Openoffice

[Tom]

I've installed openoffice 2, which seems to do a nice job of replacing Word and Excel.

Is there anything I can also download, free of charge, that can replace Outlook?

 

[DaGaffer]

What do you use Outlook for? Just mail and contacts, or all the calendar and task stuff?

 

[JingleBells]

I use Mozilla Thunderbird with the INCREDIBLY beta Lightning Calendar extension, which is not brilliant, but I didn't use Outlooks Calendar much anyway.

 

[Alan]

What do you use Outlook for? Just mail and contacts, or all the calendar and task stuff?

Thinking Thunderbird ? (except for the calendar)

 

[Tom]

What do you use Outlook for? Just mail and contacts, or all the calendar and task stuff?

email, contacts, calendar - all the time, for my business. I also use the Plaxo plugin for the contacts, which is handy.

 

[wyrd_fish]

i use thnderbird, and if i needed a calendar i'd use mozilla sunbird

i used it for a while and it seemed ok

 

[anattic]

Looks like Plaxo works with Mozilla Thunderbird too:

http://www.plaxo.com/downloads

 

[Tom]

Well Openoffice Calc (Excel clone) is a load of shite. Dont recommend that one

 

[Penguin]

I tried Mozilla Thunderbird but i found that it froze the system for a second each time it downloaded a message? I wasn't sure if this was because of a plugin i was using. Anyone else experience this?

I went back to Outlook 2003 again because i didn't see a clear advantage of using one over the other.

-- Penguin

 

[Alan]

i didn't see a clear advantage of using one over the other.

-- Penguin

cost

 

[Shovel]

i use thnderbird, and if i needed a calendar i'd use mozilla sunbird

i used it for a while and it seemed ok

I also use Thunderbird for IMAP email on Windows (and Mail.app on OSX) and also forgoe a calendar. I did use Sunbird for a bit but it's really underdeveloped. Mozilla just don't have the resources to throw at it right now and it shows. Everything about it is a little shakey and I don't feel comfortable trusting it with my data. I tend to use iCal on OSX and swallow the fact that I can only get to it from one machine (although it syncs nicely with my phone).

Sunbird's slow development is a big shame because Microsoft are now going to steamroller it with their iCal-clone in Windows Vista (which claims to be iCalendar standard based, so may not be so evil after all. We'll see.)

With that in mind, Tom, I might be inclined to suggest you stick with Outlook for now and when Vista ships you can weigh up Windows Calendar in that and have an easier choice to plump for a Mail app.

Given the current predicted ship dates, you could even have a play with the new Office 2007 beta (with the new Outlook) which should last until Vista ships. Or you could even try the Vista beta itself to evaluate Windows Calendar.

One other option would be to evaluate web-based calendars (if you're happy for your data to be stored remotely). Google have one, Basecamp is going to have one added to it soon, there are others too.

 

[Penguin]

cost

Well, really i meant besides cost considering i already had Outlook from MS Office, point taken though

 

[TdC]

their iCal-clone in Windows Vista (which claims to be iCalendar standard based, so may not be so evil after all. We'll see.)

hurhur hur hur hurhur hur