was left-justified, and that absolutely drove me nuts on my wide screen monitor. If it bothered you too, check this version out.
Presume you've filed a bug with a sample spreadsheet? Do it ASAP and you'll find that someone will probably take it up and fix it, even if it takes a while. The beauty is that it helps everyone else too...
Depressingly, they still haven't fixed the British English localisation (Not the spell checker, the actual UI and stuff.) There was some hoohah about the en-GB versions after 2.0.2 being broken or something, so OO wouldn't release 'em. Even now, the OO website still has the same guy doing it who doesn't appear to have actually done anything since then.
"How fine you look when dressed in rage."
Take a look at Veusz if you want proper scientific charting on Windows, Linux and MacOS. [plug]
OK, I'll play too. Some of these are really usability flaws and some might be classed as bugs but feel like usability flaws to the user:
Obligatory disclaimer/excuse: I haven't yet had chance to install 2.3, so although I've seen no reports that the above have been addressed in this version, some of this may now be out of date.
If you disagree, post your argument. (-1, Overrated) isn't your personal censorship tool for views you don't like.
mostly affects the database engines in Base (Access Clone) and some wizards in the other programs
Plus, with vanilla builds on Linux, Java (when JMF is installed) enables embedded video. For most big distros, this is replaced / complemented with a gstreamer frontend.
Free beer is never free as in speech. Free speech is always free as in beer.
It is used for BeanShell scripted plugins among other things. You can safely switch it off because openoffice will tell alert you when it needs it. In vanilla setup it's typically used by export filters.
That is why we provide the openoffice-bin ebuild for our OpenOffice users who don't have distcc compile farms
:)
So be troubled no more
- An installer can be cyptographically signed to prove who created it. This is what the parent posts are talking about.
- An application and installer can be certified by Microsoft to show it meets certain minimum standards. It can then use the Designed For Vista logo. That's what you are talking about.
The two things are independent.You can set WANT_MP="true" in /etc/make.conf to force OpenOffice to use more than one process, but the build usually fails if you do this.
Worst. Signature. Ever.
If any admins out there would like to mass deploy OOo 2.3 onto their Windows Workstations, I created a "Mass Install Utility" that enables you to deploy it with a few mouse clicks.
Check it out here.
Note that I do recommend Novell's OOo version, but I do create the installer for the standard version as well (which I just updated to 2.3). To download the complete versions of the Installation Utility (which includes all files necessary) you must use Bittorrent and get the files from my tracker here.