LibreOffice 4 review - Getting better but ...

I've written a long review of LibreOffice 4, focusing on installation, look & feel, responsiveness and performance, new features, an in-depth look on Microsoft Office compatibility and conversion fidelity, including DOC and DOCX files with comments, tracking and images in both programs, Pivot tables in Calc, Impress, other details like templates, extensions, toolbars, and some problems like missing functionality, slow slide transitions in Impress, file conversion glitches, and more.

http://www.dedoimedo.com/computers/libreoffice-4-review.html


Cheers,
Mrk

 

Nice review, however I wish you make more compatibility tests.

Impress "compatibility" with PowerPoint used to show even bigger (and uglier) issues.

 

I don't think you can really fault LibreOffice for the conversion to and from Office 2007, 2010 has improved upon this.

e.g.
I had installed 2010 a year or so ago on a friends PC so they could make a CV. Just last week they wanted me to install Office again so they could update their CV, but I suggested they try LO4 instead. I haven't tried LO in years personally, so I was genuinely curious how it would work out for them (as I will not be buying into the 2013 subscription model).

I had Office 2010 on hand for them just in case things went wrong (which I was fully expecting), but it opened in perfect condition, nothing was out of place. They updated their CV in LO4 maintaining the DOCX format and exported it to PDF, all went great.

The only thing I can't comment on is how it would look when opened up in 2010 again. However, my point is that your review may negatively affect LO4 where as in fact the issue may be in 2007's formatting/compatibility.

 

Good review, thanks.. In the past when I had LO installed, there were some real issues in regards to printing documents and spreadsheets, such as margins being way off, and having entire rows and cells disappearing completely from the printed pages. I'll check out LO 4, to see if this is still the case. I'd still be using it if that hadn't occurred.

 

The problem is NOT with LibreOffice. The problem is with Microsoft that until this year, refused to adopt Open Document Standard for file sharing/exchange. Its difficult to make a proprietary format transition work correctly. This is being changed in Microsoft Office 2013. LibreOffice is a decent office suite but it did not create the compatibility issues that exist between it and the Microsoft Office suite.

 

You could install Open Office filters in MS Office that allow you to open an Open Office file in Open Document Standard format. They are available for download on the Microsoft site but they are NOT installed by default in MS Office. Something to be aware when you work between these office suites.

The functionality is now native in MS Office 2013 but it has to be installed in prior versions of MS Office.

 

I'm happy with the new LibreOffice. It does feel noticeably faster than 3.7, at least as far as opening. But you are saying there are still formatting issues, even if you save a document in .docx format?

 

im also liking libre 4 im actually using libre 4.0.1 beta right now and i like it even a bit better

 

I know...the odd duck here....but I have used Wordperfect (!) since 1989. I have made about a dozen upgrades in that time and now have the latest version from 2012 - the X6. I admit there was a period there when it wasn't very compatible with Word documents, but Word wasn't the biggest competition when I first installed WP - it was Wordstar.

Today, I have no trouble opening (and 'saving as') Microsoft documents. You can pickup the Home & Student edition all the time with coupons for about $40.

 

Nice review, as usual, Mrk , but lacking in the typical Mrk flair that I've come to know and cherish. Ah, but office suites are such a dry subject after all.

.

Again, nice review.

Later...

Bob

 

Well, I must nurture my artistic venom.
Mrk

 

Is there anything significant that Office can do right now that LibreOffice can't?

 

Nice review. I do wish we would quit comparing it to MS Office. I do understand why we do, but I have rid my self of MS Office and use LibreOffice for all things.

I don't have a lot of conversion issues (no one has complained at least) with the MS suffixed documents I send out. On the ones I receive... if there are problems, they are minor ones, easily fixed. Most of the issues I have are user related, as in the creator of the document is basically winging it to make the document look right. I am still surprised how many folks do not know how to properly use tabs or using underline in forms.

I use a Calc spreadsheet for my business (accrual) accounting and like it a lot better than using Excel. It does everything I need.

 

I wasn't aware of these filters, thanks for pointing them out. It wouldn't have been any help to me at the time though. I was using Libre then, and the docs & spreadsheets in question were Little League & coaching materials done by league officials, for us coaches. The filters would have helped the officials, however, as they were the authors of these docs. I will point them out to them though, it may be helpful to some other coaches in the future.