Microsoft Office

[perc-o-prince]

Hey, Office question here.

I have Office 2007 pre-installed and the trial is over, so I have limited functionality (I can open and print docs, but that's about it). I may have to break down and buy a key (unless someone has a spare they'd like to sell me cheap!). Do I have to get an Office 2007 key or can it be a later version? Also, does it matter if it's Standard, Pro, or Student version key?

Chuck

 

[jamman_98]

If you want something free

You can download Open Office from openoffice.org. Gives you all the bells and whistles of MS Office.

Joe
jamman_98

 

[dj-gabriele]

If it were me, I'd say goodbye OpenOffice and try IBM Lotus Symphony! It works great and it is REALLY compatible with the file format of MS Office! Plus it's FREE!

Otherwise, if you want to use Office 2007, you can get a legal key off ebay or one of the legacy software vendors as the latest version is 2010.

I use a combination of Office 2003 and IBM Lotus Symphony, I'm really pleased!

 

[macboy91si]

Office 2010

There is a 2010 Starter edition that is free, but with some ads, I use it, it does the trick. I would stay clear of Lotus products, we are a Lotus shop at work and good lord, sometimes I'd rather have a bullet. OpenOffice is a good alternative, but files are not 100% compatible and the interface is different.

-Tim

 

[lordkenmore]

I'm only guessing here, but I assume it's not unlikely that the key has to be "right" for the particular version of Office. One important note about Student/Home editions--they are NOT licensed for business use, only home/student use. I have wondered sometimes if that means taking work home from the office is--technically--a no-no.

Office 2010 Starter is a nice option, but--the last I'd heard--it was ONLY available on new computers.

For just opening (but not editing) Office documents, MS has free viewers.

I also endorse the possibility of OpenOffice.org. It's not perfect with MS Office support, but did well enough that it was my standard for years. I don't like OpenOffice.org as my one and only software--although that's less the Org than it is my tastes of wanting simple, fast, efficient software. (Org is like MS Office-more features than normal people will ever know about, let alone use.)

OpenOffice.org has been forked, and a new project based on OpenOffice.org released. This new project is LibreOffice. (Link below.) I've played with LibreOffice, and it seems to improve on OpenOffice.org. It may have a better future than Org.

http://www.libreoffice.org/

 

[lordkenmore]

Another option I like is SoftMaker Office. It's commercial software, but the price tag is a lot lower than MS Office. They appear to have vastly superior support for MS Office documents.

http://www.softmaker.com

 

[lordkenmore]

SoftMaker even gives away free copies of older versions. I got a copy of SoftMaker Office 2008. It has become my standard for dealing with MS Office documents. Only problem is the lack of support for Office 2007 documents. I hope they will, in time, give away copies of SoftMaker Office 2010 which does support the new Office 2007 documents.

This link appears to be a legitimate source for SoftMaker Office 2006. (Google search indicates the domain belongs to SoftMaker.)

http://www.softmakeroffice.com/index_en.htm

 

[lordkenmore]

And we might as well mention WordPerfect Office. I haven't had much experience, but what I've had has been positive.

One good thing about WordPerfect is that the WordPerfect word processor is supposed to be able to reliably work with a wide range of "foreign" files. I believe it can actually still open old Word documents--something that Microsoft Office apparently hasn't been able to do in recent history. Plus their native file format has evolved nicely over the years. I have a copy of LetterPerfect (stripped down WordPerfect ca. 1990). In my limited testing, LetterPerfect files opened nicely as WordPerfect documents on modern systems. This is a huge selling point--I have 20+ years of computer archives, and am forced to keep older systems running just to be able to access old data, since the file formats are no longer supported.

This long term file support is also one plus to OpenOffice.org and LibreOffice. The native file format is designed to be a standard, and it is open so anyone can implement it. With luck, maybe OpenOffice.org 3.x documents will open nicely on some program that won't exist for forty years!

http://www.corel.com/servlet/Satellite/us/en/Product/1207676528492

 

[lordkenmore]

One important note: as always, "your mileage varies." Needs and expectations vary. Plus the computer platform--most people running Office 2007 are running some version of Windows, and I'm on Linux. (Although I have seen most of what I recommend at one one point or another on Windows. But the heaviest use and experience has always been on Linux.)

Still...all the above are either free, have a free version available, or at least have a free trial version.

 

[launderess]

Microsoft "Keys"

Are now limited installation and good only for the computer they are assigned to, that is if one understands everything that came with my new computer.

Apparently long ago MS found out that persons were handing over the installation keys and guides for their programs and decided to put a stop to "theft" of their software.

Was that surprised when one purchased a new system from Dell eariler this year and got just small packet with various keys (no installation DVD/CD, manual, book or whatever), and was told the key is only good for one installation or perhaps two.
If something happens that requires one to uninstally whatever office product and reinstall you just may be out of luck.

 

[perc-o-prince]

Yeah, I thought Open Office was going to be the answer about a year ago, but the compatibility with Word and Power Point is not there. I have MS Works pre-loaded and the compatibility isn't always there either, especially for any Word docs with tables or graphics. At least I can create in Works and save in Word format as well.

I'll continue checking eBay as they do sell for less than retail there. Luck of the draw!

Chuck

 

[autowasherfreak]

I'm still using Office 2003. I did a beta test of Office 2010, but went back to Office 2003 because it started crashing a lot.

 

[lordkenmore]

"[Keys] Are now limited installation and good only for the computer they are assigned to, that is if one understands everything that came with my new computer."

Technically this has always been the case. With an OEM license, that license is locked to the machine for good. A retail version, where one buys the software separately, can generally be transferred from machine to machine. Or at least that was once the case.

 

[lordkenmore]

but the compatibility with Word and Power Point is not there

I can't speak about PowerPoint, but I have had ZERO trouble with SoftMaker Office and Word documents. My word processor documents have, historically, not been terribly complicated--but they did have formatting issues that caused OpenOffice.org problems.

One point worth keeping in mind: absolute perfection 100% of the time is probably impossible. Theoretically, sticking with MS Office should mean zero troubles. But issues can and do crop up going from one version of Office to another. Even within a single version day to day there can be problems. Someone who did legal work told me she's had huge problems with Word. She gets a document formatted correctly (and in her business formats are rigid and have to be "right"). The next morning, the computer gets turned on, loads some MS Office patch, and the next thing she knew was that her perfect document is no longer perfect and needs more tinkering.

Unless 2007 file format support--both read and write--are absolutely necessary, an older version of Office might also work. The loss of 2007/2010 formats aren't that big a deal--at least for me. The older formats are supported, and probably better supported. In fact, I just submitted a document electronically this last week. It HAD to be Word ".doc." It could NOT be anything else--not even 2007 ".docx."

Before I got my free copy of SoftMaker Office, I was considering going down this particular path of "older" MS Office just to minimize MS Office headaches. I was looking at either Office 97 (which can run on my computer using WINE, which allows Windows software to run on a UNIX-type system) or Office 98 (for the Mac). These support the "modern" ".doc" Word documents, which is what I needed, and are old enough to be depreciated out. (I'd never use MS Office unless I need it to convert a document to an MS Office format, or open someone else's MS Office document.) SoftMaker Office though proved to be everything I need--at least for the moment--so I shelved the MS Office idea.

Once again, for opening new 2007 formats to read, there are those free MS viewers.

 

[retro-man]

Hey Chuck !!
Time to borrow a copy of works 2007 from someone and install it on your computer. Delete the temp files that came with it. All should be fine after. There does not seem to be any number of times it can be installed on different machines. The "key" is to have the original program with that particular key. Hope this helps.
Jon

 

[perc-o-prince]

Hey Jon,

I'm running Works 9.0 (2003) and it's fine. It's Word that I'm looking to get going.

A question was answered: Someone from the forum sent me a key for Office 2007 Pro, but it turns out I have home/student pre-loaded, and the key won't work. Also, according to the MS knowledgebase, there are no downloads available for 2007... you need to have the original disk. But, a digitalriver site is allowing me to download Office 2007 Pro. The trick, as I understand it, is not to install it after downloading it, but to burn it to disk and install it from the disk. It's downloading now, and I'll try that with the key I was sent later today, then report.

Chuck

 

[macboy91si]

Careful

Please be careful of posting such information to a public forum, your name, email address and location are revealed in your profile and what you are doing CAN be considered illegal to an extent. It's happened before other places for smaller infractions. Not griping, but I don't want to see you or anyone else get in any trouble over possibly pirating and/or sharing keys. I can tell you from experience MS takes it more seriously than most think.

Thanks

-Tim

 

[perc-o-prince]

Thanks, Tim. I should note that the key I was sent is legit, and the download of 2007 is as well. MS does recognize the existance of digitalriver as a supplier, but it all seems to be in how you install that makes the difference. No piracy here, mateys!

I'll be trying to install from disk this evening and will let you know if it's successful!

Chuck

 

[aquarius8000]

I have open office and it is much eaisier and clearer than word e.c.t