This is probably very subjective: I have Microsoft Office Pro 2003 and also the latest version of LibreOffice. I use Word/Writer and Excel/Calc only. Any opinions as to which software is better for my limited usage? Thanks in advance.
Nothing in the world wrong with LibreOffice for most things, just doesn't include an installable E-Mail Client like Outlook. I love the cost, FREE. Office 2003 is outdated and unsupported but I have installed the even-older Office 2000 on an Insider Preview computer, just can't access all the more-advanced features which really weren't needed anyway. LibreOffice still includes support for Microsoft Works files and many other formats.
I would do libre office. You can do the web versions of ms office for free as well via One Drive site.
You might also consider WPS, if you do mind one AD a day, you have to skip.
Aside from great compatibility with MicrosoftOffice, it is way faster than LibreOffice.
The Most Compatible Free Office Suite - WPS Office
+1
For casual use, it should be fine, although it is somewhat bloated and a memory hog, and the UI is quite dated.
My only real issue with LibreOffice would be for document interchange in an office environment.
Despite "compatibility" with the equivalent MS Office offerings, there can be subtle differences in document layout/formatting that might matter to the recipient. Also in this regard, if you are editing MS Office documents containing fonts beyond the usual core set, it helps to have those full fonts embedded in the document for more compatible editing under other office suites.
Real clincher really is if you use Excel or Word macros. Libreoffice cannot handle them.
The lease version Office 2016 is not that expensive, and comes with 1 TB of Onedrive space. The 5 user licence is only about 30% more expenice that a 1 user licence, and each user gets 1 TB. If other family memebers, you could share costs, or it makes a nice present.
I am so familiar with Office, I regard it as no contest, although I admit I currently get it free, courtesy of a company I work with periodically. If they withdraw my access, I will go back to leasing it again (I am thinking about doing it simply for the onedrive space anyway).
I'm the OP. This is a combination reply addressing the various opinions and suggestions I have received so far.
I have been using LibreOffice for a year and all my files are ods and odt. I have tried WPS Office but unfortunately it does not recognise odt and ods which means I would have to convert all my files to doc and xls. I am 73 years old and shall probably not live long enough to go through them all.
I don't like the idea of having copies of my files in the Cloud. I want all my files in my laptop which I backup to an external hard drive every evening using synctoy. I have an account to One Drive but I don't use it and wouldn't know how to use it even if I wanted to.
Since I got Windows 10 I find that just about every app wants to put a copy of my files on someone else's servers. This annoys me and I don't really know what to do about it. Now I discover that even Evernote keeps a copy on their servers of one particular folder of mine and there is no way I can turn it off; it's part and parcel of the program.
I realise that LibreOffice is a hog and would be willing to buy a single Office 2016 licence if not for the fact that I would have my files in the Cloud or in One Drive or God-knows-where.
It's starting to sound like an old man's rant so I'll just shut up.
In addition to settings in LibreOffice one can, in Control Panel, Default Programs set LibreOffice to open all Microsoft Office file types with the double-click, great when needing to share with others.I have tried WPS Office but unfortunately it does not recognise odt and ods which means I would have to convert all my files to doc and xls.
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