Softmaker Office 2010

[crazy bird]

Anyone familiar with this: http://www.softmaker.com/english/ofl_en.htm.

This is what they claim:

".....Choose SoftMaker Office 2010 as your office suite, and you will get the job done in less time and with better results.

SoftMaker Office reads and writes Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files seamlessly – and costs only a fraction of Microsoft Office....."

[ahso4271]

there's a trial version in the download

[crazy bird]

But no one here with some experience with this program?

[collisionystm]

There is also Lotus Symphony

[crazy bird]

There is also Lotus Symphony

I know, but this looks like a good alternative too.

[koleoptero]

I've used softmaker office 2008. It did its job well, but I don't need anything more than what libre/open office offers so I didn't make the move to buy the 2010 version.

[wirepuller134]

We use it, it's a very good product and have had no compatibility issues to date.

[Copper Bezel]

Compatibility with MS formats is at least slightly better than LibreOffice's - I haven't seen any problems in the time I've spent using it. It also seems more stable - I've been able to open huge documents with it that killed LibreOffice or AbiWord. Desktop integration is slightly worse; it's really what you'd expect from a Windows app running in WINE. Horizontal scroll gestures are interpreted as some weird extra mouse clicks, which irritated the hell out of me. I've ended up just using LibreOffice, but it's a nice option to have.

Edit: Also note that Lotus Symphony is an OpenOffice fork, so while the UI is different, most of the underlying code is the same as LibreOffice. Softmaker Office is an entirely separate (proprietary) code base.

[crazy bird]

Thanks Copper Bezel! This clarifies a lot! Thanks for your input.

[neu5eeCh]

Better compatibility, but much less refinement. For example, you can't adjust the vertical ruler in Softmaker via the ruler. You have to search through the menu, then click through a tab or two. There are also auto spell limitations and little conveniences that are missing. All in all, Softmaker's lack of refinement makes it feel like a ten year old word processor.

[forrestcupp]

Edit: Also note that Lotus Symphony is an OpenOffice fork, so while the UI is different, most of the underlying code is the same as LibreOffice. Softmaker Office is an entirely separate (proprietary) code base.

Lotus Symphony was originally forked from a very old version of OpenOffice.org before they switched from the freer license. Unless they changed it and started using a newer version of OOo, it's probably completely different under the hood.

[koleoptero]

Lotus Symphony was originally forked from a very old version of OpenOffice.org before they switched from the freer license. Unless they changed it and started using a newer version of OOo, it's probably completely different under the hood.

It's based on OOo 3.2 now, or at least it was when version 3 of lotus symphony was launched.

It's still OOo with a different interface.

[forrestcupp]

It's based on OOo 3.2 now, or at least it was when version 3 of lotus symphony was launched.

It's still OOo with a different interface.

Nice. I'll bet it's a lot snappier and more stable than it was, then. I wonder how they worked out the licensing issue. Is it open source now?

[koleoptero]

Nice. I'll bet it's a lot snappier and more stable than it was, then. I wonder how they worked out the licensing issue. Is it open source now?

I didn't pay much attention to the licence back then lol. Couldn't find it on their site now with a quick search either. >.>

[collisionystm]

Anyone familiar with this: http://www.softmaker.com/english/ofl_en.htm.

This is what they claim:

".....Choose SoftMaker Office 2010 as your office suite, and you will get the job done in less time and with better results.

SoftMaker Office reads and writes Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files seamlessly – and costs only a fraction of Microsoft Office....."

You know... you could also try Office Web apps.

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/web-apps/

It is really nice.

[teyster2]

I've used softmaker office 2008. It did its job well, but I don't need anything more than what libre/open office offers so I didn't make the move to buy the 2010 version.

I was just going to say the 2008 version was free.
Click here (http://www.softmakeroffice.com/) for the download.

[alexfish]

I was just going to say the 2008 version was free.
Click here (http://www.softmakeroffice.com/) for the download.

you need a bigger CLICK

regards

alexfish):P

PS:

From what I have Seen There Could Be A lot mOre:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::;;

GOOGLE THE BITS