Freeware to replace MS Office?

[omni550]

My sister's Toshiba's hard drive crashed. After trying to restore it and getting a 'fatal error' message, I installed a new HD and am now awaiting Toshiba's Win7 CDs (that's what sis wants) to install. The package arrives tomorrow.

Whatever MS Office program I installed on this computer 4 years ago, the install disk is at her northern snowbird home.

She's the opposite of a power user, so her needs are minimal. She's more apt to be reading a MS Word or MS Powerpoint file that I created and sent her rather than creating any of her own.

So I'm thinking of loading freeware. Any suggestions for something that "plays well" with Word and Powerpoint?


omni

 

[easysurfer]

LibreOffice seems like a popular replacement.

 

[Jerry1]

I prefer having MS Office, but I'm not looking forward to their subscription so I'm hoping my current version lasts a long time. In order to get a couple of files on my phone, I have used Google Docs and Sheets and they seem to perform very well and interact good with the original Microsoft files in both directions. i.e. Microsoft seems to have no problem reading the files after I edit them in Google and Google has no problem reading Microsoft office files.

 

[Just_Steve]

OpenOffice, been using it for years.

 

[RunningBum]

I use OpenOffice for Word and whatever the Office equivalent for spreadsheets is. It's got a replacement for Powerpoint too, though I've been able to avoid that since leaving work. It will create files in it's own format by default, but you can make it create .doc and other Office files. Not sure about .ppt.

 

[easysurfer]

When I send files to folks who just read and are the opposite of power users, my preference is to send them PDF files. Most everyone (fudged, and didn't say everyone) can read PDF files.

 

[pb4uski]

LibreOffice seems like a popular replacement.

I was in similar situation a year ago... I bought a new computer and MS Office 2013 CD was at home up north. I installed LibreOffice and have been happy with it.... some transition issues but not much. I did configure it so it opens and saves files in Word or Excel format.

As it turned out I couldn't find the MS Office disk but no big deal.

 

[easysurfer]

OpenOffice, been using it for years.

I actually have OpenOffice on my desktop and pretty much can't tell the difference between this and LibreOffice. My understanding is somewhere along the line, some forking occurred.

 

[Sunset]

LibreOffice seems like a popular replacement.

++

 

[flintnational]

We use LibreOffice. Works great.

 

[ejman]

+1 on LibreOffice - been using it for years works great.

 

[Just_Steve]

I actually have OpenOffice on my desktop and pretty much can't tell the difference between this and LibreOffice. My understanding is somewhere along the line, some forking occurred.

Anything but MS is my motto.

 

[Koogie]

I use Open Office at work. It works just fine.

If all she is doing is simple stuff, there are MS Word Online, MS Excel Online and MS Powerpoint Online for free. Just integrated with their cloud storage.

 

[YVRRocketSurgery]

+1 on using the free stripped down versions of MS Office Online as an option though I believe you always need an Internet connection while Google Docs you have an option to work offline.

 

[Aerides]

Google docs. For basic documents (word) and sheets (excel), presentations (powerpoint lol). Perfect for minimal needs. Totally free, very easy to adapt to if MSOffice savvy.

 

[Scrapr]

Not much love for the Google docs

Have it and like it. I'm not a power user though. We are almost all transitioned off MS

I did the slide show for my FIL funeral on Google Slides. Very easy to post up and then hook up to the video equipment

 

[joeea]

So I'm thinking of loading freeware. Any suggestions for something that "plays well" with Word and Powerpoint

No need to load freeware.

Use Google Docs and Google Slides. I do (along with Google Sheets to replace Excel). They just work.
They are web apps, so nothing to install, maintain or upgrade. And if you use Google Drive, then the data files themselves can live in the cloud.

I went this route just recently when I replaced my 7 year old laptop.

 

[FUEGO]

+1 on Libre Office (hat tip to Nords I think for the recommendation many years ago). Switched to it after we left work and lost access to the $10 MS Office licenses. Works for this somewhat power user and opens up excel files like a champ.

For somewhat basis office use, Google Documents works well. I have tons of spreadsheets and a few documents "in the cloud" for keeping up with various things and doing some analysis. I also used the word-equivalent to generate invoices and easily mail them straight from Google Drive back when I did a bit of freelancing.

 

[omni550]

No need to load freeware.

Use Google Docs and Google Slides. I do (along with Google Sheets to replace Excel). They just work.
They are web apps, so nothing to install, maintain or upgrade. And if you use Google Drive, then the data files themselves can live in the cloud.

I went this route just recently when I replaced my 7 year old laptop.

As I've not ever used these...how do you access? Do you need a google account, like gmail?

Sis is a bit paranoid...not sure how she'll react to storing things in a cloud.

Thx.

omni

 

[davebarnes]

Pages, Numbers, Keynote.

 

[W2R]

I have used Open Office for a decade or more, and I absolutely love it. I love it so much that I haven't tried Libre Office, which everyone seems to like better. It may be better! But I suspect that I'll never know.

 

[Scrapr]

As I've not ever used these...how do you access? Do you need a google account, like gmail?

Sis is a bit paranoid...not sure how she'll react to storing things in a cloud.

Thx.

omni

Yes. Need a g mail/Google account.

How does she do e mail now? Commiecast e mail account? The g mail is portable. So she isn't tethered to one provider. I'd pitch it as a convienence thing

I am about this close to signing up my 87 year old MIL for a Google account. She had a neighbor give her an Ipad. She is all excited about it. I'm showing her all the stuff she can do. The next step will be getting her a Google account. Or Apple I guess

 

[timo2]

Here is the way I understand it: first there was staroffice, which morphed into openoffice, which morphed into libreoffice. Open office is technically discontinued. (I used all three of these in their time, and they all seem to be the same code, just upgraded over time). When years ago we downloaded OpenOffice, that product is now LibreOffice, IMO.

I found this old 2014 semi explanation.
https://www.howtogeek.com/187663/op...hats-the-difference-and-which-should-you-use/

 

[Just_Steve]

Here is the way I understand it: first there was staroffice, which morphed into openoffice, which morphed into libreoffice. Open office is technically discontinued. (I used all three of these in their time, and they all seem to be the same code, just upgraded over time). When years ago we downloaded OpenOffice, that product is now LibreOffice, IMO.

I found this old 2014 semi explanation.
https://www.howtogeek.com/187663/op...hats-the-difference-and-which-should-you-use/

Strange, so who sends out updates if discontinued?

Copyright © 2017 Apache OpenOffice Community Build.

 

[timo2]

Strange, so who sends out updates if discontinued?

Copyright © 2017 Apache OpenOffice Community Build.

my bad. apparently there is some sort of a battle between libre office and open office. Which is unfortunate. from this link: "Despite being the subject of a deathwatch -- perhaps mainly by fans of rival LibreOffice -- AOO appears to be rather popular, with the 4.1.4 update racking up at least 1.6 million downloads. " https://news.slashdot.org/story/17/11/07/1944255/apache-openoffice-were-ok-with-not-being-super-cool

edit: every linux version I have downloaded recently has libre office.

another edit:the wikipedia page for AOO https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apache_OpenOffice