Thinking about trying.

Talk about anything at all....
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carpetshark
Posts: 4
Joined: Mon Apr 14, 2008 3:15 pm

Thinking about trying.

Post by carpetshark »

Welcome beginner. Please answer all of the questions below which may provide information necessary to answer your question.
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Which version of OpenOffice.org are you using?
What Operating System (version) are you using?
What is your question or comment?
I'm thinking about trying OpenOffice. Unlike most, I am a WordPerfect user, and have been since DOS.
Unfortunately, Corel is now wanting at least IE 5.5 for some reason. I hate IE, have it so locked down that it's crippled. I prefer FF and Opera. Not having email in the program doesn't bother me.
I currently use WP9. It does run on all the computers we own (2K and XP), but one family member is clinging to Office 97. If I try to save from QuattroPro to XLS97, the pc locks up. I do need to save files that he can read.
I always do a custom install, is this possible with Open Office? What about the upgrade to Java? Will it stay locked down? I have Java disabled in FF, and don't want another install overriding that preference.
I also use Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator. I use Illustrator to write .pdf files. Will Open Office play nice with these apps?
I see a post about labels - that answered another question.
Exactly what is Draw? I see vector, and think of Illustrator and CorelDraw. Does it open .AI files?

thanks,
Carpetshark
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AndrewZ
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Posts: 633
Joined: Mon Oct 08, 2007 1:25 am
Location: Colorado, USA

Re: Thinking about trying.

Post by AndrewZ »

carpetshark wrote:I always do a custom install, is this possible with Open Office?
Yes
What about the upgrade to Java? Will it stay locked down?
What do you mean locked down? You don't have to install Java. You can download OOo without Java by going to http://download.openoffice.org/other.html#en-US and checking the box about "Include the Java JRE"
I also use Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator. I use Illustrator to write .pdf files. Will Open Office play nice with these apps?
That's a broad question, but I think so.
Exactly what is Draw? I see vector, and think of Illustrator and CorelDraw.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OpenOffice.org_Draw
http://www.openoffice.org/product/draw.html
Does it open .AI files?
No, but you may find a converter.


By the way, you may get better answers by asking one question per thread.
* Did you solve your problem? Do others a favor: Post the solution
* Visit OpenOffice.org Ninja (blog) and OpenOffice.org Ninja Wiki for news, previews, troubleshooting, etc.
OOo 3.0.X on Fedora 9 + XP
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foxcole
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Posts: 1507
Joined: Mon Oct 08, 2007 1:31 am
Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota

Re: Thinking about trying.

Post by foxcole »

What about the upgrade to Java? Will it stay locked down? I have Java disabled in FF, and don't want another install overriding that preference.
Installing Java for use in OpenOffice has no effect on your Firefox settings. Just having Java exist on the computer doesn't mean Firefox will change what you've already told it to do. But maybe I'm misunderstanding what you're asking here... maybe I'm not clear about your concerns.

Regardless, Java in OOo is primarily used for running wizards but it's also used in the macros dialogs and some various other parts of OOo. It's only necessary if you need these functions.
Cheers!
---Fox

OOo 3.2.0 Portable, Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
carpetshark
Posts: 4
Joined: Mon Apr 14, 2008 3:15 pm

Re: Thinking about trying.

Post by carpetshark »

Thanks for the info. I think I will try it out. As for a graphic converter, I have one called Hijaack Pro.
The reasons for some of the questions are that some software tries to sneak things in. There are also software companies that do not put all the requirements on the box, and you find out you need an app that you don't want on your computer. I've also had software that changes your preferences. I don't care for that type of behavior, so I try to read and inquire before making up my mind.
Carpetshark
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foxcole
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Joined: Mon Oct 08, 2007 1:31 am
Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota

Re: Thinking about trying.

Post by foxcole »

carpetshark wrote:Thanks for the info. I think I will try it out. As for a graphic converter, I have one called Hijaack Pro.
The reasons for some of the questions are that some software tries to sneak things in. There are also software companies that do not put all the requirements on the box, and you find out you need an app that you don't want on your computer. I've also had software that changes your preferences. I don't care for that type of behavior, so I try to read and inquire before making up my mind.
Absolutely there's nothing wrong with being cautious! :)
Firefox won't change its settings, and I agree that kind of behavior would be delporable! The only way FF would pick up the Java installation is if you haven't actually set it to not run Java but instead relied on keeping Java off your computer.
Cheers!
---Fox

OOo 3.2.0 Portable, Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
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