Transition from Office 2003 to 2007

[CyberNerd]

Originally Posted by srochford

I would definitely default to the docx etc format - it makes a huge difference to the size of any file including bitmaps.

It's now nearly 2 years since MS issued the file format converters and I'd like to think that most people will have deployed them by now (although I'm sure many haven't!)

It would be a better idea to adopt ODF already. MS will make Office 2007 use this format by the next service pack for MSOffice and it is the standard for almost all other office suites, including openoffice, google, IBM lotus symphony etc. This makes future migrations easier and it makes it easier for students to use their own office suites at home. ODF is also recommended by Becta for use in schools as it is an accepted international standard. There is a plugin Sun ODF Plugin for Microsoft Office available for MSoffice 2003/2007

[DanW]

Originally Posted by powdarrmonkey

@Danw: We used a packaging system called Prism, generates a before and after file a bit like an MSI but with less 'install' logic and more 'put this file here'. So we demoed it on a few machines for the last half term alongside 2003, so the staff had a chance to look at it before we deployed properly. I set up advertised links to both suites so that each version of Office had a chance to set itself back up depending on which version the user wanted to launch.

have you got a link to the website?


Dan

[somabc]

Originally Posted by CyberNerd

It would be a better idea to adopt ODF already. MS will make Office 2007 use this format by the next service pack for MSOffice and it is the standard for almost all other office suites, including openoffice, google, IBM lotus symphony etc. This makes future migrations easier and it makes it easier for students to use their own office suites at home. ODF is also recommended by Becta for use in schools as it is an accepted international standard. There is a plugin Sun ODF Plugin for Microsoft Office available for MSoffice 2003/2007

The problem you have with odf just now is teachers will create their letter/document and email it out and unless it is in .doc format there will be confusion at the other end. Like it or not the old office formats are still the de facto standard. Its a bit of a chicken and egg situation.

[powdarrmonkey]

Originally Posted by DanW

have you got a link to the website?

Prism Pack -Powerful Software Packaging Made Easy

[powdarrmonkey]

ODF sounds a good idea. Does it only apply to Word though, or the rest of the suite as well?

Edit: I also don't see it in Word Is it an add-in?

[CyberNerd]

Originally Posted by powdarrmonkey

ODF sounds a good idea. Does it only apply to Word though, or the rest of the suite as well?

Edit: I also don't see it in Word : Is it an add-in?

It is currently available as a plugin from SUN for excel,powerpoint,word but apparently will be available in the next service release of MSOffice 2007.
Sun ODF Plugin for Microsoft Office
To set ODF as default in word (2003):

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\11.0\Word\Options]

"DefaultFormat"="ODF"

Originally Posted by somabc

The problem you have with odf just now is teachers will create their letter/document and email it out and unless it is in .doc format there will be confusion at the other end. Like it or not the old office formats are still the de facto standard. Its a bit of a chicken and egg situation.

I agree, but .doc is now a legacy format and at some point we will all need to migrate. One of the advantages of migrating to odf is that when confusion arise, you can just say 'install openoffice' rather than explaining that they must upgrade office 97/200/xp to a newer version of MSOffice.