[K12OSN] OpenOffice vs. Microsoft Office

[Rob Owens]

I'm not sure if I understand your question.

If you're asking for the K12LTSP system to have access
to files that were saved in Windows, this can be done
as long as those files are saved on a
network-accessible drive.  You will use Samba to
"mount" that network drive and read the files.

If you're asking about actually running MS Office on
the K12LTSP system, I believe this can be done too. 
You will need either Wine (free of charge) or
Crossover Office (costs money).  These programs allow
you to run certain Windows-based programs in Linux. 
If you decide to try Wine, try using Winetools to set
it up.  Winetools helps you configure Wine and has a
little menu item that helps you install MS Office.

However, you really ought to try to get everybody
using OpenOffice.  It works for me, though I'm not a
big user of "bells and whistles".  What's great about
it is that it is freely available for Linux, Windows,
and Mac, so when you create a file in OpenOffice it
can be read by basically anybody who owns a modern
computer.  It also can read and save Microsoft
formats, if you need that.  It does this perfectly
most of the time, but I have seen some
excessively-formatted Word docs that when opened in
OpenOffice, the formatting was not exactly the same.

So I just re-read your question and I think maybe you
are interested in having the students save their Linux
work and be able to open it later with Windows
programs.  This can be done, too.  Use Samba to
"export" the directory in which the students save
their work.  It will be accessible over the network by
Windows machines.  If the files are in a format that
your Windows software can read, then they will open. 
(Note that you can use OpenOffice and save in *.doc,
*.xls, and *.ppt formats).

If clipart is all you're really looking for, I suppose
you could use MS clipart in an OpenOffice document,
presentation, etc.  You just have to find it. 
Somebody correct me if I'm wrong.

-Rob

--- hoffmann at fidnet.com wrote:
> I would like to try a test classroom with K12LTSP,
> but I want the students
> to be able to open their files on Windows machines
> (to add the 'bells and
> whistles' to presentations, etc.).  I've been told
> that this will really
> slow down the server.  Is this true?  I know the
> students (and teachers)
> won't be happy with OpenOffice by itself.
> 
> Thanks,
> Karen Hoffmann
> 
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> 

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