free (or cheap) office

henm2

Libre Office works very well. To make sure that people can read the documents I send I save them in MS Office 2003 format. To automatically save in MS Office formats then in Libre you go to Tools, options, Load/Save, General, and select the relevant MS format and click OK. Never had any issues with compatibility.

RumRat

Undervalued wrote: »

It may well be more compatible that Libra but I doubt if anything is completely compatible.

That said, I had to look at a fairly complex docx om an ancient Android phone and WPS did quite well. Certainly far better than Libra on a Mac.

Well I've not found anything it's lacking, but I guess there is no such thing as complete compatibility if you wish to nit pic the concept. Even two sets of MS Office sometimes fail the compatibility test..;)
Let's put it this way, I definitely haven't had to mess around with it out of the box as I did for Libreoffice.

zagubov

There's the main forum pages on free software.
If you need the real thing, as the others say, if there's a student in the family there's getting it via a school/college. Or if these ideas lead to noght you could go via software4students.

cookie365

RumRat wrote: »

Well I've not found anything it's lacking, but I guess there is no such thing as complete compatibility if you wish to nit pic the concept. Even two sets of MS Office sometimes fail the compatibility test..;)
Let's put it this way, I definitely haven't had to mess around with it out of the box as I did for Libreoffice.

The free version of WPS doesn't support VBA. That's not exactly nit picking.

P0123

cookie365 wrote: »

You can set Libreoffice to save documents in docx by default, or you can select docx any time you Save As.

Same for the Excel and Powerpoint equivalents.

Anyway, you should only be sending stuff in docx format if you want the recipient to be able to edit it. Read only stuff like CVs you should save as pdf.

If you can't figure any of this out, you're probably better off using Office online as @pogofish linked to.

cookie365
Thank you for your reply, and I have been saving Libre Office documents in the pdf format, WHEN POSSIBLE, but it hasn't always offered the options for some reason.
The MAIN thing that I was asking on this thread was how can I complete an application form (that has already been created in Microsoft Word/Office,) when I only have Libre Office. Each time I attempt to do so, I just get the standard message that I need to subscribe to Microsoft Office at a silly price.
This just means that I have to then visit the local library, when open and not all the pcs are booked up, to complete all of these tasks, (which aren't the best places to do so either).
Any help with this situation is more than welcome FROM ALL.
Thank you in advance!

P0123

Undervalued wrote: »

Yes, but as I have said before on here, the compatibility can be hit and miss at best.

Libra / Open Office are fine for creating your own work and printing it out. However there can be real issues with opening and saving files in docx format that have been produced on the real thing. Templates can be even more problematic. Sometime it is reasonably OK but equally seemingly very simply documents can have all kinds of issues.

At the very least check what you have saved in docx by using Word online. At least then you will know how it will look when opened in the proper program.

Hi "Undervalued"

Yes, this was exactly my point. (Unfortunately, when I first found this out, I had already sent documents which appeared very well-formatted, until I accidentally saw a 'cc' on another computer one day (which had Word built in) and was horrified!!

P0123

Thanks Guys, but I am not a student, nor a parent.

P0123

cookie365 wrote: »

The free version of WPS doesn't support VBA. That's not exactly nit picking.

What's "VBA" - and do I need it?!

RumRat

cookie365 wrote: »

The free version of WPS doesn't support VBA. That's not exactly nit picking.

Anyone that 'needs' VBA will likely have a suitable programme installed.
AFAIK it's a dying art anyway....:p

P0123 wrote: »

What's "VBA" - and do I need it?!

Exactly....The OP only wanted basic office stuff....Pointless getting all superior on them.

ARandomMiser

I will put another vote in for Kingsoft WPS.
We tried Libra Office but just found it to be less compatible, for our needs