Linux NetMag
Titel: Complete officesolutions
URL:
http://www.linuxnetmag.com/en/issue1/m1offi1.html
Published at: 11.7.1998
Author: Ronny Ziegler
Translator: Andy Ziegler
If you want to use Linux in an office you need office programs
with a lot of colored buttons and controls.
You find three rivals all with the same philosophy.
[ Applixware | StarOffice
| WordPerfect | KOffice
| SIAG ]
|
One for all, or just for itself?
|
The first (big) officesolution for Linux was
Applixware.
This packet was first available for Unix and later for WINDOWS completely
in contrast to the two rivals, StarOffice and WordPerfect.
Later followed StarDivision
with Star-Office 3.0 which was free for Linux and noncommercial
usage but not for WINDOWS.
Since the last year (1998) Corel
has sent its WordPerfect on the market.
Applixware
is in contrast to the two antagonists not free. I do not have much
experiences with this program but I had a view on the demo version.
Applixware
has been fitted perfectly for Linux. Copy and Paste work together with
many other X-applications and the appearance is adapted very well but it
looks a little bit old. Word processor, spreadsheet, graphic program, mail
and so on are all integrated into Applixware,
everything with a good documentation. Colors, fonts and other functions
are eligible as you wish.
This is a stable and well thought out officesolution. So if you have
the money it is a good choice.
StarOffice
has been free for Linux and noncommercial usage
and since the release 5.0 it has been free for all operating
systems.
The motto "Do everything in one place" is completed "perfectly".
In contrast to the normal UNIX-philosophy (use for every small task a special
program) they put everything in one packet. The advantage
is the shorter learn process because the structure is everywhere the same
but on the other hand the normal user gets many more functions than he/she
will use in his/her life because there are other native Linux solutions
with more comfort. Who would use this monster program (162 MB hard
disk space) just to read news, write e-mails or browse in the web? Not
me. StarOffice has its own desktop with its own "Win95-start-buttons".
Does it surprise that the Linux user do not like StarOffice? (The desktop
is not a windowmanager but StarOffice offers some identical functions)
To keep StarOffice
as portable as possible file dialogs and other dialogs are not opened
by the X-server but in an own window which is only moveable inside
the StarOffice window. There is no other way than to maximize the StarOffice
window to keep the overview. An additional disadvantage of this portability
is the speed. My P133 with 32 MB RAM needs sometimes
4 to 5 seconds to open a StarOffice
menu. At least 128 MB are necessary if your swap should keep cool.
The UNIX integration of StarOffice
is worse. The file dialogs are completely different from the "UNIX standard"
and are more WINDOWS-like, but not the same. (Hint: Press the button at
the right top nearly 3 seconds and an additional menu will open. What a
surprise?!). I had the feeling that StarOffice
is used together with a WINDOWS emulator.
There are positive aspects, too. The word processor
is quite good and usable for short texts. The same with the spreadsheet.
A real highlight is the graphical part which generates 3D objects with
OpenGL
support,
with textures, light-sources and shadows.
The stability has not been improved significantly since the presentation
at the CeBit 1998. At that time the program crashed in front of
my eyes at a big screen - even the hand which was placed on the projector
could not hide what happened. They told us that the fault has its source
in the operating system which was WINDOWS 95. Under Linux StarOffice
crashes regularly and saving is much more necessary than ever before.
Nevertheless,
StarOffice
is usable especially because it is free.
Corel tries an other direction.
Instead of using one program for everything you find for every work a single
program which is connected very well. Until now you have just found for
Linux the word processor WordPerfect
but Corel works permanently to complete the spreadsheet and the
paint program.
WordPerfect is free for private
usage and is worth a download.
The frontend is programmed in Motif and works surprisingly
fast. It is not overcrowded with functions and the user should find
his way quite easy. WordPerfect runs
quite stable and has no problems with longer texts. On the other hand the
printer configuration makes problems for the first times. If your printer
is
not supported you have to evade to postscript-passthrough but than you
just get black'n'white prints. Stability, fast speed and many Import/Export
filters
make WordPerfect a good choice
if you want to write texts and increase their design.
 |
|
KOffice - Siag - and other
|
|
Additional you find programs which are programmed by private people
under a GPL (GNU Public License).
There is SIAG (Scheme
In A Grid) created by Ulric Eriksson, a spreadsheet with a GTK surface.
A big highlight is also KOffice
because it has used Corba much more than every other KDE program
until now. With KOffice it is possible
to include parts from other KDE programs in your text. The whole program
is designed modular and you are able to choose your favorite word
processor while you construct graphics with an other program. KOffice arranges
all these parts together. KOffice
is still in an early development level and is not usable for convenient
work.
MakerSoft wants to publish a version of its OfficeSuite for
Linux in the future but this program will not be free.
It seems that the future will be still interesting.
