Would you change OOo names?

[RastaMahata]

Is it just me, or are OpenOffice suite programs boring?

Writer, Calc, Math, Impress, Base... I mean... Compared to Excel, PowerPoint, Access, Word, they are indeed a bit boring.

Would you change the names? How would you name the applications in the suite?

[Kyral]

Excel+, PowerPoint+, Access+, Word+

;-)

[matthew]

Is it just me, or are OpenOffice suite programs boring?

Writer, Calc, Math, Impress, Base... I mean... Compared to Excel, PowerPoint, Access, Word, they are indeed a bit boring.

Would you change the names? How would you name the applications in the suite?
They are boring, but the positive side of that is it is easy to explain what each application does (i.e. which to choose for a specific need) which is good for the novice.

Ever see this? It's pretty old, but amuses me every time.

Abbott and Costello's "Who's on First?" meets the 21st century ...


ABBOTT: Ultimate Super Duper Computer Store. Can I help you?

COSTELLO: Thanks. I'm setting up a home office in the den, and I'm thinking of buying a computer.

ABBOTT: Mac?

COSTELLO: No, the name is Lou.

ABBOTT: Your computer?

COSTELLO: I don't own a computer. I want to buy one.

ABBOTT: Mac?

COSTELLO: I told you, my name is Lou.

ABBOTT: What about Windows?

COSTELLO: Why? Does it get stuffy?

ABBOTT: Do you want a computer with Windows?

COSTELLO: I don't know. What do I see when I look out the windows?

ABBOTT: Wallpaper.

COSTELLO: Never mind the windows. I need a computer and software.

ABBOTT: Software that runs on Windows?

COSTELLO: No, on the computer! I need something I can use to write proposals, track expenses. You know, run a business. What have you got?

ABBOTT: Office.

COSTELLO: Yeah, for my office. Can you recommend anything?

ABBOTT: I just did.

COSTELLO: You just did what?

ABBOTT: Recommended something.

COSTELLO: You recommended something?

ABBOTT: Yes.

COSTELLO: For my office?

ABBOTT: Yes.

COSTELLO: Okay, what did you recommend for my office?

ABBOTT: Office.

COSTELLO: Yes, for my office.

ABBOTT: Office for Windows.

COSTELLO: I already have an office and it already has windows! Let's say I'm sitting at my computer, and I want to type a proposal. What do I need?

ABBOTT: Word.

COSTELLO: If I'm writing a proposal, I'm going to need lots of words. But what program do I load?

ABBOTT: Word.

COSTELLO: What word?

ABBOTT: The Word in Office.

COSTELLO: The only word in office is office.

ABBOTT: The Word in Office for Windows.

COSTELLO: Which word in "office for windows?"

ABBOTT: The Word you get when you click the blue W.

COSTELLO: I'm going to click your big W if you don't give me a straight answer. Let's forget about words for a minute. What do I need if I want to
watch a movie over the Internet?

ABBOTT: RealOne.

COSTELLO: Maybe a real movie, maybe a cartoon. What I watch is none of your business. But what do I need to watch it?

ABBOTT: RealOne.

COSTELLO: If it's a long movie I'll also want to watch reels two, three and four. Can I watch reel four?

ABBOTT: Of course.

COSTELLO: Great! With what?

ABBOTT: RealOne.

COSTELLO: Okay, so I'm sitting at my computer and I want to watch a movie. What do I do?

ABBOTT: You click the blue 1.

COSTELLO: I click the blue one what?

ABBOTT: The blue 1.

COSTELLO: Is that different from the blue W?

ABBOTT: Of course it is. The blue 1 is RealOne. The blue W is Word.

COSTELLO: What word?

ABBOTT: The Word in Office for Windows.

COSTELLO: But there's three words in "office for windows!"

ABBOTT: No, just one. But it's the most popular Word in the world.

COSTELLO: It is?

ABBOTT: Yes, although to be fair, there aren't many other Words left. It pretty much wiped out all the other Words.

COSTELLO: And that word is the real one?

ABBOTT: No. RealOne has nothing to do with Word. RealOne isn't even part of Office.

COSTELLO: Never mind; I don't want to get started with that again. But I also need something for bank accounts, loans, and so on. What do you have to help me track my money?

ABBOTT: Money.

COSTELLO: That's right. What do you have?

ABBOTT: Money.

COSTELLO: I need money to track my money?

ABBOTT: No, not really. It comes bundled with your computer.

COSTELLO: What comes bundled with my computer?

ABBOTT: Money.

COSTELLO: Money comes bundled with my computer?

ABBOTT: Exactly! No extra charge.

COSTELLO: I get a bundle of money with my computer at no extra charge? How much money do I get?

ABBOTT: Just one copy.

COSTELLO: I get a copy of money. Isn't that illegal?

ABBOTT: No. We have a license from Microsoft to make copies of Money.

COSTELLO: Microsoft can license you to make money?

ABBOTT: Why not? They own it.

COSTELLO: Well, it's great that I'm going to get free money, but I'll still need to track it. Do you have anything for managing your money?

ABBOTT: Managing Your Money? That program disappeared years ago.

COSTELLO: Well, what do you sell in its place?

ABBOTT: Money.

COSTELLO: You sell money?

ABBOTT: Of course. But if you buy a computer from us, you get it for free.

COSTELLO: That's all very wonderful, but I'll be running a business. Do you have any software for, you know, accounting?

ABBOTT: Simply Accounting.

COSTELLO: Probably, but it might get a little complicated.

ABBOTT: If you don't want Simply Accounting, you might try M.Y.O.B.

COSTELLO: M.Y.O.B.? What does that stand for?

ABBOTT: Mind Your Own Business.

COSTELLO: I beg your pardon?

ABBOTT: No, that would be I.B.Y.P. I said "M.Y.O.B."

COSTELLO: Look, I just need to do some accounting for my home business. You know -- accounting? You do it with money.

ABBOTT: Of course you can do accounting with Money. But you may need more.

COSTELLO: More money?

ABBOTT: More than Money. Money can't do everything.

COSTELLO: I don't need a sermon! Okay, let's forget about money for the moment. I'm worried that my computer might ... what's the word? Crash. And if my computer crashes, what can I use to restore my data?

ABBOTT: GoBack.

COSTELLO: Okay. I'm worried about my computer smashing and I need
something to restore my data. What do you recommend?

ABBOTT: GoBack.

COSTELLO: How many times do I have to repeat myself?

ABBOTT: I've never asked you to repeat yourself. All I said was GoBack.

COSTELLO: How can I go back if I haven't even been anywhere? Okay, I'll go back. What do I need to write a proposal?

ABBOTT: Word.

COSTELLO: But I'll need lots of words to write a proposal.

ABBOTT: No, you only need one Word -- the Word in Office for Windows.

COSTELLO: But there's three words in ... Oh, never mind.

ABBOTT: Hello? Hello? Customers! Why do they always hang up on me? Oh, well. Ultimate Super Duper Computer Store. Can I help you?

[benplaut]

COSTELLO: Microsoft can license you to make money?

ABBOTT: Why not? They own it.


oh, good greif :roll:

[BWF89]

Writer, Calc, Math, Impress, Base...
Their not called that when I installed it on my WindowsXP box.

Their called Text Document, Spreadsheet, Presentation, and Drawing.

[RastaMahata]

http://www.openoffice.org/product2/index.html
* Writer
* Calc
* Impress
* Draw
* Base
* Math

[gil-galad]

I fail to see how msoffice has better names....they are both pretty boring.

[BWF89]

I've been waiting for months now for the OOo developers to make the stable 2.0 release of OOo avalible. And I can't wait to download it once it hits the download servers.

[matthew]

I've been waiting for months now for the OOo developers to make the stable 2.0 release of OOo avalible. And I can't wait to download it once it hits the download servers.
I have had a good experience with the betas (1.9.113) and I expect the final to be excellent.

[doclivingston]

They may be "boring" but at least the name give you a fair idea of what they do.

Word tells you and Access kind of does, but what about the others? Excel is good at something and Powerpoint err... plugs things in?

[drizek]

I agree, the names are fine(for now at least). until OOo gets any measurable market share, it should be as easy as possible to use for new users. someone sitting staring at ten different apps in their start menu not knowing WTF they are is NOT a good thing.

once people begin to connect the OOo icons with the apps themselves, the names can be changed to something a little more fun.

[poofyhairguy]

They may be "boring" but at least the name give you a fair idea of what they do.

Actually...no. Calc sounds like it should be a calculator program, not a spreadsheet program.

[N'Jal]

What is a spreadsheet program other than a massive calculator?

When visicalc was written (long before i was born i believe) it was essentially a university professor's standard mathmatical method. Used to add, subtrack, multiply and divide the number's in the grid.

Though admitedly they can be used for more than math's me and a mate even made a simulation for a game written within a spreadsheet. Very versitile but even than all we were doing was calculating numbers.