NeoOffice mini-reviews

[marguerite]

Thoth asked (under Writing Resources/Mapping) whether NeoOffice supports macros. I've only just started using it, so all I can say is that there are a bunch of Visual Basic commands, so I assume it does. Dropping macro support, even though the macros are a security hazard, was one of the stupider decisions made in producing Word 2008, IMHO. It means that I have to load all my journal files into Word 2004 just to run my "hyphens to en-dashes" macro, then reload them into Word 2008 to assign the styles and edit them before typesetting. Daft.

 

One thing I have noticed in my one day with NeoOffice is that it seems to read only the Word styles that a given file is actually using. This is something of a problem for me, as I'm producing files to someone else's specs, so if I realize halfway through editing that I'm dealing with a block quote, the block quote style may not be available in NeoOffice. So again, I may have to call up the files in Word, tag them in Word, then move them into NeoOffice for editing.

 

That's a very specific set of circumstances that wouldn't apply to any of my own work. More annoying was that when I read the file back into Word to apply the block quote tag there, it dragged in a ton of character and paragraph styles (presumably from NeoOffice) in various languages and wouldn't let me delete them. Otherwise the files go back and forth just fine, and it can read the new .docx format.

 

For basic text editing, it seems fine. The menus, etc., are very much like Office, and you can customize the usual options. Single-quote conversion is turned off by default, so you have to go look for it in the Tools/AutoCorrect menu and fix that. Double-quote conversion is turned on. The program is open source and comes with warnings to save often in case of crashes, although my son, who first told me about it, has been using it since the fall and says it's more stable than Word. It has spell-checking and all that good stuff, and there are numerous language packs you can install if you need commands in anything from Czech to Turkish.

 

I'll write more when I've had a chance to check out the program more thoroughly. Meanwhile, maybe Calli and Nadine, who have more experience with it, can weigh in.

Best,

Marguerite

[Steve E]

Thanks Marguerite.

 

More stable than Word (may its foul license agreements burn in eternal hellfires), how hard can that be?

-Thoth.

 

BTW: Once upon a time Darth Processor's license agreement included a provision that the word processor could not be used to write criticisms about Microsoft. "It is not power that drives tyranny but the fear of power in others." -Poor Richard's Almanac.

[nadinbrzezinski]

Yes, it is more stable than Word... though word to the wise, do not try to run Open Office on the Mac. Under X-10 it gets ugly. That is why I use Neo on the mac and open office on the Win machine, or Linux if I get the craziness to load it.

 

I have used it for page layout, and it works well for that as well, though the next book I will actually try SCRIBUS.

 

It has functions that not even i-works comes with (indexing), and it allows you to produce one, two, three columns no problem as well as lay pictures in text, which for the on a severe budget game writer is critical.

 

When compared to all the competition on the Mac (and even windows platform) it is designed to compete with word and replicates, I'd say 90% of its functions.

 

Remember Neo is slightly behind Open Office since it is a port to the Mac, and if you decide to adopt, UPDATE often, as any security problem in the Open Office Platform will come to the Neo platform and be solved the same way.

 

Oh and given that even governments these days are looking at Open Office as a standard, Word has lost a little of its dominance, but not in the enterprise setting... and that will not come until IT folks loose their allergy to free. I am not too concerned about STYLES as I use my own and I don't have to concern myself about that.

 

Oh and insofar as correcting text, it is a a godsend, since the implementation in I-Works was not that good, though the notes aspect is not only bad, but lousy. So if you want to add notes on Neo... use the footnotes function, it will save you more than just a few headaches.

 

Will I ever install word on this machine? I doubt it. I have found three tools that in between them, do all I need done.

 

So the next thing is... does it fit your needs? If not, look at word or the slew of other word processors for the Mac. Just be aware if you need indexes, you are stuck with with WORD, NISUS Pro, and Open Office. (Yes, I do need indexes)

[Steve E]

Thanks Nadin. This is also helpful. And while I don't need indexes (just now) I can see how indexes could help propel Storyist into the "high end" category of word processors. Steve should probably think about it.

 

-Thoth.

 

BTW: The only other Nadin I've ever known was a Nadin Weinshenker, originally from Kiev, Ukraine. I'm told it's a common Ukrainian name. Would you know if that's true? I'm thinking of using it in a story.

[nadinbrzezinski]

Thanks Nadin. This is also helpful. And while I don't need indexes (just now) I can see how indexes could help propel Storyist into the "high end" category of word processors. Steve should probably think about it.

 

-Thoth.

 

BTW: The only other Nadin I've ever known was a Nadin Weinshenker, originally from Kiev, Ukraine. I'm told it's a common Ukrainian name. Would you know if that's true? I'm thinking of using it in a story.

 

 

I know it is a common FRENCH name... the female version is nadine...

 

and from baby names online...

 

me: Nadine

Name Search

 

 

GO

 

Origin and Meaning of the Name Nadine Report incorrect name info

 

Gender:

Girl

Origin:

Russian

Meaning:

Hope

Origin:

French

Meaning:

Hope

Pronunciation:

(nah DEEN); (NAY deen) [Guide]

Form of:

Nadia

Rating:

Low

High

Names list:

 

ADD

 

 

GOOGLE, I love it

[marguerite]

I know it is a common FRENCH name... the female version is nadine...

 

and from baby names online...

 

me: Nadine

Name Search

 

 

GO

 

Origin and Meaning of the Name Nadine Report incorrect name info

 

Gender:

Girl

Origin:

Russian

Meaning:

Hope

Origin:

French

Meaning:

Hope

Pronunciation:

(nah DEEN); (NAY deen) [Guide]

Form of:

Nadia

Rating:

Low

High

Names list:

 

ADD

 

 

GOOGLE, I love it

So it is Nadin and not Nadine--sorry for mangling it (and changing your gender in the process) *blush*. The Russian for hope is nadezhda, which as a woman's name is often shortened to Nadya, which I suppose gave rise to Nadin/Nadine. I'd never heard the male form before, though.

Enlightened,

Marguerite