OT: Office XP Small Business

[JayBdey]

Why would you WANT Microsoft Office? Open Office is free and is less bloated.

http://www.openoffice.org/about.html

[Will]

Originally posted by JayBdey:
Why would you WANT Microsoft Office? Open Office is free and is less bloated.

http://www.openoffice.org/about.html

Because damn near everyone in the business world already has Microsoft Office, gets MS Office files from other people/divisions/companies/etc. and the support for the MS file formats were lacking Last time I checked Open Office (can open basic documents, but if you start to get freaky with the comments, track changes, columns, tables, etc, like most business people I've met like to do, Open Office chokes). Because there are a lot of people that are computer illiterate, and only understand MS Office because of a 20-hour certification class -- any other software, even if it does the same thing, will confuse these people. And because a lot of companies still don't trust free/open source software.

Open Office is doing a good job so far, but they're still going to be a niche application suite for the more technically-inclined in the near future.

[Ragnarok]

Thanks for the information Thermodyne, that will come in handy. And thanks to everyone else for their help as well.
Dreamweaver MX 2004 is the best WYSIWYG editor out there, but I still prefer to do all my HTML coding by hand as Dreamweaver tends to mess some code up to old standards at times.

[Instar]

Originally posted by Atrocities:

quote:

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Originally posted by Will:
Well, quick searches on Microsoft's site yielded cryptic information... they're more concerned about telling you about the wonderful document workspaces than what actual software you get.

But, from experience, I would assume that it would include Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint, Visio, and Publisher. They might still be including FrontPage, if anyone would actually WANT to use that.

what would you recommend other than front page?

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This may sound crazy but I have started using Visual Studio .NET 2003 to edit HTML pages. The code it makes is amazingly clean for an WYSIWYG editor, and you can flip between source and design quickly. The editor does lack a lot of cool features that I had in Dreamweaver though, but I got the VS .NET for free, Dreamweaver probably costs a bazillion dollars.

[Ragnarok]

Originally posted by Instar:
The editor does lack a lot of cool features that I had in Dreamweaver though, but I got the VS .NET for free, Dreamweaver probably costs a bazillion dollars.

I think to buy Dreamwaever as standalone (not in any package deals with Fireworks, etc) is around $350.00 . One of the employees bought it here at work for his own personal use. It is a rather steap price to pay for a program.

[rdouglass]

Originally posted by Instar:
...This may sound crazy but I have started using Visual Studio .NET 2003 to edit HTML pages. The code it makes is amazingly clean for an WYSIWYG editor, and you can flip between source and design quickly...

That's nice to hear since I just got my Version and have yet to install it - all 7 CD's worth! I admit it; I'm a FrontPage user but I use it primarily to maintain sites and structure and rely very little of FP's WYSIWYG or 'bot capabilities. I write all my DB conn's by hand, etc. but FP does have some nice plug-in capabilities that do come in handy for 3rd party add-ins.

I got VS.NET 2K3 Pro primarily to assist in build COM objects for .NET since I'm needing to port many of my "things" to Data Grids, etc. (You got it for free! I paid $511 US for it!!!)

And to all those "hardcore" HTML writers that insist on using only notepad (and you know who you are .. ), I do agree NotePad (or even vi for you old-time UNIX afficionadoes) has its place and will never leave my toolbox. Sometimes a basic text editor and a good grasp of HTML just can't be improved on.

Fortunately or unfortunately depending on your point of view, MicroSoft still does a few things OK once in a while; in fact, somethings are downright easy and good... Not ALL things but SOME things. I just seem to get a lot more work done lately using MS products (and I have tried many other products and platforms - been doing this since '81 which is pre-Windows!!!)

...and of course what will says about the business world being MS-oriented. It would be nice if I could do my own thing with my own "free" tools, but working in the business world, I do have to interface with said world. Hence the MS bag-o-software...

Just my $.02

[Karibu]

Yes. Dreamweaver would be my choise for HTML editor. I use it and I like it.