Daniel Pantoja wrote: > Hi, I'm a new user of the product and I'm curious; what's the purpose of > developing OpenOffice? It seems there's already a couple of Microsoft > solutions out there for folks who need word processing, database, spreadsheet > capabilities; just wondering why the push to develop this suite. > > Thanks for yoru consideration; I look forward to your response. >
Aside from the cost, there are many reasons. 1) Lock in. Microsoft tries to force you to buy only their products. Microsoft Office is not available for Linux, and as I understand it, the Mac version isn't fully compatible with the Windows version. 2) Microsoft tries to force their own proprietary "standards", instead of using instead of internationally recognized ISO standards such as the OpenDocument Format that OpenOffice and other packages use. In their recent attempt to force OOXML as an ISO standard, they've corrupted the ISO committee to the point where other standards are now stalled. 3) Microsoft has been convicted on multiple occasions of using illegal methods to force market share. In the process they've destroyed many companies and technologies and have, in general, greatly retarded progress in the computer industry. For example of this, compare Windows with Mac, Linux or even OS/2 from 15 years ago. Other long gone computers, such as Amiga and Atari were far more advanced in many ways than Windows. 4) Everything about OpenOffice and other open source software is wide open. You have the source coded available, so that if you're so inclined, you can customize the software. With the open standard file formats, your data is not locked in to a vendors product. Microsoft has often changed formats over the years, so a document created back in the '80s is no longer readable by the current software. On the other hand, there are multiple vendors providing software that works with the ODF files. And, even if an app is no longer available, the complete file specs are, so someone could write software to open the files. Also, as demonstrated last week, it is easy to recover data from a corrupt ODF file. Try that with a proprietary MS file. 5) Microsoft software tends to be poor quality. Take a look at all the problems with malware in Windows. Much of this problem can be traced to very poor software engineering, some deliberately so. The above is a very short list, from the very long list of why using *ANY* Microsoft software is a bad idea. As Microsoft has repeatedly demonstrated, they don't care how they hurt their customers, so long as they can squeeze out another nickel! Here's a recent article about how Microsoft tried to force market share. The Nigerian government had contracted a vendor to provide several thousand computers loaded with Linux. Microsoft then bribed the vendor to use Windows instead. http://www.computerworlduk.com/management/government-law/public-sector/news/index.cfm?newsid=6124 There are many, many other examples of Microsoft using such illegal methods over the years. So, the choice is yours. You can support a convicted monopolist, who's only interested in your money. Or you can support the other side of the industry that promotes compatibility and openness. -- Use OpenOffice.org <http://www.openoffice.org> --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] For additional commands, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
