Thread: UK Schools advised "Avoid Vista & Office '07 - Consider Linux & OpenOffice"

While the schools I attend are trying their best to get it. Yes, I live in America.

Jeezus - I want to get rid of my own Vista.

While this isn't the first time Linux has been suggested for UK Schools
(both as a learning aid in IT classrooms, and as serious workstations for staff)
it's the first high profile, national body to make the recommendation

earlier suggestions have been from lone schools, and organizations independent from the government
One round of free licenses from Microsoft has, to date. been enough to stop serious discussions from going ahead

I really hope this is a genuine drive for progress

but I'm a cynical man
so, we'll see

I really hate office '07. The UI is so horrible and I didn't realize it at first, but it saves files as .docx, so I have to manually change it so it saves as .doc. Not difficult, but annoying none the less. Still, though, freaking hate that UI...

Originally Posted by Daeva

I really hate office '07. The UI is so horrible and I didn't realize it at first, but it saves files as .docx, so I have to manually change it so it saves as .doc. Not difficult, but annoying none the less. Still, though, freaking hate that UI...

Why?

Because it's no where near as simple as the former UI? Because it's clunky?

Originally Posted by Daeva

Because it's no where near as simple as the former UI? Because it's clunky?

I find it's actually much simpler, and not "clunky", but meh.

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Grod, in support of all the things the rest of us hate.

In all seriousness Grod, could you tell us why you love Vista?

Originally Posted by Mes Tarrant

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Grod, in support of all the things the rest of us hate.

In all seriousness Grod, could you tell us why you love Vista?

It's the bestest thing, evar, evar.

Originally Posted by Grod

It's the bestest thing, evar, evar.

I disagree.


My reasoning is as flawless as yours. ^_^

It's the bestest thing, evar, evar.

it's obvious that vista's spell checker has failed again.

I'll admit installing XP would probably be better but my parants have this thing about deals so I'm kind of stuck with Vista now. But I'm not going to die, it's only a tiny bit worse so it's not going to kill me. :undecided

Originally Posted by Jdeadevil

I'll admit installing XP would probably be better but my parants have this thing about deals

What do you mean?

Originally Posted by Pyrofan1

it's obvious that vista's spell checker has failed again.

Right now I'm using XP.

Originally Posted by Mes Tarrant

What do you mean?

Something about, if my dad pays £7.00 a month for a year or two, we get technical support. Which I kind of needed when I downloaded a bad file. I was foolish, I tried downloading a crack for CNC3. So I had to format my computer (Vista doesn't need a disk). This guy told me how to do it, so I find technical support a bit usefull for idiots like me.

But after I formatted after I typed in Jdeadevil as my username and all that stuff, I lost my CNC3 files and lost the disk. Looks like this cloud's lining was black making it rain even harder.

Originally Posted by Daeva

I really hate office '07. The UI is so horrible and I didn't realize it at first, but it saves files as .docx, so I have to manually change it so it saves as .doc. Not difficult, but annoying none the less. Still, though, freaking hate that UI...

ugh..I hate that too how they changed the save file name to .docx so no one with a lower version can open it. I think their idea was that everyone would buy the upgrade. Though, like you said it's not a big problem because you can change it.. if you remember too. Anway, still annoying

Originally Posted by ~Erin~

ugh..I hate that too how they changed the save file name to .docx so no one with a lower version can open it. I think their idea was that everyone would buy the upgrade. Though, like you said it's not a big problem because you can change it.. if you remember too. Anway, still annoying

It is SO annoying! I've spent so much time downloading upgrades on different computers so they would open my damn file.

Originally Posted by Jdeadevil

Something about, if my dad pays £7.00 a month for a year or two, we get technical support. Which I kind of needed when I downloaded a bad file. I was foolish, I tried downloading a crack for CNC3. So I had to format my computer (Vista doesn't need a disk). This guy told me how to do it, so I find technical support a bit usefull for idiots like me.

But after I formatted after I typed in Jdeadevil as my username and all that stuff, I lost my CNC3 files and lost the disk. Looks like this cloud's lining was black making it rain even harder.

What would you have to pay per month for technical support for XP? Also, have you played games yet on your computer, and if so, have you had any issues?

Originally Posted by Mes Tarrant

It is SO annoying! I've spent so much time downloading upgrades on different computers so they would open my damn file.

You downloaded upgrades for it? :S

I just save them all as .doc so that not only can I open them, but so can everyone else. I was pretty pissed when I found out others couldn't open it. Damn you MS!

Originally Posted by Daeva

You downloaded upgrades for it? :S

I just save them all as .doc so that not only can I open them, but so can everyone else. I was pretty pissed when I found out others couldn't open it. Damn you MS!

You know, like the thing you have to download off of their website if the computer you're using has an older version of office.

I actually didn't realize you could just manually save them as .doc. Oh well, now I know.

Originally Posted by Mes Tarrant

You know, like the thing you have to download off of their website if the computer you're using has an older version of office.

I actually didn't realize you could just manually save them as .doc. Oh well, now I know.

Yeah, when you manually save it as a .doc it calls it "Compatibility mode" They should have made .docx compatible!

Originally Posted by Mes Tarrant

What would you have to pay per month for technical support for XP? Also, have you played games yet on your computer, and if so, have you had any issues?

Yeah, normal games that I know will work on the computer work better than expected, yet my keyboard doesn't work with StepMania/FFR (idiot machinary makers).

Yet on CNC3, the volume seems to screach a tiny bit after it exeeds a limit.

And I don't know about technical support for XP.

Originally Posted by Mes Tarrant

It is SO annoying! I've spent so much time downloading upgrades on different computers so they would open my damn file.

Aw, I had to do the same thing. It's a bitch. Though, that was before I knew about the changing of the file name within the program *twitches*

Though, I do remember reading somewhere online that beacuse of all the complaints and such they had this file thing that you could download which would open the file for the other person? wait.. maybe that was with the power point .docx file? ugh.. well something like that.

changing the file formats is the only reason most upgrade at all

If the file formats stayed the same
everybody would still be using Office '97

There really is not ONE justifiable reason for upgrading a word processor
There have been no new features (useful, non-gimmicky ones) in any word processor from any software company for 10 years or more

Ok, I'll give you online collaboration
but that's about it

A letter is a letter
it was a letter in 1997 and will be a letter in 2017

It's called the "Upgrade Treadmill"
One upgrades, so the rest have to upgrade to stay compatible
and it's MS's main source of revenue

Originally Posted by Ynot

changing the file formats is the only reason most upgrade at all

If the file formats stayed the same
everybody would still be using Office '97

There really is not ONE justifiable reason for upgrading a word processor
There have been no new features (useful, non-gimmicky ones) in any word processor from any software company for 10 years or more

Ok, I'll give you online collaboration
but that's about it

A letter is a letter
it was a letter in 1997 and will be a letter in 2017

It's called the "Upgrade Treadmill"
One upgrades, so the rest have to upgrade to stay compatible
and it's MS's main source of revenue

Exactly why I love Microsoft

So while on the topic of Office '07, who here can tell me how to get it to change the default setting of double spacing? I've been trying to figure it out since I got it o_O