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If you haven't tried LibreOffice (https://www.libreoffice.org/ https://www.libreoffice.org/) in a while I highly recommend it. Works great with Zotero for cita

by daveguy 10y ago

If you haven't tried LibreOffice (https://www.libreoffice.org/ https://www.libreoffice.org/) in a while I highly recommend it. Works great with Zotero for citations and they have fixed a lot of the formatting issues in Writer/Word and data manipulation shortcomings in Calc/Excel. I haven't needed MS Office for 4 months.

Dayshine 10y ago
The problem with LibreOffice is that it has terrible Word compatibility. Documents just come out looking completely different. Tables go over extra pages, text is randomly overlayed, etc.
- buovjaga 10y ago
  Well, at least we are documenting the problems, you can filter by "docx" to see for yourself: https://wiki.documentfoundation.org/QA/Tracking_Bugs https://wiki.documentfoundation.org/QA/Tracking_Bugs So it's easy to jump in, if one has a passion to fix interop issues..
- LeifCarrotson 10y ago
  In my experience, this typically happens if you're using the manual layout systems, nudging and adjusting image sizes and text boxes pixel by pixel until the output is "perfect." This is brittle even in Word. You should be able to insert a section or paragraph without messing up your whole document. Instead, use paragraph breaks, page breaks, and styles to typeset the document. Choose top/bottom wrapping of images, and keep tables simple and clean. It usually looks better, it's easier to edit later, and it just works in whatever editor you're using - whether Office 97, Office 2017, Google Docs, or exporting to HTML.
  - Dayshine 10y ago
    I can't control what others do in the documents they send me...
- oever 10y ago
  The problem with Word is that it has terrible LibreOffice compatibility.
  - thatguy0900 10y ago
    And if word were trying to replace libre office, that might be the case.
reitanqild 10y ago
I also love it to the point of having it installed even when I have access to Word. My reason is because I find it much better to clean up other peoples weird formatting (yep, seems some people don't use styles. Or use styles and then go over and fix every heading manually or something.)
Bedon292 10y ago
I have, and at least for my purposes it did not fit the bill. It has been a little while, and maybe they got footnotes working finally, but before they were horrendous. And yes the Zotero plugin is nice. Libre Office is definitely the closest alternative to MS Office, but just not quite there for me. I do recommend it all the time for people who are very lightweight users though.
- daveguy 10y ago
  Have you tried it since version 5.2? Previous versions didn't cut it for me either. This one does. For one, it now has multi-column copy/paste in Calc.
Nomentatus 10y ago
I came back to LibreOffice recently. Hoping not to experience previous problems. It soon bungled a save of one of its own documents causing me hours of work. I expect to go back to Word, sigh.

by daveguy 10y ago

Dayshine 10y ago

The problem with LibreOffice is that it has terrible Word compatibility. Documents just come out looking completely different. Tables go over extra pages, text is randomly overlayed, etc.

buovjaga 10y ago
Well, at least we are documenting the problems, you can filter by "docx" to see for yourself: https://wiki.documentfoundation.org/QA/Tracking_Bugs https://wiki.documentfoundation.org/QA/Tracking_Bugs So it's easy to jump in, if one has a passion to fix interop issues..
LeifCarrotson 10y ago
In my experience, this typically happens if you're using the manual layout systems, nudging and adjusting image sizes and text boxes pixel by pixel until the output is "perfect." This is brittle even in Word. You should be able to insert a section or paragraph without messing up your whole document. Instead, use paragraph breaks, page breaks, and styles to typeset the document. Choose top/bottom wrapping of images, and keep tables simple and clean. It usually looks better, it's easier to edit later, and it just works in whatever editor you're using - whether Office 97, Office 2017, Google Docs, or exporting to HTML.
- Dayshine 10y ago
  I can't control what others do in the documents they send me...
oever 10y ago
The problem with Word is that it has terrible LibreOffice compatibility.
- thatguy0900 10y ago
  And if word were trying to replace libre office, that might be the case.

reitanqild 10y ago

I also love it to the point of having it installed even when I have access to Word. My reason is because I find it much better to clean up other peoples weird formatting (yep, seems some people don't use styles. Or use styles and then go over and fix every heading manually or something.)

Bedon292 10y ago

I have, and at least for my purposes it did not fit the bill. It has been a little while, and maybe they got footnotes working finally, but before they were horrendous. And yes the Zotero plugin is nice. Libre Office is definitely the closest alternative to MS Office, but just not quite there for me. I do recommend it all the time for people who are very lightweight users though.

daveguy 10y ago
Have you tried it since version 5.2? Previous versions didn't cut it for me either. This one does. For one, it now has multi-column copy/paste in Calc.

Nomentatus 10y ago

I came back to LibreOffice recently. Hoping not to experience previous problems. It soon bungled a save of one of its own documents causing me hours of work. I expect to go back to Word, sigh.