A Year of Linux Desktop At Westcliff High School 283
jrepin writes "Around a year ago, a school in the southeast of England, Westcliff High School for Girls Academy (WHSG), began switching its student-facing computers to Linux, with KDE providing the desktop software. The school's Network Manager, Malcolm Moore, contacted us at the time. Now, a year on, he got in touch again to let us know how he and the students find life in a world without Windows."
And they didn't even meet much resistance: "Younger students accept it as normal. Older students can be a little less flexible. There are still a few that are of the view that I can get rid of Microsoft Word when I can pry it from them. Staff are the same (although it is surprisingly not age-related). Some are OK and some hate it. Having said that, an equal number hate Windows 7 and nobody liked Windows 8. I think the basic problem is that Windows XP is a victim of its own success. It works fairly well from a user point of view, it's been around practically forever, and people don't like change, even some students, oddly."
Why not more than a clone of Windows and Office? (Score:4, Interesting)
I'd really like to see a desktop suite of alternatives which do away w/ the shackles of backwards compatibility and instead try to do things right:
- LyX for documents
- Flexisheet for spreadsheets
Wish there was something other than Asymptote or METAPOST to suggest for vector graphics (I'd like to see a successor to Altsys Virtuoso and Aldus IntelliDraw and FutureWave SmartSketch).
Other alternatives which aren't ``just'' clones?
Re:Why not more than a clone of Windows and Office (Score:4, Informative)
Re: (Score:2)
All one needs is a reasonable set of import / export tools.
Re: (Score:3)
All one needs is a reasonable set of import / export tools.
Can't be done.
Two years ago I had to convert some important WordPerfect documents to Word, and then to Excel. They had a lot of tables, outlines and columns. It didn't come out right, and I had to manually correct every page. The margins, columns and tabs were changed. One page in WordPerfect ran over one page in Word. Text didn't fit into tables. Some of the fonts were missing. There were workarounds that didn't work any more.
In searching the subject on the web, I found a message from someone who claimed t
Re: (Score:3)
Just FYI, LyX sucks at WYSIWYG document creation and editing. TeX is hard and LyX makes it easier, but it's still nowhere near ready for the masses.
See, Microsoft had this brilliant idea to change their default document view from "Normal" to "Print Layout" that shows how the document would (should) look like when printed out. It's a small change; both views were present already. I don't even know if Microsoft came up with the idea first. But the difference is significant. One view makes Word true WYSIWYG wh
Re: (Score:2)
Microsoft didn't come up with the idea of a WYSIWYG text editor. I don't know who was first, but I know Apple's MacWrite in 1984 only had one view of the document, and it was like what Word calls "Print Layout".
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
How many actually need or want WYSIWYG then? Wouldn't most people who use Office be better of with WYGIMBTWYCD (What You Get Is Much Better Than What You Could Design)?
Just FYI, LyX is about WYSIWYMean, not WYSISWYG (Score:3)
LyX is a project that I'm very fond of. It doesn't follow the WYSIWYG model at all. Instead, it leverages TeX's different way of thinking about document creation entirely; separate the data from the presentation and manage the creation of both separately. The whole idea is to concentrate on the task of writing without getting distracted by constant re-formatting challenges. It works quite well once you learn to relax and not obsess over every paragraph and image placement while you're writing.
Frankly, I
Re: (Score:2)
Please explain the features of Flexisheet that would put it in anyone shopping list. I could only find a domain for sale, a Sourceforge project with no released files and a CVS repository and also it seems only runs in Mac OSX.
About LyX, I guess most people wouldn't want it a little rough, wouldn't them? From the site:
It does look a bit rough, but don't worry, because the output will be fine
I think most people would want to edit text, not mathematical formulas for LaTeX and science papers which seems to be the main focus of this editor. It may be very good for that for all I know
Exactly! (Score:5, Interesting)
> [Windows XP] works fairly well from a user point of view, it's
> been around practically forever, and people don't like change.
Yes, yes, and yes. Too bad MS didn't realize that -- they could have just spent the last few years refining XP and keeping people happy.
Apple actually has a pretty good thing going on with OS X -- like them or not, "small changes every year or two" beats "monumental fuckups twice a decade."
Re: (Score:2)
Redeveloping things was necessary with Vista/7 to handle newer hardware and concepts, but the problem was they threw out half the baby with the bathwater when they significantly changed the main interfaces. There was no reason to mess with that when people were happy with it. I'm not even sure what they thought they were trying to beat by doing so.
Re: (Score:2)
I don't know if they know how to "refine" things. Their CEO is a salesperson. Salespeople can't understand how making programs start up 10% faster and use 50% less overhead, would be a good selling point. On the other hand, a brand-spankin' new, snazzy interface is a great selling point.
And part of the "brand-spankin' new" selling points is actually changing the version number. Look at what Firefox started doing when Chrome became popular.
Re: (Score:2)
I have noticed though Windows 8 is going through an annual update and my hunch is they are trying to avoid another XP again...
Well, insofar as they're trying to avoid another XP, as a OS that people are attached to and are uncomfortable moving away from, they're doing an awfully good job. I don't foresee people becoming attached to Windows 8 no matter how long they use it.
Re: (Score:2)
Actually, no, they're doing an awful job. Win 7 is becoming the new XP.
Re: (Score:2)
I watch people double click the large icons in the taskbar/dock/quick launch all the time. They are used to double clicking on icoons that size.
I watch them confused and squinting at thumbnails to switch windows when they are used to words.
I REALLY like the new taskbar. I love dragging across the screen and seeing full size windows on a totally uncluttered screen, clicking when I want one, and everything else re-appears behind it. But it's very confusing to many people. The edge snap sizing confuses people
Windows is cheaper than Linux (Score:5, Informative)
One of the reasons we see so much Windows in education is that its cheaper than Linux. Microsoft gives out free software and hardware deals to schools as "donations". At my University, our CSE department had clearly been supplied with a lot of Windows stuff (I got 3 free Windows licences, and lots of other stuff as a student, I suspect the Labs got similar offers). The ratio of Windows to Linux machines was higher than most of the students wanted (It was often hard to find open Linux machines).
My High-school got all its computers replaced through some deal with Microsoft while I was there, and they were all Windows.
Microsoft makes large investments in getting its products into education so people get used to them. The people who resist change will then be stuck with them and but it in the future.
I assume this kind of thing is not the case everywhere, but their efforts seems to be keeping Windows as the standard OS in education. I'm really happy to see people working (and succeeding) at escaping this.
Re: (Score:2)
My High-school got all its computers replaced through some deal with Microsoft while I was there, and they were all Windows.
Microsoft makes large investments in getting its products into education so people get used to them. The people who resist change will then be stuck with them and but it in the future.
But, but, philanthropy. Gates foundation. Common good.
Bullshit. This is what happens when criminals like Gates are allowed to run free.
Re: (Score:2)
If there were a SIMS (Schools Information Management System) client for Linux...
Interactive whiteboards that only have features written for MS Office, teacher resources that are windows only, and things like mental health/nursing applications that are mandated and windows only. There are replacements for some of this stuff but sometimes not.
Parents Protesting Over Lack Of MS Office (Score:5, Interesting)
The author mentioned that some parents protested because they felt learning Microsoft Office is crucial to their children's success. However we now live in an era where Microsoft is beginning to lose that stronghold. With Open/Libre Office always improving and solutions such as Google Apps gaining traction, I fail to see how this is really a factor anymore. By 2024 MS may not even be the major player anymore in the office space. This is like the prior generation telling us we must be proficient at using a typewriter or hand writing in cursive to land a job.
Re: (Score:2)
I would've agreed with those parents 10 years ago as well, but the fact is most users (even adults) aren't pushing Office suite products enough for the specific software to matter. Most provide the same cursory experience which is definitely good enough for high school students. I gave my GF my old laptop to replace her ancient one and tossed OpenOffice on it. I don't even think she realizes it's a different app!
Re: (Score:2)
office compatibility is the big part of useing it (Score:2)
Open office has some compatibility with office files but in the most part people need to use office as that is what is being used in most work places.
3-4 year old systems can run windows as well (Score:2)
3-4 year old systems can run windows as well as for cost cutting holding on to systems for 5-6+ years just seems like pushing it out also the old P4 systems can be big power hogs as well.
Linux needs some help from Microsoft... (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Linux needs some help from Microsoft... (Score:4, Insightful)
s/Linux/Os X/
Re: (Score:2)
Bring back XP (Score:4, Interesting)
It's OK to upgrade it with drivers for newer hardware, and plug up more security holes. But give us the same user interface (as a choice).
Really. We CAN go back and run most older window systems/managers on a new Linux kernel and maybe new X server. We can get the old user interface. We can even get something that emulates Windows 95 (seen it). Why can't the core Microsoft Windows system do that? Just provide an app that chooses which user interface to use.
Re: (Score:3)
It's OK to upgrade it with drivers for newer hardware, and plug up more security holes. But give us the same user interface (as a choice).
Is Windows 7 really different enough from XP that most people will notice? I don't use either much, but they seem almost the same to me.
Longer Term Study (Score:3)
A study one year on is useful, but what would be even more interesting would be a longer term study focusing on the experiences of students as they grow up and leave school.
It would be interesting to see whether using Linux and a non-MS office suite affected them academically, and as they start to look for work - particularly with many jobs coming with a requirement to be proficient in Microsoft Office (try getting Libre Office past those HR drones). Perhaps a higher proportion of students than is normal at a girls' school will end up working in the tech industry, having had more experience at school using a Linux system.
Re: (Score:2)
(try getting Libre Office past those HR drones)
Those drones are making it more difficult now than ever to cross over.
Re: (Score:3)
Albany Senior High School in Auckland, have used Linux extensively for about 4 years. A friend of mine does advanced Linux support for their servers. http://wikieducator.org/Free_Software_at_Albany_Senior_High_School [wikieducator.org]
Many schools around the world already use Linux, and more are starting too.
Microsoft is on the way out...
Mom-Approved (Score:2)
New Tricks (Score:2)
The ability to learn new tricks is not really age related.
Old dogs that can't learn new tricks couldn't learn them when young either.
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/fulfillment-any-age/201001/old-dogs-and-people-and-monkeys-can-learn-new-tricks [psychologytoday.com]
Depressingly shallow popularity contests (Score:2)
It seems all TFA does is measure resistance to change and who all likes coke vs pepsi.
Back in the day I liked DOS word perfect... reveal codes and all just fine. What does that prove?
It would have been refreshing had there been any discussion of metrics or outcomes for users.. After all computers are just tools... Its not what you "like" its what the tool assists you to achieve.
MS Office (Score:3)
"There are still a few that are of the view that I can get rid of Microsoft Word when I can pry it from them."
I've been using linux on my primary computer for 5 years now and I'm still the same way - LibreOffice, OpenOffice and StarOffice can't hold a candle to MS Word, especially when you need to share your documents with collaborators. Same goes for the open "equivalents" of Powerpoint - if you make (or even modify) a slideshow in Libre, Open or Star, you have about zero percent chance of your presentation looking the same on any other computer.
I think a lot of people, including myself, will resist giving up MS Office until either a)EVERYONE uses the open equivalents or b)the open equivalents flawlessly port files to and from MS Office without formatting or display issues. I also think neither of these is likely to happen any time soon.
Why so odd that people "don't like change"? (Score:2)
But how many people would like to sit behind the wheel to drive to work, and suddenly find their entire dashboard reorganized and the wheel moved to a different angle six inches to the left?
As only one example, it always amazes me when supposed computer professionals are surprised when users were just fine with things exactly how they were. I still don't like the stupid ribbon interf
WHY CHANGE? (Score:2)
I understand Microsoft's motivation to change things, because they're selling stuff, and by nature they're almost required to change things in order to make a profit. If they don't update the interface, people become too productive, and never buy another copy--they just use the one they have. With upgrades and security patches being free and automatic, Microsoft really HAS to change change things in order to continue to make a profit.
But why does Linux do it? Why not create an XP equivalent of an OS/GUI and
Re:High School for Girls Academy (Score:4, Insightful)
Nobody said this was a focus group.
Re: (Score:2)
Nobody said this was a focus group.
Exactly. Purely anecdotal which, when corroborated with other anecdotal evidence, still says Windows 8 sucks, Windows 7 is "meh" and XP is what everyone is still wanting to run.
You can pay for as many "Independent 3rd party studies" as you want. I'll take random anecdotal samples over that anyday.
Re: (Score:3)
Windows or Linux fanboi, both agree Win8 set us up the bomb.
Re: (Score:2)
Something we can all agree on, at least!
Re: (Score:2, Informative)
I haven't heard the typical result for Windows 7 being "meh"
In terms of ordinary end users, Windows 7 has surpassed Windows XP for quite a while now. The business world is another story.
Re: (Score:2)
Yeah, that part of the summary didn't gel right with me. Everyone hates Windows 7? My experience has been the opposite - everyone I know who's switched to Windows 7 loves it, and are physically ill when they see an XP desktop (ok, not literally). Conclusions like this sound a lot like confirmation bias.
Are high school girls not normal users? (Score:5, Interesting)
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
I actually went to this school when I was younger (so I was pretty surprised to see it appear on Slashdot!), and was very interested in this article because when I was there, we were given a very good IT education - in MS Word, Excel, Access, Powerpoint and Frontpage (plus, er, PageMaker).
Anyway, I think there are a few reasons why this userbase might adapt to Linux better than a random selection of people:
1. Their age - while a lot of older people are extremely reluctant to just try something on a computer
Re:Are high school girls not normal users? (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:Are high school girls not normal users? (Score:5, Insightful)
My take from this story is that a group of people with no general predisposition toward using an OS that is commonly seen as difficult to learn and just for geek hobbyists picked up on it without trouble.
Re: (Score:2)
There are still plenty other reasons why we won't or can't deploy Linux in our offic
Re: (Score:2)
But remember, there's no sexism in the slashdot crowd.
Re:Are high school girls not normal users? (Score:5, Insightful)
It drives home the point that the only reason people don't switch to linux is inertia. It's not that people reject linux, even very stubborn, crazy groups of people.
(Disclaimer: I may still be a little bitter at high school girls from when they wouldn't talk to me when I was in high school.)
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
There's a valid point that your sarcasm hides: high school girls are often stubborn, irrational, and value popularity of a product more than the product itself.
Sounds like Slashdot.
Re:Are high school girls not normal users? (Score:5, Funny)
They still don't talk to me. 40 years has merely changed it from "nerdy" to "creepy". You just can't win.
Re: (Score:3)
I think it's important to note that they used KDE for their transition. Of the desktops that are currently available and reasonably popular, KDE has the most "traditional" interface. People who've never used Linux before have sat down at my box with it's familiar set of desktop icons, double clicked on the applications they wanted (usually Firefox), and had no problem with resizing windows, maximizing them, minimizing them, or otherwise using my box.
This should be a resounding slap in the face for grou
Re: (Score:2)
Switch to Apple and lose weight. (Score:3)
Switch to Apple and lose weight. Not because it makes you a "hipster", you just can't afford any food after buying the whole Apple line.
Re: (Score:2)
So - they moved Westcliff to the USA while no one was watching? A lot of people in England are going to miss it! Or, maybe you read a different summary than I did, and your post was mysteriously moved to THIS discussion.
Re: (Score:3)
Re:I understand, it is Very hard to leave Windows (Score:5, Interesting)
Imagine if all changes were on the back end (security, improved networking, etc) and only a handful of changes were made with the front end. Windows would have millions of content and loyal users. And nobody would ever want to change.
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
To be fair, the difference between XP and Vista/7 wasn't that drastic. Sure the colors changed but if anything, it was still XP underneath with an updated look (and some cool new tools). Windows 8 is where they went off on a tangent and put a little too much tablet UI in a desktop OS.
Re: (Score:3)
to be fair, we'd also have to consider DOS -> Windows 3.11 -> windows 95/98 -> (junk no one bought) -> Windows 2000 -> XP which were pretty drastic
Re: (Score:3)
no, things such as "control panel" also changed
Re: (Score:3)
Re: (Score:2)
WTF paid you to say that? And, WTF is a "Windows based metric"? If 8 has a lot going for it, then we're all hoping that it keeps on going, for a very long walk off of a short pier. Windows users seem to agree that IF you ARE a Windows user, it's best to stay with Win7, and hope to hell that Win9 is a usable system.
Frigging shills . . .
Re: (Score:2)
Measuring lengths as a number of dead ducks would be a good example!
Re: (Score:2)
Marketing would never let that happen.
Re: I understand, it is Very hard to leave Windows (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Windows would have millions of content and loyal users. And nobody would ever want to change. Microsofts corporate strategy is dependent on people buying new versions of their software. If something doesn't 'look' like it changed, then nothing 'was' changed to most people. If you are still on xp at this point, microsoft doesn't really care a whole lot about you, unless it can get you to buy a newer version of its os.
Microsoft's Windows strategy is not just selling their OS on new computers from OEMs, but to convince all users that they are really missing out on something great if they don't ditch the old version and upgrade to the new version.
The core problem is the way Microsoft does things within the OS, the constrain the user on how and where they store things. Savvy users can figure ways to put stuff where they like, but are often still stuck when it comes to inflexible software installs.
From the get-go I was a ma
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:3)
Really? I plugged a headphone into the headphone jack yesterday and some dialog box popped up asking me if I wanted to use headphones. That never happened before Windows 7.
Re: (Score:2)
it has no Windows rot
Eh?
Re: (Score:2)
Win7 really ain't bad - after you turn the Aero crap OFF!
Re: (Score:2)
Aero actually offloads a lot of desktop operations onto the GPU freeing up your processor to do other things. Why would you want to turn off something that not only looks pretty but also makes your computer faster?
Re:Think of the children (Score:5, Insightful)
They said the same about DOS and Wordperfect when i was in highschool, where are they now?
School should teach users generally applicable concepts, ie that there are multiple applications to accomplish a given task. If you only teach specific software then users will be stuck if they encounter different software, and by the time they leave school the software will be different. Even newer versions of the same applications are often wildly different. If taught properly, people will be able to grasp any new application that's designed for performing the same general functions.
Re: (Score:2)
DOS was still around up until Vista. It also is a decent albeit crude intro to Posix CLIs. And Word actually copied a lot of Wordperfect's interface and functionality. Where it didn't, there are options.
Re:Think of the children (Score:4, Insightful)
Exactly! Because we all know that school is first and foremost a job training program designed to replicate drone workers efficiently. You wouldn't want to expose those impressionable youngsters to alternative tech, or heaven forbid, non-PC thought.
Re:Think of the children (Score:5, Informative)
I used a typewriter in high school.
on the side, a teacher and some of us students formed a computer club and bought a TRS-80 so we could do Z80 assembly.
Since then I've used various document creating softwares on CDC Cyber, Vax, Unix, OS/2, Novell, Windows, Linux,
so the answer to your question is "hell no, what's the point"
Re:Think of the children (Score:4, Interesting)
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
My last workplace used Linux almost exclusively. Its not a Windows World out there.
Personally, I think learning only one OS cripples someone's understanding of is a design decision in an OS, what is a fact about current computers, and what is basic reality. Its much like learning only one programming language, or only one spoken language: you can't understand something very well from passive use of a single just one type. This is why you pretty much have to take some foreign language to get into college, an
Re: (Score:2)
School does not exist as a vocational training facility for industry. It should train people to be productive citizens. Over the long term that means fundamental skills. By "fundamental" I don't mean "introductory", I mean skills upon which *other* skills can be built: to analyze, to imagine, to communicate and *to learn*.
In terms of computer skills, students should be used to adjusting to doing things different ways, because changes in the software on the market will force them to do that. They should b
Re: (Score:2)
I use Gimp daily to nondestructively alter blueprints. Photoshop would be a complete waste of money for my shop.
Re: (Score:2)
That doesn't really make his point any less valid, mind you. I'm sure there are people out there who use MS Paint and have no issues with its featureset.
Re: (Score:2)
I'm sure there are people out there who use MS Paint and have no issues with its featureset.
http://vimeo.com/70748579# [slashdot.org]>there are indeed....
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
That doesn't really make his point any less valid, mind you.
Considering that his "point" was to marginalize OSS alternatives to expensive, proprietary software by stating that the OSS stuff is "fine for kids typing a paper in middle school or highschool," and "For grown ups I would be furious if I had to use LibreOff[i]ce," implying that they are useless for "serious" work, I disagree.
Re: (Score:2)
LibraOffice has years to play catchup
Correction: OpenOffice has years to catch up. While LibreOffice of course gets parts of OpenOffice back ported, the code gutting and re-writes that made LibreOffice put it far ahead of OpenOffice. LibreOffice is great when it comes to outputting .doc, although I don't do much with spreadsheets so I can't comment there. Every once in awhile I install OpenOffice just to see how it's going but I always end up removing it after a few bug filled hours. I really don't know why anyone would use OpenOffice over L
Re: (Score:2)
The company I work at switched to open office when Sun was still around. It took some months for the users to become familiar enough with open office to be as efficient as they were in MS office and I had to answer an awful lot of questions many I had to look up. Today we run on Libre Office and have many users that are extremely efficient with it. Some still miss MS office not many.
Re: (Score:2)
Outside of slashdot it most certainly is not equal unless you are doing simple things. I tried to print something on another computer with it and all the margins were messed up. I could not change title's and preview changes before selecting them. Everything was hidden in a menu and after 4 minutes I wanted to pull my hair out before just downloading Word viewer instead.
You realize that not even Microsoft supports the Word format they published? Right? So, yeah, you're going to have a shitty time if you use non standard file formats that only one program actually supports. Use the native open document format and suddenly the proprietary problems go away... The other nonsense about usability is simply because that's the way you learned to use another program. It's like arguing over whether tabs should go above or below the address bar in a browser -- I prefer the side
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
Figure out this: Loading very large documents, which are fairly common in professional settings, is instanteous with Word because it loads them asynchronously and doesn't parse the entire document when it is loaded, LibreOffice and its predecessor on the other hand try to parse the entire document, which can take upward to seveal minutes. It is them that need to change some of the architecture of their program, not the users who "must adapt to change".
Re: (Score:2)
Are there any freely available documents large enough that you can link to that demonstrate this problem?
Not saying it doesn't exist, just have not encountered it and like to test things, tend to use LaTeX myself only using LibreOffice for opening other peoples stuff.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:3)
FWIW, I've noticed that it's very slow to load in general.
Re:People hate change (Score:5, Interesting)
If you can't figure out LIbre Office you shouldn't have your job.
LibreOffice just isn't very good. I've used StarOffice, then OpenOffice, then LibreOffice. I haven't used Microsoft Word since Word 97. And I still think LibreOffice sucks. It's usable, but amateurish.
Open source just can't get user interfaces right. LibreOffice has subtle problems, such as spelling correction that insists on making a change even after you've undone the change. Microsoft Word will yield to the user in that situation. The command-line crowd will never get fine details like that. I have Windows 7 and Ubuntu machines side by side on my desk, but the Ubuntu machine is used only for robotics software development.
I've watched Linux blow it on the desktop for fifteen years. There was an opportunity when XP was late. Linux blew it. There was an opportunity when everybody hated Vista. Linux blew it. There's an opportunity now when nobody wants to go to Windows 8. Linux is blowing it.
For a good laugh, look at what it takes to create a shortcut to a program in Ubuntu. [askubuntu.com]
Re: (Score:2, Interesting)
It's ok. Linux is winning the long game because the importance of the desktop and desktop applications is diminishing.
All of the most popular things to do with computers. (Twitface, mytubes, yougram, whatever) are all just as easy to use on linux as they are windows. Or macintosh. Or a tablet. Or a smartphone.
Microsoft may have a lock on the desktop, but the desktop is no longer the king in the consumer's mind.
Re: (Score:2)
All very good points. Imo, the best office suite I've ever used, even including Microsoft Office, was KOffice back in the 3.5 days. Figured it might be relevant to say that since they're using KDE. I loved how the styles were more well-defined in particular.
That being said, I've never done much "advanced" stuff in any WYSIWYG word processor. Well, the closest I've come is Word 2010's SmartArt feature, and I'd bet that neither LibreOffice or KOffice have something like that, but I haven't given KOffic
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
My son (15) had a Microsoft laptop & and an Apple desktop last year, now he generally prefers his Linux laptop that he chose.
I have an 11 year old student who I coach in Java, and he is rapt in his new Linux desktop, he previously used Apple & Microsoft laptops.
Me, I use Linux, and love having 16 or more virtual desktops, terminals & directory windows with multiple tabs, highly customisable panels, and lots of other useful goodies not found in any Microsoft O/S. I use the Mate Desktop Environme
Re: (Score:2)
For a while, you could open PowerPoint, save the default,
Re: (Score:2)
If they don't need to alter the documents you send them, why aren't you sending it as pdf?
Also if you want to make something look really nice, Word is probably a bad choice. LaTeX is lovely in that regard. Higher learning curve sure but once you've used it a bit you'll never go back to crappy old things like word.
Re: (Score:2)
Libre Office does not have the features I mentioned. I wanted to make something look nice on my resume. The tools to do so were not there are very primitive compared to MS Word. Just a fact. With the ribbon you can preview changes and have 20+ titles with different effects, styles, fonts, and lines for my name.
Libre Office is about where Word 4.2 and Word 5.0 are for Windows 3.1.
Sure I can do basic documents with it but everyone else in the business word is making artful documents and changes and I can't have my documents look like crap on their computers because of different implementations of ooxml.
Really? Our clients don't want artful, fancy documents. They have very strict style guidelines that must be met. And OOXML causes me more headaches then you can imagine (I sent my client this file, and they couldn't open it. Or vice versa, because our clients aren't all on the same version of office (even within the same client). If you need something to look the same, you need to use Desktop publishing software, or send a PDF.