Subject: Re: implications of GPL'd StarOffice
From: Robin Turner (robin@Bilkent.EDU.TR)
Date: Sun Jul 23 2000 - 19:16:12 CDT
"James W. Lindenschmidt" wrote:
> Greetings, everyone.
>
> I was wondering what, if any, implications there would be for AbiWord of
> Sun's recent decision to GPL StarOffice.
>
> As a paper-writing student end-user type, I have been using AbiWord for
> short notes, and StarWriter for more advanced/longer papers. My only
> qualm about StarOffice, until this week, was that it wasn't Free
> software.
>
> Now, this has changed. Given that I think StarOffice 5.2 is fabulous,
> and that they are working toward a GPL release with 6.0, frankly I am
> finding fewer reasons to use AbiWord. It's not that I have anything
> against AbiWord (quite the contrary), but being realistic, there's
> currently no comparison between AbiWord and StarWriter. If they are both
> GPL'd, why continue with AbiWord?
>
> Do you think AbiWord will incorporate some of the OpenOffice code?
I've started using AbiWord again after a long break, and I'm pleased with
the developments I've seen in the meantime. For my own work, I don't need
a word processor; I use a text editor (kwrite in X, emacs out of X) for
hacking and coding, an HTML editor for web-page writing (Bluefish,
normally) and LyX for anything I want to look good. I only use word
processors so that I can read other people WP'd documents. I used Star
Office for a while, but to be homest, it pisses me off. Maybe it's OK if
you have state-of-the art hardware, but with an old Celeron and 32 MB RAM,
I always make a cup of cofee while it's loading - "bloated" hardly does
justice to this application. AbiWord is small, fast and simple - exactly
what I need for viewing and editing WP documents, and it's also what my
non-geek workmates need. Give me tables and I'm with you all the way.
co'o mi'e robin.
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