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Apache OpenOffice for Mac

transmaster

transmaster

Contributor
Original poster
Feb 1, 2010
1,871
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Cheyenne, Wyoming
I realize that Apple has a good Office suit of its own. But a very good free open source office suite that has been around since 1985, for the PC, is Apache Open Office. There has been a Mac version since 2006. I have used it since the 1990's. It has everything that Microsoft office has and so much more. Plus it has the look and functionality of Microsoft Office, I love its spread sheet. I can not see why anyone would pay for MicroSoft Office when OpenOffice is available.

When you load OpenOffice Mac will try to prevent it from opening because is cannot confirm there is no malware. I have trusted Openoffice since the 1990's never any trouble with malware. I am feel safe in recommending it. Because it is freeware you can try it out and if you don't like it you are not out anything. The download goes smoother in Safari.

sourceforge.net

Apache OpenOffice

Download Apache OpenOffice for free. The free and Open Source productivity suite. Free alternative for Office productivity tools: Apache OpenOffice - formerly known as OpenOffice.org - is an open-source office productivity software suite containing word processor, spreadsheet, presentation...
sourceforge.net sourceforge.net
 
transmaster said:
Plus it has the look and functionality of Microsoft Office, I love its spread sheet.
Click to expand...

I've tried Numbers and OpenOffice as replacements for Excel. I like OpenOffice a lot more than Numbers, because most of my Excel habits and muscle memory allowed me to just start using OpenOffice. Numbers works so differently from Excel that I didn't want to spend the time learning how to use it.
 
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KaliYoni said:
I've tried Numbers and OpenOffice as replacements for Excel. I like OpenOffice a lot more than Numbers, because most of my Excel habits and muscle memory allowed me to just start using OpenOffice. Numbers works so differently from Excel that I didn't want to spend the time learning how to use it.
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That is exactly why I like OpenOffice. I used Microsoft Office at work but I was not going to fork over the loot for it at home but at the sametime I wanted something I was familiar with. When I started to use OpenOffice is we were sort of rebelling against "The Man" in this case "M$" as we typed it.
 
OpenOffice is essentially dead at this point due to how Oracle bungled it's management when they bought Sun. It hasn't been updated for years. LibreOffice is the replacement and it's what every Linux distro ships these days for the most part. OpenOffice really shouldn't even be offered for download at this point.
 
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salamanderjuice said:
OpenOffice is essentially dead at this point due to how Oracle bungled it's management when they bought Sun. It hasn't been updated for years. LibreOffice is the replacement and it's what every Linux distro ships these days for the most part. OpenOffice really shouldn't even be offered for download at this point.
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That would explain why my Mac would not load it without me overriding it's security settings. It loaded LibreOffice without a hitch. I am glad I started this thread I have had OpenOffice loaded on my PC's for years and never gave it any thought.
 
LibreOffice is a good replacement for Office365 as long as you don't need to exchange documents with Office365 users, just as Apple's suite is a good alternative as well. I've recommended both to friends depending on their needs.

The problem with both is sometimes a file's formatting or text gets mess-up and the result looks bad in Office365; for work purposes that's a problem that forces you to Office365; although even then I've had the Mac->Windows move mess up a file.
 
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salamanderjuice said:
OpenOffice is essentially dead at this point due to how Oracle bungled it's management when they bought Sun. It hasn't been updated for years.
Click to expand...

Good point. I just looked into the recent history of OpenOffice and the lack of developer interest is a major problem. So I have downloaded LibreOffice and will see how it fits into my workflows. If using LO matches or beats OO, I definitely will switch (downloading and installing LO, as well as opening some files created in OO, was easy and seamless so my initial impression is positive).
 
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salamanderjuice said:
[OpenOffice] hasn't been updated for years.
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Yes... and no.

https://openoffice.apache.org/blog/announcing-apache-openoffice-4-110 (Feb 27, 2023, which the OP is getting via source repository)

(FYI: https://openoffice.apache.org/downloads.html)

But the general sentiment is accurate: OO in general has been slow dying for quite a while now, Sun/Oracle version is dead.

Have been using LO since pretty much from when they forked off OO and have had no regrets.
 
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I am so glad I started this thread I have learned so much. Looking at LibreOffice's spreadsheet and it will do the job. If you have a large electronics parts stash a spreadsheet is God's gift to knowing what you have.
 
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