Topic: Renting MS Office

[Age]

I've been using openoffice.org for a few years now.

The same here. It does everything that *I* need it too. Recently while job hunting I used it to produce my resume without issue. I have neither the need nor desire to "rent" Office software.

Myself I look forward to ODF (Open Document Format) becoming the standard for document interchange thereby allowing people more choice what Office software they choose to use.

The only thing it doesn't do is e-mail which office does with outlook which I like.

Mozilla thunderbird is also free

Yes so is Outlook Express built into windows but I prefer Outlook as I did try out T-Bird.

[knightstorm]

I've been using openoffice.org for a few years now.

The same here. It does everything that *I* need it too. Recently while job hunting I used it to produce my resume without issue. I have neither the need nor desire to "rent" Office software.

Myself I look forward to ODF (Open Document Format) becoming the standard for document interchange thereby allowing people more choice what Office software they choose to use.

The only thing it doesn't do is e-mail which office does with outlook which I like.

Mozilla thunderbird is also free

Yes so is Outlook Express built into windows but I prefer Outlook as I did try out T-Bird.

Understandable.  I prefer MS Office too.  However, I don't think the price to own it is reasonable, and there is no way in &*%% that I am renting it.

[Nemesis]

Yes so is Outlook Express built into windows but I prefer Outlook as I did try out T-Bird.

From my perspective Thunderbird has 2 advantages over Outlook:

1/ Cross platform.  If I switch Operating Systems I can take everything with me.

2/ Non proprietary data storage.  This allows easier transfer of stored messages to another program if you should switch.

I like non proprietary data formats so that I can choose what software works for me without worrying that my stored data will be lost or "distorted". 

I would like to see Thunderbird have an Inport/Export function to make moving my stored messages easier. 

My current stored messages go back several years and have been transferred to a new computer at least twice under Thunderbird.  I won't say it was easy but I was able to do it.

[toasty0]

Yes so is Outlook Express built into windows but I prefer Outlook as I did try out T-Bird.

From my perspective Thunderbird has 2 advantages over Outlook:

1/ Cross platform.  If I switch Operating Systems I can take everything with me.

2/ Non proprietary data storage.  This allows easier transfer of stored messages to another program if you should switch.

I like non proprietary data formats so that I can choose what software works for me without worrying that my stored data will be lost or "distorted". 

I would like to see Thunderbird have an Inport/Export function to make moving my stored messages easier. 

My current stored messages go back several years and have been transferred to a new computer at least twice under Thunderbird.  I won't say it was easy but I was able to do it.

I'm suprised you're not using Groupwise and Novell.

[Nemesis]

Thunderbird is what I use for my personal use I don't have need of things like Groupwise personally.  The company I *was* working for used a Webapp for E-Mail and I strongly dislike the lockin to one company that did.  With the shutdown people only had one way to save messages that they had a legitimate right to retain and that was to E-Mail forward it to another account.  Forwarding is not nearly so good as import / export.

To me the ability to transfer data from one program to another is critically important.  Lockin is anathema.