[OT] MS Licensing - MS-Works as an alternative

Yahoo Archive
1
I just downloaded OpenOffice.org 1.0 this morning and installed it after
lunch. For a free program I'm rather impressed at this point. Unlike older
versions of Star Office, you can launch the apps from individual icons. I
opened and modified some Word 2000 documents in Writer and was able to open
them fine in Word again. I haven't dived into this too far yet, but the
only quabbles I've found are in the spreadsheet Calc. It won't let you
highlight and drag cells like in Excel, a feature I am used to using all the
time. There also isn't a drop down for viewing size. You have to go
through View - Zoom and pick a percentage from a checkbox.

I'll try to use it more often for everyday tasks and report back. I wish I
would have gotten Star Office 6 beta before it expired.

Rick
2
I just received a large package with a pile of forms from Microsoft related
to our volume licensing of Office and Windows. This is the Upgrade
Advantage "deal" that expires July 31. They want me to return to them a
complete inventory of our MS products in use to assure that our MS products
are properly licensed.

We are not going to participate but they sure make it sound "risky" if not.
As they say "The License Verification program als enables you to avoid
potentially costly audits and penalties by implementing a sound software
asset program in your organization". As in if you don't cooperate you end
up on a "hit list" to be scrutinized. Perhaps this is another scare tactic
like the BSA but given it is direct from Microsoft they are taking a much
more active role. I think they are finding a huge lack of acceptance for
"renting" their software.

My plan at this time is to keep using the versions we now have for as long
as possible (probably two years) and later decide what to move to depending
on what is available and makes sense cost wise at that time. If we have to
buy all new then we will still be $ ahead of the new plans. One other
alternative I am looking at is using MS-Works which covers 90% or better of
what we really use in Office. Especially since it is file compatible with
Word and Excel if you save in their formats. It is also a LOT cheaper
($45).

Is anyone else using Works as their primary word processing / spreadsheet
tool for most users?

Thanks,
-Todd Caughey
Harvey Vogel Mfg. Co.


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
3
There is another free alternative out there. Check out this eWeek article
for more info:
http://www.eweek.com/article/0,3658,s=708&a=26349,00.asp

StarOffice from Sun was free, but they decided to start charging for the
latest version. OpenOffice is based on StarOffice but is committed to the
"open source" ideal.

======================
Steve Sanders
Delta Centrifugal Corp
-----Original Message-----
From: Todd Caughey [mailto:caugheyt@...]
Sent: Monday, May 06, 2002 1:15 PM
To: 'vantage@yahoogroups.com'
Subject: [Vantage] [OT] MS Licensing - MS-Works as an alternative


I just received a large package with a pile of forms from Microsoft
related
to our volume licensing of Office and Windows. This is the Upgrade
Advantage "deal" that expires July 31. They want me to return to them a
complete inventory of our MS products in use to assure that our MS
products
are properly licensed.

We are not going to participate but they sure make it sound "risky" if
not.
As they say "The License Verification program als enables you to avoid
potentially costly audits and penalties by implementing a sound software
asset program in your organization". As in if you don't cooperate you end
up on a "hit list" to be scrutinized. Perhaps this is another scare
tactic
like the BSA but given it is direct from Microsoft they are taking a much
more active role. I think they are finding a huge lack of acceptance for
"renting" their software.

My plan at this time is to keep using the versions we now have for as long
as possible (probably two years) and later decide what to move to
depending
on what is available and makes sense cost wise at that time. If we have
to
buy all new then we will still be $ ahead of the new plans. One other
alternative I am looking at is using MS-Works which covers 90% or better
of
what we really use in Office. Especially since it is file compatible with
Word and Excel if you save in their formats. It is also a LOT cheaper
($45).

Is anyone else using Works as their primary word processing / spreadsheet
tool for most users?

Thanks,
-Todd Caughey
Harvey Vogel Mfg. Co.


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]


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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
4
I've been playing with that but the initial reaction from users was it is
"too different" (learning curve) and it has crashed a lot (freezes up). So
unless I get more desperate paying $45 for Works would be fine. I have a
couple people using that and they seem OK with it. The Works Suite ($99)
has full Word in it and very few of our people do anything but the very
simplest spreadsheets and graphs. Seems to be the Office-Lite we want.

Maybe the commercial StarOffice 6.0 will be more stable and easier to learn.

-Todd C.

-----Original Message-----
From: Steve Sanders [mailto:ssanders@...]
Sent: Monday, May 06, 2002 3:08 PM
To: vantage@yahoogroups.com
Subject: RE: [Vantage] [OT] MS Licensing - MS-Works as an alternative


There is another free alternative out there. Check out this eWeek article
for more info:
http://www.eweek.com/article/0,3658,s=708
<http://www.eweek.com/article/0,3658,s=708&a=26349,00.asp> &a=26349,00.asp

StarOffice from Sun was free, but they decided to start charging for the
latest version. OpenOffice is based on StarOffice but is committed to the
"open source" ideal.

======================
Steve Sanders
Delta Centrifugal Corp
-----Original Message-----
From: Todd Caughey [mailto:caugheyt@...]
Sent: Monday, May 06, 2002 1:15 PM
To: 'vantage@yahoogroups.com'
Subject: [Vantage] [OT] MS Licensing - MS-Works as an alternative


I just received a large package with a pile of forms from Microsoft
related
to our volume licensing of Office and Windows. This is the Upgrade
Advantage "deal" that expires July 31. They want me to return to them a
complete inventory of our MS products in use to assure that our MS
products
are properly licensed.

We are not going to participate but they sure make it sound "risky" if
not.
As they say "The License Verification program als enables you to avoid
potentially costly audits and penalties by implementing a sound software
asset program in your organization". As in if you don't cooperate you end
up on a "hit list" to be scrutinized. Perhaps this is another scare
tactic
like the BSA but given it is direct from Microsoft they are taking a much
more active role. I think they are finding a huge lack of acceptance for
"renting" their software.

My plan at this time is to keep using the versions we now have for as long
as possible (probably two years) and later decide what to move to
depending
on what is available and makes sense cost wise at that time. If we have
to
buy all new then we will still be $ ahead of the new plans. One other
alternative I am looking at is using MS-Works which covers 90% or better
of
what we really use in Office. Especially since it is file compatible with
Word and Excel if you save in their formats. It is also a LOT cheaper
($45).

Is anyone else using Works as their primary word processing / spreadsheet
tool for most users?

Thanks,
-Todd Caughey
Harvey Vogel Mfg. Co.


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]


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already linked your email address to a yahoo id to enable access. )
(1) To access the Files Section of our Yahoo!Group for Report Builder and
Crystal Reports and other 'goodies', please goto:
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<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/vantage/files/.>
(2) To search through old msg's goto:
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<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/vantage/messages>
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5
Times like this I wonder what ever happened to good ole WordStar.

Lydia


-----Original Message-----
From: Todd Caughey [mailto:caugheyt@...]
Sent: Monday, May 06, 2002 1:47 PM
To: 'vantage@yahoogroups.com'
Subject: RE: [Vantage] [OT] MS Licensing - MS-Works as an alternative

I've been playing with that but the initial reaction from users was it is
"too different" (learning curve) and it has crashed a lot (freezes up). So
unless I get more desperate paying $45 for Works would be fine. I have a
couple people using that and they seem OK with it. The Works Suite ($99)
has full Word in it and very few of our people do anything but the very
simplest spreadsheets and graphs. Seems to be the Office-Lite we want.

Maybe the commercial StarOffice 6.0 will be more stable and easier to learn.

-Todd C.

-----Original Message-----
From: Steve Sanders [mailto:ssanders@...]
Sent: Monday, May 06, 2002 3:08 PM
To: vantage@yahoogroups.com
Subject: RE: [Vantage] [OT] MS Licensing - MS-Works as an alternative


There is another free alternative out there. Check out this eWeek article
for more info:
http://www.eweek.com/article/0,3658,s=708
<http://www.eweek.com/article/0,3658,s=708&a=26349,00.asp> &a=26349,00.asp

StarOffice from Sun was free, but they decided to start charging for the
latest version. OpenOffice is based on StarOffice but is committed to the
"open source" ideal.

======================
Steve Sanders
Delta Centrifugal Corp
-----Original Message-----
From: Todd Caughey [mailto:caugheyt@...]
Sent: Monday, May 06, 2002 1:15 PM
To: 'vantage@yahoogroups.com'
Subject: [Vantage] [OT] MS Licensing - MS-Works as an alternative


I just received a large package with a pile of forms from Microsoft
related
to our volume licensing of Office and Windows. This is the Upgrade
Advantage "deal" that expires July 31. They want me to return to them a
complete inventory of our MS products in use to assure that our MS
products
are properly licensed.

We are not going to participate but they sure make it sound "risky" if
not.
As they say "The License Verification program als enables you to avoid
potentially costly audits and penalties by implementing a sound software
asset program in your organization". As in if you don't cooperate you end
up on a "hit list" to be scrutinized. Perhaps this is another scare
tactic
like the BSA but given it is direct from Microsoft they are taking a much
more active role. I think they are finding a huge lack of acceptance for
"renting" their software.

My plan at this time is to keep using the versions we now have for as long
as possible (probably two years) and later decide what to move to
depending
on what is available and makes sense cost wise at that time. If we have
to
buy all new then we will still be $ ahead of the new plans. One other
alternative I am looking at is using MS-Works which covers 90% or better
of
what we really use in Office. Especially since it is file compatible with
Word and Excel if you save in their formats. It is also a LOT cheaper
($45).

Is anyone else using Works as their primary word processing / spreadsheet
tool for most users?

Thanks,
-Todd Caughey
Harvey Vogel Mfg. Co.


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]


Yahoo! Groups Sponsor
ADVERTISEMENT




Useful links for the Yahoo!Groups Vantage Board are: ( Note: You must
have already linked your email address to a yahoo id to enable access. )
(1) To access the Files Section of our Yahoo!Group for Report Builder and
Crystal Reports and other 'goodies', please goto:
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<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/vantage/files/.>
(2) To search through old msg's goto:
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<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/vantage/messages>
(3) To view links to Vendors that provide Vantage services goto:
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Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service.



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]



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Useful links for the Yahoo!Groups Vantage Board are: ( Note: You must have
already linked your email address to a yahoo id to enable access. )
(1) To access the Files Section of our Yahoo!Group for Report Builder and
Crystal Reports and other 'goodies', please goto:
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<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/vantage/files/.>
(2) To search through old msg's goto:
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<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/vantage/messages>
(3) To view links to Vendors that provide Vantage services goto:
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<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/vantage/links>

Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service
<http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/> .




[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]



Useful links for the Yahoo!Groups Vantage Board are: ( Note: You must have
already linked your email address to a yahoo id to enable access. )
(1) To access the Files Section of our Yahoo!Group for Report Builder and
Crystal Reports and other 'goodies', please goto:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/vantage/files/.
(2) To search through old msg's goto:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/vantage/messages
(3) To view links to Vendors that provide Vantage services goto:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/vantage/links

Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/