[Techtalk] What do you all think?

[Glenda R. Snodgrass]

> I think if someone can answer Glenda R Snodgrass' problem in Message 2 from
> Digest Volume 1#184 (see copy below), that would go some way to beging to give
> M$ a head ache.

Unfortunately, I finally got an unhappy answer to this by posting to
Sun's newsgroup for SO6b:

<<
these filters comes from a third party provider and not from us. These
filters are only available for the Windows platform.

Best regards
Marcus Lange
StarOffice Competence Center
>>

I posted back asking whether there were plans to incorporate these in a
later version for Linux, but haven't received a reply.

*sigh* So we're back to trying to get the Corel suite to install on RH7.2
(it's the font server crapping out for some reason, I'm not sure, one of
my partners is on this one).  Of course it's a pretty bad app to begin
with, and its future quite uncertain. :(

> we deal with and ourselves run Office/Word 97 not Word Perfect but it
> is  surely the same problem of getting Star Office to truly interoperate with
> the dreaded .doc files.

Unfortunately, yes. ~2 weeks ago, I tried to open a 2p .doc with fairly
complicated column structure and SO opened it onto 4 pages with tons of
whitespace, so I posted the .doc file with a bug report.  A few days later
I received a message that it wasn't actually a bug but desired behavior,
because SO can't handle multiple borders on a single page, something like
that, so they chose to have each border change section on a new page, and
the bug report was closed.  Hmmm, well, forgive me, but what was I
supposed to do with that .doc at that point? It was a contract, which I
couldn't possibly sign with all that whitespace?!? If we want to truly be
accepted in the workplace as replacement for biz-class s/w sold by M$,
then we can't make arbitrary decisions like that on only converting
certain document layouts or whatever.  It's an attitude adjustment we have
to make if we want to gain general acceptance on the desktop.

I have two clients finally ready to try Linux on the desktop in their
office now, and a third client looking into it seriously.  Unfortunately,
now that they're ready, I'm not sure I'm ready for them!  SO6b has a lot
of great features, but without WP filters, none of my lawfirms can use it,
and as beta-quality, my other tester office can't use it because they have
very heavy-duty spreadsheet use and cannot take the risk.  A year ago I
would've put everyone in Corel 2000 and been happy about it, but now I
can't get it to install on RH7.2 and I'm very worried about future support
& development.  If SO would open WP docs then I'd feel better about
migrating clients to Linux with SO and moving into RTF for new work, but
without WP import filters it's hopeless.

> PS Glenda, do you have any idea how to get Star Office's 5.2 email to send mail
> on a Red Hat 7.1 install. I have tried all over the place with no luck getting
> an answer.

No, sorry, I don't.  I only used 5.2 long enough to write a chapter on it
in a Sam's book 2 years ago. :)  I use Pine, WP8 for Linux and Applixware
for daily work.

-- 
Glenda R. Snodgrass

Before you begin, consider ... The Net Effect
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