Unlike questions on traffic law, FFXU has always seemed like a good place to get advice on computers, so...

I'm looking to buy a new laptop. I've always used Windows and popular, propietary software suites (e.g., MS Office, Adobe CS4). This time, I am thinking about trying to force myself to use free equivalents.

-- I've heard Open Office.org is great. Has anyone had major compatibility issues converting old MS Word or PowerPoint files?

-- I'm thinking about sticking with Windows for now. Is this so bad? While I'd like to switch to Linux, I'm worried about compatibility issues with things like projectors at conferences and specialized programs I use that are made to search and access things like medical journals. It seems that Windows is always supported, but not always so for other operating systems. Also, I am a pussy and don't want to spend a whole lot of time learning a new OS.

-- What are your favorite free/open source programs? Open Office, GIMP, Audacity...?

Thanks, love, and hugs,
Eastsider

I use nothing but OpenOffice for my word like stuff. You can open any Word files as far as I know and you have a save option where you can save as .doc files (I save as both)

You can also save OpenOffice docs as PDF's which I do for invoices etc.

idontlikebeingrightaboutshitlikethisbutiam



Edited 21 time(s). Last edit at 5/31/1967 05:57AM by WingNut.

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Last edit at 6/29/2013 11:18PM Last edit at 3/19/2011 01:02PM Last edit at 3/26/2012 09:07PM

I would get Windows 7 with Office and then you can always make the laptop dual boot and install Linux later.

Windows is better if you have the money for software. You can survive with open source programs but open source lags behind. Adobe CS4 still far out classes Gimp.

Eastsider Wrote:
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> I am a pussy and don't want to spend a whole lot of
> time learning a new OS.

it's not going to be the same as windows, you will have to spend time learning how things function. you will will also have to find alternatives to applications you use, though many will run via WINE. i'm not trying to be offensive but if you cant put forth the effort to do that then dont bother trying anything that isnt Windows.

dont get me wrong, i'm all for people switching to linux, it's for anyone and everyone that wants to use, even if it's only some of the time. however, i am against people giving a half-assed effort trying to learn how and then complain about how it's not exactly like windows later.


"the wisdom of the wise will perish, the intelligence of the intelligent will vanish."

Lurker. Wrote:
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> I would get Windows 7 with Office and then you can
> always make the laptop dual boot and install Linux
> later.

This. Though if you want to run Windows and Linux on the same PC, I'd use a virtualization program instead of dual-booting. I like VirtualBox alot. http://www.virtualbox.org/

I'M A FIVE-STAR MAN!!

Gravis Wrote:
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> i'm not trying to be offensive but if you
> cant put forth the effort to do that then dont
> bother trying anything that isnt Windows.

+1. Same would be true if he wanted to go to Mac OS, you must be willing to learn a new environment to get what you need out of it.


I use OpenOffice.org for everything that I don't need to collaborate on with an MS Office user. That cuts down on BS like where a graph's color isn't exactly what it was before I opened an Excel file and re-saved from OpenOffice. I'm using that as a theoretical issue just to say I don't assume every little feature of Excel is accounted for in OpenOffice.org Calc.

But Eastsider if you are interested in how OpenOffice.org works you can use it on Windows, that is where I use it most of the time.