4 ms·

Can you provide some details on the reasons for needing MS Offfice? I'm genuinely curious. What does LibreOffice do differently that makes it a problem for you

by edg5000 10mo ago

Can you provide some details on the reasons for needing MS Offfice? I'm genuinely curious. What does LibreOffice do differently that makes it a problem for you to use? Personally my only complaint is the performance of LO, which could be better.

sokoloff 10mo ago
For me, some complex Excel usage was not replicable in either Sheets or LibreOffice.
- thewebguyd 10mo ago
  Excel I'd argue is the primary reason for most in the business world. What LibreOffice misses, and sheets to a lesser extent, is that Excel isn't just a spreadsheet app. It's a general-purpose programming environment for non-devs (although, at a certain point, you could argue they are effectively programming even if they don't see it that way). Yeah, there are better solutions. At a certain level of complexity, you probably shouldn't be using Excel and should switch to Python+some SQL database, but there's something to be said about the visual environment Excel provides. Excel is Microsoft's killer app
  - sokoloff 10mo ago
    It’s the world’s most popular low-code platform.
  - fragmede 10mo ago
    > It's a general-purpose programming environment for non-devs Google sheets's programmability is way better (than the last time I used) Excel, with direct support for python, which Gemini can write just fine. It's a bit fiddly in places, I'll admit, but Google sheets is definitely a programming environment.
OJFord 10mo ago
I'm not GP but I do know it's rare to open an existing .docx in LibreOffice and have it look right; who knows what it looks like in Word after I've edited and saved it. It's fine creating new documents, and Excel/Calc is better than Word (inherent in being more structured I suppose), but it's not a drop-in replacement. I've used web Office365 when necessary though, not Windows.
- sombragris 10mo ago
  > I do know it's rare to open an existing .docx in LibreOffice and have it look right; who knows what it looks like in Word after I've edited and saved it. This is not true except as hyperbole. Most docx open and let themselves edit quite well in LibreOffice Writer, and they look right. However, you still have a point. There are always some cases when the compatibility is not good, and the only way to use said docx files would be in MS Word.
  - OJFord 10mo ago
    Maybe you've had better luck, I'm just describing my recent experience of using Linux at an O365 org until early 2025.
    - sombragris 10mo ago
      I submit most people had better luck than you and stayed silent. The fringe cases are the most vocal ones in their complaints. Of course, this is not implying that your experience is not true or less valid.

by edg5000 10mo ago

sokoloff 10mo ago

For me, some complex Excel usage was not replicable in either Sheets or LibreOffice.

thewebguyd 10mo ago
Excel I'd argue is the primary reason for most in the business world. What LibreOffice misses, and sheets to a lesser extent, is that Excel isn't just a spreadsheet app. It's a general-purpose programming environment for non-devs (although, at a certain point, you could argue they are effectively programming even if they don't see it that way). Yeah, there are better solutions. At a certain level of complexity, you probably shouldn't be using Excel and should switch to Python+some SQL database, but there's something to be said about the visual environment Excel provides. Excel is Microsoft's killer app
- sokoloff 10mo ago
  It’s the world’s most popular low-code platform.
- fragmede 10mo ago
  > It's a general-purpose programming environment for non-devs Google sheets's programmability is way better (than the last time I used) Excel, with direct support for python, which Gemini can write just fine. It's a bit fiddly in places, I'll admit, but Google sheets is definitely a programming environment.

OJFord 10mo ago

I'm not GP but I do know it's rare to open an existing .docx in LibreOffice and have it look right; who knows what it looks like in Word after I've edited and saved it. It's fine creating new documents, and Excel/Calc is better than Word (inherent in being more structured I suppose), but it's not a drop-in replacement. I've used web Office365 when necessary though, not Windows.

sombragris 10mo ago
> I do know it's rare to open an existing .docx in LibreOffice and have it look right; who knows what it looks like in Word after I've edited and saved it. This is not true except as hyperbole. Most docx open and let themselves edit quite well in LibreOffice Writer, and they look right. However, you still have a point. There are always some cases when the compatibility is not good, and the only way to use said docx files would be in MS Word.
- OJFord 10mo ago
  Maybe you've had better luck, I'm just describing my recent experience of using Linux at an O365 org until early 2025.
  - sombragris 10mo ago
    I submit most people had better luck than you and stayed silent. The fringe cases are the most vocal ones in their complaints. Of course, this is not implying that your experience is not true or less valid.