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#1 2009-10-11 17:55:51

bobland
Member
Registered: 2009-09-19
Posts: 51

Alternatives to Abiword

This program hates my computer.  First, I couldn't get it to print without it crashing.  After I thought I got that fixed I discovered that I couldn't insert from the clipboard.  When I did this and tried to print/preview -- crash.

All I want is a simple word processor.  I'd rather not go the OO route because I don't need all those boat anchors.  Just a nice simple word processor for simple formatting, spell check and printing. 

BTW, when I tried puppy, I had similar problems with Abiword so there must be something in the hardware that it doesn't like.  I have a plain vanilla dual-core, 2G RAM and a few drives.  Nothing unusual.  Don't have problems with other programs (knock on wood).

Burt

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#2 2009-10-11 18:21:40

ozar
Member
From: USA
Registered: 2005-02-18
Posts: 1,686

Re: Alternatives to Abiword

Back when I was looking for Abiword alternatives, I really couldn't find anything that suited me, so rather than go with OO.o, I started using Google Docs. It's not the greatest, but it works for my own needs. I worry a little over privacy issues when it comes to Google, so I don't use their service for anything that I wouldn't want them to see.


oz

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#3 2009-10-11 18:27:53

Trent
Member
From: Baltimore, MD (US)
Registered: 2009-04-16
Posts: 990

Re: Alternatives to Abiword

Depends on what you need it for.  I have both AbiWord and OOo installed right now, but I haven't used anything but LaTeX and HTML for the last year at least.  No -- I've used Pod, too.

If your needs are primarily academic -- writing papers, books, whatever -- LaTeX is probably a better option than any word processor.  If you make flyers and such things where good looks and speed trump structure and flexibility, you really need WYSIWYG.  Depending on your specific requirements, Google Docs could be a solution.  If you need compatibility with MS Office, well, the most I can suggest is to run Office under Wine.

Let me ask you a question:  What is a "simple" word processor?

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#4 2009-10-11 19:31:34

bobland
Member
Registered: 2009-09-19
Posts: 51

Re: Alternatives to Abiword

I rarely write anything more then 1 page.  A letter to a vendor, a mailing label, a note to myself.  Very simple stuff but I usually like to have things formatted so I tend to shy away from editors.  Occasionally, I open a document that has multiple pages and is formatted.  Usually, these are tech docs of some sort and often contain graphics. 

In the past, I used OO but I'd prefer to try something "lite,"  and fast.  I like abiword but it doesn't like my system.  Everytime I solve one problem, another pops up.  As this is not a primary application for me I feel like I've reached my patience with abiword and it's time to try something else.

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#5 2009-10-11 19:38:30

bernarcher
Forum Fellow
From: Germany
Registered: 2009-02-17
Posts: 2,281

Re: Alternatives to Abiword

How about "txt2tags"? It seems to fulfil exactly your needs.


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#6 2009-10-11 19:43:34

keenerd
Package Maintainer (PM)
Registered: 2007-02-22
Posts: 647
Website

Re: Alternatives to Abiword

Wordgrinder is an option, though it might be too simple :-)

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#7 2009-10-11 20:13:54

Mr.Elendig
#archlinux@freenode channel op
From: The intertubes
Registered: 2004-11-07
Posts: 4,092

Re: Alternatives to Abiword

latex +  a good editor could also be an alternative. Fairly easy to learn, and fast to use, specially if you use templates for small stuff.


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#8 2009-10-11 20:46:09

hungerfish
Member
Registered: 2009-09-13
Posts: 254

Re: Alternatives to Abiword

I think Abiword may be worth 'waiting' for. I've used it in the past, switched to OO, then back again, and back, and so on.
Most annoyingly it depends on quite some weird stuff (gnomelibs und stuff if I remember correctly) and I'm just hoping that it will get cleaned up and as such more stable thanks to Gnome's own housekeeping efforts underway with their 3.0 release coming up.

EDIT: I can recall  printing  being especially delicate

Last edited by hungerfish (2009-10-11 20:47:06)


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#9 2009-10-11 21:10:14

Pank
Member
From: IT
Registered: 2009-06-13
Posts: 371

Re: Alternatives to Abiword

How about zim. It is a desktop wiki but it can format documents. I don't think it opens docs and odfs though.

BTW: Abiword hates my computer too last time I tried.


Arch x64 on Thinkpad X200s/W530

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#10 2009-10-11 21:26:50

*david_a*
Member
Registered: 2009-06-19
Posts: 80

Re: Alternatives to Abiword

I myself don't like the "hybrid-ish" nature of what I'm about to recommend, since I prefer to edit TeX, LaTeX, and related types of files in a plain text editor; but LyX ( lyx.org ) is worth looking at. It gives a sort-of-wysiwyg (not truly) view of latex files. For letters (you'd get automatic correct formatting with fill-in-the-blanks for the various sections), mailing labels (especially if you only need a few sizes of labels), and notes to yourself (assuming you don't require outlandish formatting for those) it would be great.

Obvious drawbacks:
- Making poster- and handbill-style items or doing other free-hand visual layout are difficult with LyX. If you're constantly needing to make new kinds of documents, or if you like to create various fancy layouts, then having to do it in LyX would waste a lot of time. LyX works best when you have formats that you want to keep re-using (letter, mailing label, envelope, research paper, presentation, etc etc). If you work with your own standard documents but you stick to them and don't have to keep changing them, then LyX could in fact save you some time.

- LyX doesn't open the Word files that you probably receive from others. There are extra programs and work-arounds that can be more or less successful depending on what you need, but they are not the real thing (at least in my limited experience).


The above comments are more or less true for LaTeX and friends as well. LyX is (I guess) just a way of harnessing LaTeX differently by giving it a visual aspect.

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#11 2009-10-11 22:54:12

bzklrm
Member
From: Australia
Registered: 2005-04-18
Posts: 36

Re: Alternatives to Abiword

I am also an exclusive LaTeX user, but for the sake of offering variety of choice you can also try texmacs (in the repos), or siag office (in AUR).

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#12 2009-10-11 23:31:47

*david_a*
Member
Registered: 2009-06-19
Posts: 80

Re: Alternatives to Abiword

Added note:
All TeX/LaTeX/other related items are pretty much based on the idea that you mean to print (or make a formal presentation), and that a great print or presentation is your goal. For simple viewing on your screen with no intention of printing, they are probably not the way to go, because you would always be in "editing mode" as it were, and never see the beautiful finished product. (Of course you can create DVI or PDF or whatever you want, which are fine for on-screen viewing - but it's an unnecessary extra step when there are working WYSIWYG tools around.)

Then again, nothing stops a person from having one tool for printing and another for on-screen notes. Use whatever does these jobs best for you.

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#13 2009-10-12 00:46:02

Mr.Elendig
#archlinux@freenode channel op
From: The intertubes
Registered: 2004-11-07
Posts: 4,092

Re: Alternatives to Abiword

*david_a* wrote:

Added note:
All TeX/LaTeX/other related items are pretty much based on the idea that you mean to print (or make a formal presentation), and that a great print or presentation is your goal. For simple viewing on your screen with no intention of printing, they are probably not the way to go, because you would always be in "editing mode" as it were, and never see the beautiful finished product. (Of course you can create DVI or PDF or whatever you want, which are fine for on-screen viewing - but it's an unnecessary extra step when there are working WYSIWYG tools around.)

Then again, nothing stops a person from having one tool for printing and another for on-screen notes. Use whatever does these jobs best for you.

It's only one single button away.

And the (lack of) working "WYSIWYG tools" is the OP's original problem smile

Last edited by Mr.Elendig (2009-10-12 00:47:07)


Evil #archlinux@libera.chat channel op and general support dude.
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#14 2009-10-12 01:31:47

Trent
Member
From: Baltimore, MD (US)
Registered: 2009-04-16
Posts: 990

Re: Alternatives to Abiword

I had forgotten about siag office, but yeah, it's there.  Don't know what to say about it, I have never used it.

Barring that, Google Docs sounds like a nice fit, if the net-connection requirement isn't an obstacle.

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#15 2009-10-12 02:25:52

Mr.Elendig
#archlinux@freenode channel op
From: The intertubes
Registered: 2004-11-07
Posts: 4,092

Re: Alternatives to Abiword

Trent wrote:

I had forgotten about siag office, but yeah, it's there.  Don't know what to say about it, I have never used it.

Barring that, Google Docs sounds like a nice fit, if the net-connection requirement isn't an obstacle.

Not to mention the questionable eula/license and so on.


Evil #archlinux@libera.chat channel op and general support dude.
. files on github, Screenshots, Random pics and the rest

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#16 2009-10-12 06:15:47

*david_a*
Member
Registered: 2009-06-19
Posts: 80

Re: Alternatives to Abiword

Mr.Elendig wrote:

It's only one single button away.

If you edit once and view many times, yes. If you edit many times then it's a constant round of having to push that button again and again, versus not needing to do it at all.

And the (lack of) working "WYSIWYG tools" is the OP's original problem smile

Absolutely. I meant to suggest that finding a separate program for day-to-day screen-only viewing (maybe some kind of sticky-notes, outliner, wiki style, to-do list, or whatever) could open the door for really effective use of TeX on other types of projects. I wouldn't use TeX for my to-do list, any more than I would use Word to compose a letter.  :-)

Last edited by *david_a* (2009-10-12 06:20:46)

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#17 2009-10-12 15:04:25

bobland
Member
Registered: 2009-09-19
Posts: 51

Re: Alternatives to Abiword

Being an old guy, I remember the days before Office became the defacto standard.  There were dozens of word processors, most of them excellent but, alas, them days are gone so we're stuck with just a scant few.

Basically, abiword does what I need.  Unfortunately, it has fatal bugs.  I've looked at the suggested programs and appreciate the input.  However, they are all too "fiddly" for me.  For the amount of word processing that I do, I can tough it out until the next rev of abiword that will hopefully fix the various bugs.

Thanks to all,
Burt

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#18 2009-10-12 19:34:32

*david_a*
Member
Registered: 2009-06-19
Posts: 80

Re: Alternatives to Abiword

I did a little search for a word processor on Linux, and the main thing I found was a page listing several dead projects that could have been good. It's unfortunate that there are so few choices in this category. An easy-to-use WYSIWYG word processor that sacrifices features to get convenience and stability would certainly be a welcome addition.

(Perhaps anyone who tries to do this gets swamped with requests for this feature and that feature and just one more feature, dragging their little project into trying to be a full-blown MS Word clone; I don't know.)

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#19 2009-11-13 03:42:41

yvonney
Member
Registered: 2008-06-11
Posts: 671

Re: Alternatives to Abiword

An abiword light would be bearable, for me that is. (ie. without gnome stuff) Though, for a few seasons now it's a crash machine. Discussed in various threads I've been in. I just installed 2.8.1 went to print preview and poof, gone. This is on a fresh minimalistic system. oo is pretty horrid in it's own way, for me that is.

Just found, and am now going to try this fix for abiword crash:
http://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php? … 92#p547492

I would rather use something very trim that could be turned into a editable PDF.
Perhaps.

Last edited by yvonney (2009-11-14 06:15:19)

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#20 2009-11-13 03:54:16

andreamer
Member
Registered: 2009-08-11
Posts: 41

Re: Alternatives to Abiword

I would strongly recommend latex (kile or Lyx are good editos, Lyx being simpler to learn), and Openoffice when is needed.

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