Alternative To Word

Discussion in 'Software' started by PDN, Dec 1, 2022.

  1. PDN

    PDN Private First Class

    The title is what I Googled and I extensively researched each of the word processors to no avail.
    I was looking for a free program to relace Word which I could use offline which I could send as .Doc or .RTF
    I use the file explorer in Windows 11 ver. 22H2 build 22621.900.
    I have docs in file explorer such as months duties, and weekly things to do. Also some other PC notes, nothing sensitive.
    Can you think a of a word processer I could use instead of the obvious Google results ?
    Thank you
     
    PDN, Dec 1, 2022
    #1
  2. Eldon

    Eldon Major Geek Extraordinaire

    What results?
     
    Eldon, Dec 1, 2022
    #2
  3. PDN

    PDN Private First Class

    I have used libre office and will use it again.
    I was hoping for a single program instead of a suite but beggars can’t be choosers
    Thank you
     
    PDN, Dec 1, 2022
    #3
  4. Eldon

    Eldon Major Geek Extraordinaire

    Eldon, Dec 1, 2022
    #4
  5. Eldon

    Eldon Major Geek Extraordinaire

    PDN uses Windows 11 - first post.
     
    Eldon, Dec 2, 2022
    #5
  6. Earthling

    Earthling Interplanetary Geek

    Sounds like your needs do not need the massive capabilities of Word. Win 11 has Wordpad built in, see if that suits.
     
    Earthling, Dec 2, 2022
    #6
  7. Eldon

    Eldon Major Geek Extraordinaire

    Wordpad doesn't support .doc which the OP asked for.
    It's the worst word processor available.
     
    Eldon, Dec 2, 2022
    #7
    klon8 likes this.
  8. plodr

    plodr MajorGeek Super Extraordinaire Moderator Staff Member

    I use a very small Office-type suite, Softmaker Free.
    https://www.freeoffice.com/en

    The suite only has 3 components: a word type component, an excel type component and a powerpoint type component. You can pick what you wish to install. If you only need word, then you'd install Textmaker. I replaced what I was using with this several years ago. I am very happy with it. I installed and used the word-type and excel-type components.
    It will open doc and docx files I get AND I am able to change them into pdf files without using a phantom printer program.

    Since every month I get 5 or 6 docx files to review, this is a time saver for me. I download them, open them then save them as pdf files.
     
    plodr, Dec 2, 2022
    #8
  9. plodr

    plodr MajorGeek Super Extraordinaire Moderator Staff Member

    Of course we are. You'll note Eldon's computer(s) run Windows 7 and XP and mine run Windows 7.
     
    plodr, Dec 2, 2022
    #9
  10. Eldon

    Eldon Major Geek Extraordinaire

    Wordpad can't save .doc files. It's pointless opening a file, editing it, but then you can't save it to the same format.
    Microsoft did this so that we are forced to use .docx
     
    Last edited: Dec 2, 2022
    Eldon, Dec 2, 2022
    #10
  11. Eldon

    Eldon Major Geek Extraordinaire

    Eldon, Dec 2, 2022
    #11
  12. Eldon

    Eldon Major Geek Extraordinaire

    See post #5.
    If Wordpad is better...
    I'll buy you a car. ;)
     
    Eldon, Dec 2, 2022
    #12
  13. Eldon

    Eldon Major Geek Extraordinaire

    And you didn't try Atlantis...
    So... You'll have to take the bus. :rolleyes:
     
    Eldon, Dec 2, 2022
    #13
  14. Earthling

    Earthling Interplanetary Geek

    Word's standard document format has been .docx for the last 15 years. I seriously doubt the OP actually means he wants .doc instead but I stand to be corrected. Wordpad is perfectly adequate for those with simple requirements and it's already built in to his system.
     
    Earthling, Dec 2, 2022
    #14
  15. Eldon

    Eldon Major Geek Extraordinaire

    The OP wants .doc and .rtf. Post #1.
    Atlantis is a 3MB download. Compare it to Wordpad.
     
    Eldon, Dec 2, 2022
    #15
  16. Earthling

    Earthling Interplanetary Geek

    Yes, I did read it thank you. We will see what the OP has to say.
     
    Earthling, Dec 2, 2022
    #16
  17. PDN

    PDN Private First Class

    I learned a lot from the posts within this thread and thank you all for contributing. I'd like to read Atlantis then likely go back to where I started with Word. I did try to avoid M$.
     
    PDN, Dec 2, 2022
    #17
    TechnicalBook likes this.
  18. Bill_Mars

    Bill_Mars Private E-2

    Just a suggestion if you haven't tried,
    Apache open office is what I always used.
    A couple of bugs but no big deal.
    That's openoffice.org
     
    Bill_Mars, Dec 2, 2022
    #18
  19. Anon-e88bcb5f0b

    Anon-e88bcb5f0b Anonymized

    Anon-e88bcb5f0b, Dec 4, 2022
    #19
  20. PDN

    PDN Private First Class

    Two questions please to Bill + Zebra; AbleWord says it works up to Win 10 so I wonder if it works with my Win 11, I stated in post one?
    Secondly, Most I have seen prefer LibreOffice. For what reason did you choose Apache Office?
     
    PDN, Dec 4, 2022
    #20
  21. Anon-e88bcb5f0b

    Anon-e88bcb5f0b Anonymized

    PDN - I am a Win 10 user... but looks like AbleWord will work on Win 11 too (actually, not surprising at all). See here.

    More 'propaganda' rooting for AbleWord. :)

    As for Apache (OpenOffice) vs. LibreOffice... here's a short comparison write up.
     
    Last edited: Dec 4, 2022
    Anon-e88bcb5f0b, Dec 4, 2022
    #21
  22. PDN

    PDN Private First Class

    Can you save as .docx as an extension?
     
    PDN, Dec 4, 2022
    #22
  23. Anon-e88bcb5f0b

    Anon-e88bcb5f0b Anonymized

    AbleWord - yes - can open/save to either doc or docx format.
    Libreoffice - same as above.
    Apache (OpenOffice) - no - can open/read both .doc and .docx -- BUT CANNOT save a document using .docx!!

    My own view... if I am just looking for a simple, easy to use, but powerful word processor - I'd pick AbleWord. If I am looking for a full office suite that is free, then I'd pick Libreoffice. I would NOT even consider Apache... at all. My understanding is that Apache is now barely a skeletal crew... and updates are far less frequent as compared to Libreoffice. Such as Apache's continued inability to save to .docx format.
     
    Anon-e88bcb5f0b, Dec 4, 2022
    #23
  24. PDN

    PDN Private First Class

    So, I would install AbiWord, and it would take the place of Word with existing docx or is it another app I would use independent of anything else?
    I could Google all this, but you seem to know the intricacies.
     
    PDN, Dec 4, 2022
    #24
  25. Anon-e88bcb5f0b

    Anon-e88bcb5f0b Anonymized

    AbiWord is another alternative, but I prefer AbleWord (as I linked above). For most individual users, either app can replace MS Word.
     
    Anon-e88bcb5f0b, Dec 4, 2022
    #25
  26. Eldon

    Eldon Major Geek Extraordinaire

    Eldon, Dec 5, 2022
    #26
  27. plodr

    plodr MajorGeek Super Extraordinaire Moderator Staff Member

    Actually, the last stable release was in 2021 so development did not stop 10 years ago. Version 3 came out 4 years ago with incremental updates.
    Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AbiWord

    Possible download site
    Code:
    https://downloads.digitaltrends.com/abiword/windows
    I used Abiword in the past. The only reason I replaced it for a slim office-type program is that I need more than just a document element.
     
    plodr, Dec 5, 2022
    #27
  28. Eldon

    Eldon Major Geek Extraordinaire

    Why is it not available from the developer? Or MajorGeeks?
     
    Eldon, Dec 6, 2022
    #28
  29. Eldon

    Eldon Major Geek Extraordinaire

    Eldon, Dec 6, 2022
    #29
  30. plodr

    plodr MajorGeek Super Extraordinaire Moderator Staff Member

    Do you mean this?
    Please note Windows users: Due to lack of Windows developers on the project, there is no longer a version available for download.

    So is the last version that works on Windows 2.8.6 or a beta 2.9.4?
    http://www.oldversion.com/windows/abiword-2-9-4
    which makes it 10 years old.

    I see downloads supposedly for Windows that are version 3. Perhaps they are laden with malware.
     
    plodr, Dec 6, 2022
    #30
  31. Eldon

    Eldon Major Geek Extraordinaire

    The last is version 2.9.4.
    It was the best free word processor.
    Sadly, sometimes all good things and software come to an end.
     
    Eldon, Dec 6, 2022
    #31
  32. PDN

    PDN Private First Class

     
    PDN, Dec 7, 2022
    #32
  33. Eldon

    Eldon Major Geek Extraordinaire

    Have you tried Atlantis Word Processor?
     
    Eldon, Dec 7, 2022
    #33
  34. PDN

    PDN Private First Class

    Please read Post 44
     
    PDN, Dec 7, 2022
    #34
  35. Eldon

    Eldon Major Geek Extraordinaire

    Sorry about that. I missed it. :oops:
     
    Eldon, Dec 7, 2022
    #35
  36. PDN

    PDN Private First Class

    :)
     
    PDN, Dec 7, 2022
    #36

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