Lotus Symphony 3

[cguy]

If you didn't know already, Symphony is a free office suite derived from OpenOffice.org, but developed by IBM.

I would say that it's OpenOffice.org with a logical interface :D. (but the differences go beyond the UI)

Anyway, I wanted to open a thread here and chime how good its interface is compared to that of OpenOffice.org, but I discovered that it doesn't have an equation editor and that totally ruined it. :)

It's worth giving a spin, though.

--
Make sure you download version 3 beta 2, not the ancient 1.3.

[koleoptero]

I'll wait till it goes stable. :)

EDIT: Also if you have installed it can you post some shots for us to check out the changes in the UI?

[qalimas]

I didn't know about this project. Googled it and checked out the UI. It looks amazing, thanks for the info :D

[opu.e]

If there will be again only a 32bit version it is BS -.-
I appreciate the work IBM does and like their UI, but without an amd64 version I can't use it. They should build the program for the future :-\

[qalimas]

If there will be again only a 32bit version it is BS -.-
I appreciate the work IBM does and like their UI, but without an amd64 version I can't use it. They should build the program for the future :-\

My download just finished. I didn't realize I downloaded the 32 bit version (it is the only one they have).

I installed this way, it should work for you too:

dpkg -i --force-arcitecture symphony_3.0-1hardy1_i386.deb

[cguy]

You can run 32 bit inside 64 bit, you know? It's not THAT much of an issue.

--

Give me a little time and I'll post the screenshots.

[cguy]

Jaunty doesn't allow me to take screenshots while the menus are open, so I can't show you their structure. Let me make a summary: many of the things one uses frequently are really easy to find.

I've never used Symphony 1.3 so tell me if you'd like to see a certain screenshot.

--

In the second screen you can see how you can detach any side pane and move it around. Unfortunately, if you leave it floating, it will go under the main window so that's unusable.

In the fourth screenshot you can see a bug with the slide previews. :D

[jalampi360]

Those screen pictures look sweet! Wish that Canonical would dump Open Office (Libre Office now) for IBM's Lotus Symphony. It looks so much better and has more features.

One other thing...In the terminal command:
"dpkg -i --force-arcitecture symphony_3.0-1hardy1_i386.deb" (substitute "arcitecture" with
"all" option.)

[forrestcupp]

I tried an old version a while back. It was slow and clunky. Hopefully they've worked that out by now.

I loved the interface, but I absolutely hated the fact that everything is in one window. I like to be able to have my word processor come up maximized and my spreadsheet to come up not maximized. That's impossible with Symphony, and I'm sure they're not ever going to change that.

Other than that, I love their UI and features.

[Naiki Muliaina]

dpkg -i --force-all symphony_3.0-1hardy1_i386.deb

This got it installed and working on my 64bit install :)

[Ric_NYC]

It has a beautiful interface!

[Naiki Muliaina]

I have been playing with it tonight, OMG what an advance over 1.3... I absolutely love it! Go IBM! Still has a long way to go to get near the features of MS Office, but good enough for me. If Ooo goes pop I will be looking to use this on the works PC's.

[Hman242]

I would try it but it only works on 32 bit...

[cguy]

you can run 32 bit programs on a 64bit OS

[kaldor]

Awesome, the Ubuntu version works on Debian.

I've been testing it out. Seems really, really solid. The only problem is that a LOT of the menu's options are greyed out... bug?

[Hman242]

you can run 32 bit programs on a 64bit OS
"Error: Wrong architecture 'i386'"

[BigCityCat]

Got this working on my 64 bit per the instructions in this thread. It looks good. I'm getting a few minor screen flashes. Not bad though.

[papangul]

I tried to download it twice but had to cancel the downloads because the speeds were unbearably low.:(

[Naiki Muliaina]

I would try it but it only works on 32 bit...


"Error: Wrong architecture 'i386'"



dpkg -i --force-all symphony_3.0-1hardy1_i386.deb

This got it installed and working on my 64bit install :)

Repeat :D

[KegHead]

Hi!

Is there an easy to find/install deb?

Thanks!

KegHead

[kaldor]

Yes there is. Take a look at the site and get the Ubuntu 8.04 version. If it worked in Debian, surely it should work on newer Ubuntu releases :)

I'd like to use it as my main suite, but there are a few things holding me back from it. I don't get why most menu entries are greyed out.. prevents me from doing a load of things.

[ac_d600]

You may find alot of the menu items are greyed out until
you start working on a document. Menus such as Table and
alot of the Layout menu items are grey until you start to
insert tables or graphics.

So far I have found it to be pretty good.

[Dragonbite]

Wonder what's going to happen with LibreOffice, whether IBM will continue Symphony or try to merge the changes or drop it all together and join LibreOffice.

They could make a huge difference with LibreOffice and help push it into a real competitor for MS Office (which is a fine product IMHO).

[KiwiNZ]

Wonder what's going to happen with LibreOffice, whether IBM will continue Symphony or try to merge the changes or drop it all together and join LibreOffice.

They could make a huge difference with LibreOffice and help push it into a real competitor for MS Office (which is a fine product IMHO).

Thats an interesting point. I will ask my wife when she gets back from her current business trip.

[Naiki Muliaina]

I am aware Libre and Lotus are both based on OOO but Lotus feels like a totally different office package. Colluding on the base code would be grand but I am not sure I would want both to merge. On the one hand I feel we could use something unique, new and shiney to stand up to the MS Office gauntlet. On the other hand I am aware people dont like change. To a degree OOO / Libre are similar enough to MS office to feel mostly familiar when making a switch.

They both have good uses.

[Dragonbite]

I am aware Libre and Lotus are both based on OOO but Lotus feels like a totally different office package. Colluding on the base code would be grand but I am not sure I would want both to merge. On the one hand I feel we could use something unique, new and shiney to stand up to the MS Office gauntlet. On the other hand I am aware people dont like change. To a degree OOO / Libre are similar enough to MS office to feel mostly familiar when making a switch.

They both have good uses.

Libre currently is just a rebranded OpenOffice.org while Symphony was taken from an older OpenOffice.org and has been under development for some time.

A great thing about LibreOffice providing a clean slate is they can focus, direct and target completely differently than the course OpenOffice was going, much like Symphony did so long ago.

[Naiki Muliaina]

Is symphony 3 based on OOO 3? (aside from the most basic stuff I wouldn't notice the difference clearly :D )

[papangul]

Lotus Symphony 3 is now out of beta :)(but the ubuntu package is still for hardy :().

I have just had my first "problem" using symphony, just after I launched it for the first time:

[forrestcupp]

Lotus Symphony is closed source. They're not going to merge with LibreOffice.

[cjcox]

Is symphony 3 based on OOO 3? (aside from the most basic stuff I wouldn't notice the difference clearly :D )

Well... actually, Symphony 3 uses the OOo 3 core... but the interface and design, somewhat unique to IBM still shows its roots from the OOo 1.1.4 (which had a non GNU-ish license, allowing a proprietary non-"free" fork) on which it was taken (which is one reason why it does the single window thing).

In short, the interface is DIFFERENT. But a lot of the core (minus perhaps being completely "up to date") is the same.

[gatorbrit]

Lotus Symphony 3 is now out of beta :)(but the ubuntu package is still for hardy :().

I have just had my first "problem" using symphony, just after I launched it for the first time:


I actually was running symphony for a few days and I really liked the side panel with the properties plus the tabs along the top. BUT I also had successive crashes today. I don't know whether it is because I am running it on a 64 bit OS but either way I am uninstalling it because I can't have my word processor crashing all the time!!

[KegHead]

hmm,

maybe i'll stay w/openoffice.

keghead