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Thread: Free Alternative to Excel/MS Office

  1. #1
    Senior Member funke_munke's Avatar
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    Free Alternative to Excel/MS Office

    Hey guys, in need of a free alternative to Excel as I need to do a very large and complicated spreadsheet and don't have Office. Updating things manually in a Notepad file right now and it's doing my head in. If there is a good one that someone has used please could you recommend it? Maybe theres an entire office suite out there somewhere that someone has experience with?

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    "I Don't mind Lobster. It's like you could, you know... Punch... A lobster. I wouldn't eat anything I couldn't punch"


  2. #2
    Does he need a reason? Funkstar's Avatar
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    Re: Free Alternative to Excel/MS Office

    Have a look at this recent thread: http://forums.hexus.net/showthread.php?t=118371

    OpenOffice.Org (or OOo as some refer to it as) is a favourite, but their spreadsheet isn't great apparently.

    Others are Gnumeric or LaTeX

  3. #3
    Get in the van. Fraz's Avatar
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    Re: Free Alternative to Excel/MS Office

    Use Office 2007 with a trial license. It lasts for 60 days:

    http://ukireland.trymicrosoftoffice....&culture=en-gb

  4. #4
    RIP Evy mroz's Avatar
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    Re: Free Alternative to Excel/MS Office

    Anything wrong with OpenOffice?

    Edit: Sorry, thought I refeshed the tab before replying.

  5. #5
    RIP Evy mroz's Avatar
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    Re: Free Alternative to Excel/MS Office

    Quote Originally Posted by Funkstar View Post
    Others are Gnumeric or LaTeX
    LaTeX? I thought that was a document layout language?

  6. #6
    Squirrely tigerboyce's Avatar
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    Re: Free Alternative to Excel/MS Office

    Well im definetly seconding Open Office, i love it

  7. #7
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    Re: Free Alternative to Excel/MS Office

    Quote Originally Posted by mroz View Post
    Anything wrong with OpenOffice?
    Depends what you are doing, but the spreadsheet sucks balls a bit.

  8. #8
    Does he need a reason? Funkstar's Avatar
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    Re: Free Alternative to Excel/MS Office

    Quote Originally Posted by mroz View Post
    LaTeX? I thought that was a document layout language?
    No idea. I just took that from a post in the thread i linked to

  9. #9
    The King of Vague Steve B's Avatar
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    Re: Free Alternative to Excel/MS Office

    LaTex is a markup language, usually used for word documents, so no spreadsheets I'm afraid!
    I'd try the trial version of Office 2007 myself.

  10. #10
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    Re: Free Alternative to Excel/MS Office

    Cheers for the clarification. I've only heard of its use in relation to layout of scientific documentation, so that makes sense.

  11. #11
    The late but legendary peterb - Onward and Upward peterb's Avatar
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    Re: Free Alternative to Excel/MS Office

    Another vote for Open Office word processor. (Not used the spreadsheet) WordPerfect X3 is an excellent (and better IMHO) alternative to MS office - not free though.
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  12. #12
    Comfortably Numb directhex's Avatar
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    Re: Free Alternative to Excel/MS Office

    depending on your needs, you might get away with gnumeric or OOo

    however, if you're in the macro business, they probably won't

  13. #13
    RIP Evy mroz's Avatar
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    Re: Free Alternative to Excel/MS Office

    The OP said it was complex, but also that they were struggling in Notepad, so hopefully it's not so complex it /needs/ macro features not supported by OO.Calc

    Edit: it would be nice to hear from the OP as to whether they found a solution & what it was.

  14. #14
    adam1701
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    Re: Free Alternative to Excel/MS Office

    Free ... I would say open office!

  15. #15
    Ah, Mrs. Peel! mike_w's Avatar
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    Re: Free Alternative to Excel/MS Office

    Gnumeric gets my vote for spreadsheets. I find OpenOffice.org slow and sluggish, and not that nice to use.
    "Well, there was your Uncle Tiberius who died wrapped in cabbage leaves but we assumed that was a freak accident."

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    Re: Free Alternative to Excel/MS Office

    Quote Originally Posted by Steve B View Post
    LaTex is a markup language,
    OK so far...

    Quote Originally Posted by Steve B View Post
    usually used for word documents,
    ...and that's where your description causes a mental gear crunch in anyone who's ever used or is familiar with LaTex.

    LaTex has nothing whatsoever to do with 'word documents'. There is a good comparison of LaTeX and Word at http://openwetware.org/wiki/Word_vs._LaTeX

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