Softmaker Office

[tekkaman]

Hello,

Has anyone recommended this product to anyone as a Microsoft alternative ? I have tried this on Linux for a while. I have the paid 2021 pro version. Here's what I have found.

The files are not 100% compatible to microsoft files as expected. What I have encountered is that most simple documents that were made with MS Office open fine. The problem is when you made the document from scratch on Softmaker and you want to send it to someone else that has MS products. MS Office just doesn't know how to deal with documents you make on Softmaker that have pictures, shapes and multiple layers. So I was thinking, what use could there be on my country. Let's say you work in an attorney office. In my country the court wants documents submitted in pdf format. And the court will also send documents to all parties in pdf format. So if you don't need to send docs in MS format to another person then there is use for this software. What do you guys think ? Have you tried this software and recommended it to others ?

 

[Blues]

I have personally looked into it and some others I would need to look again but I don't think I put that too high on my list and at that point I often view and recommend free opens like OpenOffice/LibreOffice.

 

[nlinecomputers]

Home users sure. Business users need to buy the real Microsoft Office or gtfo. Cost of doing business, just like the light bill or insurance.

 

[tekkaman]

@nlinecomputers​

I think it all depends in what format you have to send your documents. Like I said, in my country if your an attorney you can use it. As all the documents you send and receive have to be in pdf format anyway.

@Blues
I really like Openoffice. But I noticed that older documents that I made years ago on maybe version 3.0 or something don't open well on newer versions. Also I noticed that it has become a little less stable. But I mostly use it on Linux. Since most distro don't want to include it anymore maybe there's some compatibility issues.

 

[britechguy]

Well, I love it, and they just released SoftMaker Office 2021, both in the free for home use and paid Pro version for offices.

I have had no complaints from clients for whom I set up TextMaker to save files in Microsoft docx format by default, which is pretty much always what I do. I don't want MS-Word having to deal with other file formats when I can avoid it.

I actually just installed SoftMaker Office 2021 Free on this box a couple of days ago for testing purposes. For those already familiar with MS-Word, it is the most like MS-Word in every way that I've yet to find. I have nothing against LibreOffice, but there is a learning curve there that is absent for the most part with SoftMaker Office.

 

[nlinecomputers]

Your profile says you are in the USA. Lawyers exchange documents with each other all the time and typically need advanced features like Bates numbers.

 

[MDD1963]

LibreOffice seems to actually work....

(The concept of paying for some new startup Office-like suite...and for use in Linux, no less...seems.... peculiar.

 

[britechguy]

some new startup Office-like suite

Which would not accurately characterize SoftMaker Office. They've been around for years now.

 

[frase]

Never heard of Softmaker Office, generally point tightwads to LibreOffice.

Then they get frustrated as it does not format things as they like, so end up signing up to MS Office.

 

[tekkaman]

Your profile says you are in the USA. Lawyers exchange documents with each other all the time and typically need advanced features like Bates numbers.

I'm in Puerto Rico actually. Here the court only allows pdf format.

@britechguy
No client has complained that documents get messed up ? I mean most of the time if the document only has text it will be fine. But to me if I have multiple pictures, shapes, layers MS office doesn't know how to read them if they were made on Softmaker. I'm still pleased that Softmaker exist. It can work really well especially for Linux users.

 

[britechguy]

But to me if I have multiple pictures, shapes, layers MS office doesn't know how to read them if they were made on Softmaker.

Again, were they being saved, initially, as docx by SoftMaker Office or using its own format or ODT? Any time that any one of these office suites, including MS-Office, has to convert from one file format to another there can be problems. But, there are times even when a proprietary format like docx is used, that there can be slight differences in how things are saved that cause problems.

Most of my clients are not generally using Word or TextMaker for documents such as those you describe. There's a tendency to use either Adobe or MS-Publisher or another desktop publishing product.

If they don't want to use MS-Office itself, then their options are limited, and I doubt they'll have much more success with OpenOffice or LibreOffice, but they might. And if they want 100% compatibility, then MS-Office is really the only way to go, whether it's M365 or one of the installable versions like Office 2021.

 

[nlinecomputers]

I'm in Puerto Rico actually. Here the court only allows pdf format.

@britechguy
No client has complained that documents get messed up ? I mean most of the time if the document only has text it will be fine. But to me if I have multiple pictures, shapes, layers MS office doesn't know how to read them if they were made on Softmaker. I'm still pleased that Softmaker exist. It can work really well especially for Linux users.

The courts are hardly the only people lawyers have to exchange documents with. Many lawyers write contacts and NEVER see a courtroom.

 

[tekkaman]

@britechguy
I'm currently running it on Linux with all MS fonts installed. The thing is this. Since I'm not good at photoshop I use programs like Softmaker, MS Publisher to make some documents that have artwork. I search the internet for copyright free images. Crop them if I have to on Krita then insert them to either Softmaker or MS Publisher. Let's say I make a cover letter for the attorney office I work at. In that cover I put the office name and contact information. If I put a little phone icon besides the phone when I open the document in MS word the phone icon is not where I put it. Maybe it moved to the right. Or maybe it went behind the text.

 

[frase]

If just a .pdf just use CutePDF just select print to PDF.

If you work "for say the attorneys office" get them to purchase Office and be done with it no more hassle as is a business expense.
The issue you are having is general formatting of documents, as I stated before MS wigs out with other "FREE" office variants.

It cannot be overcome without using the application generally intended for the purpose - MS Office.

 

[fincoder]

I believe Softmaker Office is based on OpenOffice/LibreOffice code, but with work put into the GUI to make it more Microsoft-like. I suspect the compatibility issues would be the same for LibreOffice and Softmaker.

 

[johnrobert]

I have Office 2013 and can't believe how bad the spell checker is, its like stone age compared to other spell checkers.
I guess newer versions of Office are the same

 

[britechguy]

I guess newer versions of Office are the same

That's not necessarily so.

I no longer have any instance of Office 2013 I can use for comparison, but Office 2016, which is what I currently have, seems to have an OK spelling and grammar checker.