Wine 1 and Office 2003?

[Mike]

max <maximilianbianco <at> gmail.com> writes:

> I don't use any office suite for more than the basics. What kind of 
> differences keep you using M$ Office vs. open office? Is it some missing 
> functionality or just compatibility issues? In my somewhat limited use 
> of things like spreadsheets, word-processor, etc I haven't noticed any 
> significant difference. I haven't had any issues opening  M$ office 
> files with open office but again my needs are pretty basic, maybe with 
> really complex spreadsheets there is a problem? I haven't tried anything 
> with M$Office 2007 docs.  I'd appreciate being enlightened on the topic 
> if anyone can spare me an explanation.

Well - a couple of examples:
Use of Equations in Word (XP or 2003) - I have an ongoing need to share Word
documents containing equations - if a document is generated in OO then 
it is not fully compatible with MS Office where equations need to be edited,
and then the document returned to the author for further editing with the
ultimate aim of having a single document agreed between a number of people
who are using different OSes. The same applies to documents generated in
MS Office and then read/edited by someone else using OO. Generally they can
be read OK but editing becomes a problem.  Also formatting is not always
honoured when documents are generated by one or other of OO/MS and read by
the other system.

Where such documents are being sent/recieved to others who are not using 
Linux and where they have no OO installed in Windows there is a basic
compatibility problem.

In PowerPoint the same applies and I often generate PowerPoint presentations
in MS Office under Crossover and then need to play the files on a different
machine running real Windows that is in a lecture room and connected to
a data projector. If mathematical symbols are used then certain symbols 
are displayed incorrectly when viewed on the other system. In my case I had
a file generated in MS Word running under Crossover and then sent the file
for onward processing in the admin office where they only have Windows OS
running native Office - mathematical/Greek symbols were wrong in a number of
places in the file.

I am not sure that VBE within Office files will work under OO? Also vice
versa?

MS Access is another issue - and I understand just does not work with
Wine or Crossover. I guess that an MS Access file will not play nicely
in OO - but I have not tried it - only told by others not to bother as
it won't work.

It would be nice if someone who has tried lots of these combinations
would chip in here?

I would be happy to work entirely on my own and only use Linux apps, but
unfortunately I have to communicate and share documents with others that
I work with.