The Proprietory Vs. Open Source Software in Management Education

Writer Vs. Word

Help in writer and  word are very similar.  

The ability of converting a document into a Portable Document Format (PDF) is considered as a big plus for Writer, since this is not an available option in Word without applying an add-on.

Integration of the applications in open office is again a plus factor in Writer. While working in Writer, a new Writer document can further be opened which saves the user from leaving the Writer window to open another, different application.

Clip art in Writer is limited compared to Word, but additional clip art can be added.

Headers and footers can be edited using the full array of Writer features. Writer also has two tabs of options for headers and footers which include both positioning and design choices such as borders, backgrounds, and shadows.

Performing a mail merge in Writer is a multi-step operation. The database cannot originate from a word processor in Writer which is seen  in Microsoft. The database used for the merge must first be registered in Writer in order for it to be recognized in the Mail Merge Wizard.

Inserting comments in between paragraphs is a feature both in Writer and Word

Microsoft Word supports users to define styles, but users will have to format it manually  which is considered time consuming. Writer allows more control like settings for hyphenation, automatic page breaks, and the fully justified paragraph.

Templates are documents saved so that other documents can be based upon them., a time saving feature. In word if the information in the template and the document differ, then the document is corrupted and often unusable.

Rearranging list items or nesting lists in Word can quickly corrupt the numbering.  Writer overcomes these problems by adding all numbers or bullets inside a field.  

In both Writer and Word, users can create indexes and various tables of contents (TOC) from individual markers and a selection of styles, but Writer includes more options like assigning index markers to several entries or apply them automatically by creating a file of key words, customizing  TOC and index entries using a graphical representation of elements.

Writer  and Word has a drawing tool bars. Both offer small libraries of geometrical shapes and call outs for diagrams. Writer offers a richer choice.

Word unique tools include the thesaurus, translation to other languages available in the sub menu, Online Collaboration and Shared Workspace tools, as well as a grammar checker .  None of these tools has a counterpart in Writer.