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http://www.macnn.com/articles/01/08/31/sun.shows/

Sun shows off new version of StarOffice

updated 01:15 pm EDT, Fri August 31, 2001

 
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Sun is showing off a new version of its StarOffice productivity suite, viewed by industry pundits as the only real competition to Microsoft Office, at this week's LinuxWorld conference and Expo. The new version, 6.0, breaks the suite into individual applications that can be run separately, and does away with the proprietary "start-bar" functionality and e-mail checking component. Sun had originally developed a Mac OS X flavor of StarOffice, but turned its Mac-based development over to OpenOffice.org, who continues to revise the software and offer downloadable releases.


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  1. \0

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    08/31, 02:12pm | report spam | Reply | delete

    Just wondering...

    Where are the downloadable releases for OSX?

  1. wooky

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Aug 2001

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    08/31, 02:34pm | report spam | Reply |

    OS X NOW

    I have not installed any of the latest builds for OS X but have played with the version for Windows. It will be so excellent to have an Office killer. Don't get me wrong, I love Appleworks, but it lacks some powerful features (my current gripe is not having 'sheets' and the ability to merge cells). Office is nice, but pricey and Redmond makes me nervous.
    I beg... I plead... hurry with the OS X version. Scott Hutinger and Patrick Luby and all the others who are working on the project should really be thanked for the work they are putting into the project. If I only had more programming skills I would help as much as time would allow. If you have any programing experience help out.
    OS X really needs more options and OpenOffice will be a great one. Does anyone know if the builds are far enough along to get screenshots or is it still not stable enough to build?

  1. \0

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    08/31, 10:16pm | report spam | Reply | delete

    Click the link

    If you click the link in the article you'd see screenshots and have the answer for how far along they are in the builds. Come on people, don't be so lazy. You couldn't had your answers quicker than it took you to post your question if you'd clicked on the link.

    http://www.openoffice.org/

  1. matvon

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    Joined: Sep 2000

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    08/31, 11:46pm | report spam | Reply |

    Thanks, Sun...

    You know, the fact that they dropped OSX development and yet continue to develop for Windows chaps my a**. I understand that StarOffice and Java are two different things, but as of sometime this year, Apple became not only the largest volume UNIX vendor, but the largest vendor shipping a REAL, uncrippled version of Java 2 with their OS. On the other hand, we have Microsft removing JVM support from future versions of Windows...Yet StarOffice is still under development for Windows. Where's your loyalty, Sun? If this was the Mafia, Sun would be waking up with a horse's head in its bed some morning...

  1. Joined:

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    09/01, 04:25pm | report spam | Reply | delete

    Sun = Not too bright

    I fully agree with the comments made above. Scott McNearly and Co. continually bit*h and complain about the Windows hegemony, but when it comes to doing something that might actually help put a small dent in it (i.e. being really serious about Star Office for OS X), their solution is to fob it off on the open source folks. Bah.

    I think McNealy is smart enough to understand that in order to 'starve the beast' you have to go after its two big cash cows: Office and Windows. Aggressively pushing Star Office on ALL platforms goes after the the first one(which is why I don't begrudge SO on Windows), and a growing Mac marketshare helps vs the second one.

    But Scott just doesn't want to put out the effort...ah well...half-as*ed competition is what keeps Gates in power, looks like the trend is continuing.



  1. jtrascap

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Jan 2001

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    09/01, 06:44pm | report spam | Reply |

    Windows hedgemony indeed

    I too would love to see Sun directly produce StarOffice for OS X but you all forget one particular thing: we NEED the authentic Office for OS X! Having the authentic thing offers the validity we need in the narrow-minded officescapes of the real world. If Apple or Sun were collaborating to create an Office-killer, Microsoft could put the brakes on alot of things OS X needs. Sun, probably at Apple's wish, did the absolute right thing...

  1. rpkrajewski

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    09/02, 09:32am | report spam | Reply | delete

    Finally worth porting ?

    The older versions didn't seem that great to me. Maybe now is the time to actually concentrate on it...

  1. MrBomb

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Aug 2001

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    09/02, 09:39am | report spam | Reply |

    Don't cry for StarOffice

    A lot of folks tend to forget that Sun's purchase of StarDivision was to get their StarOffice for Java software (Now being called Sun Open Net Environment [ONE] Webtop). They never really intended to compete against Microsoft in the productivity applications arena in the "traditional" way. Remember Sun is in the "server business", not the application development business. In a lot of ways, OpenOffice is what I would describe as a "scorched earth" open source project. What was the objective of this project? : Undermine Microsoft's dominance in Office productivity applications by free, open sourced productivity applications. To be honest, I don't think Apple told them to not develop StarOffice for MacOS X, though their weren't exactly helping them hard either. The main problem with StarOffice for Mac OS X is that Sun doesn't think the MacOS platform is a worthwhile platform to code for, even though StarOffice would cause some needed competition with Microsoft thus hurting their dominance on the Mac platform. In the end, it going to take a more determined effort by Sun or at least an entity willing to finish the MacOS X port. Moreover, OpenOffice has yet to get a "main contributer" for the MacOS X port, who is usually a project manager of sorts. Unfortunately, noone, not end Sun is willing to do so.

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