LibreOffice 4 Released 249
Titus Andronicus writes "LibreOffice 4.0.0 has been released. Some of the changes are for developers: an improved API, a new graphics stack, migrating German code comments to English, and moving from Apache 2.0 to LGPLv3 & MPLv2. Some user-facing changes are: better interoperability with other software, some functional & UI improvements, and some performance gains."
Re:But what if Java is the next WAIS? (Score:2, Insightful)
Until Java can be exorcised, this project is a non-starter.
Re:But what if Java is the next WAIS? (Score:4, Insightful)
Evidence please? Java is alive, kicking and screaming. Java 8 is coming down the turnpike. Java isn't going away anytime soon.
Re:MS Office mewlers and shills, queue here! (Score:5, Insightful)
Libreoffice uses very little Java at this point. That's one of the things that's changed since they forked from OO.org.
Why this dilution? (Score:3, Insightful)
OpenOffice is under Apache Foundation now and it is proper FOSS. This activity only dilutes the efforts to develop a FOSS alternative to MS Office. End it. Don't be childish. Thanks.
Re:But what if Java is the next WAIS? (Score:4, Insightful)
...or straight up binary.
Unless you're keying the bits with a set of telegraph keys attached to your CPU's data bus, it's cheating!
Re:But what if Java is the next WAIS? (Score:5, Insightful)
Java is dead?
Last time I checked, enterprise shops are still hiring more Java developers than any other kind. There are a lot of reasons I don't care for Java, but I would never in a million years say Java is dead.
Re:Why this dilution? (Score:5, Insightful)
Has there been any significant work on OpenOffice since the split?
I'm not crazy about having efforts diluted, but if they have to pick one and go forward with it, are there any advantages to going with OpenOffice rather than LibreOffice, aside from the less dreadful name?
Re:MS Office mewlers and shills, queue here! (Score:2, Insightful)
= LibreOffice doesn't read or write the constantly mutating, rubbish file formats of MS Office the way only MS Office can.
While I recognize it's perhaps not a fair judge of LibreOffice, life isn't fair. I use LibreOffice and like it, and can handle the quirks when using non-native documents. But when even faced with "it's free vs. it costs you money", even ridiculously frugal people like my father WILL NOT SWITCH. His primary concern is his clients are able to read & use the documents he provides--and that conversely, he's able to read & use the documents his clients provide--without any hassle whatsoever. Let's face it, perfect interoperability with zero hassle is a big seller these days; look at Apple.
Only some people will comprise on price vs functionality. But nearly EVERYONE will switch to Libreoffice when they can save big on price without any compromise on functionality.
Re:Pre-fork OO (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:MS Office mewlers and shills, queue here! (Score:5, Insightful)
I have had better luck with LibreOffice being able to read old/odd MS Office formats better than MS Office itself.
MS often breaks compatibility with itself to force upgrades.
YMMV
Re:Why this dilution? (Score:5, Insightful)
Look on the bright side: LibreOffice is about 2 years ahead, thanks to Oracle!
Re:Grammar Check (Score:3, Insightful)
Grammar checking is always fuzzy in a computer algorithm. And because people do not understand grammar (especially in pure English) they rely on word processor nonsense.
That is why it is always crap, and perhaps also explains why (especially young) people cannot do correct grammar (i,e, correct grammar is a bit hard to learn, like it takes work - but letting the computer do it [wrongly] is easy).
Re:MS Office mewlers and shills, queue here! (Score:4, Insightful)
LibreOffice doesn't read or write the constantly mutating, rubbish file formats of MS Office the way only MS Office can.
True. LibreOffice actually helped me salvage a Word 2003 file into Word 2010, as Word 2010 itself would scramble the whole darned thing. Libre is much better, in my (limited) experience.
Re:Damn! (Score:2, Insightful)
Bull fucking shit. The day I see Microsoft release a version of office for linux is the day I'll reviel my true name and vow to never write a star trek book again.
Bullshit is say, bullshit!