Switching to OpenOffice.org: specific step-by-step tips to customize and make OpenOffice.org your own

I wrote this article for my friend Russell over at FanaticAttack.  Lots of comments (I clearly need to do better at publicizing my own blog! ;>  ).  Check it out; it's definitely one of my more explicit, step-by-step guides.

Excerpt....

Here are some setup tips to help you get OpenOffice.org humming.

Automatic Settings

Some of the default settings aren’t quite what I would recommend, but it’s very easy to make the changes.

First, choose Tools > AutoCorrect.

In the Word Completion tab, turn off word completion if it bugs you by unmarking the Enable Word Completion option. If you like it but want to change what key you use to accept the suggestion, you can do that too.

General Settings

A window you want to get to know: choose Tools > Options. I strongly recommend that you go through every option in that window since many are very useful. To get the options for text documents you need to have a Writer document open first; to get the options for spreadsheets you need a Calc document open first, and so on.

• I like to choose Tools > Options > OpenOffice.org > View. Select Large as the icon size.
• You might also want to turn on backups. Choose Tools > Options > Load/Save > General and select Always Create Backup Copy. The backups are created at the location specified for backups under Tools > Options > OpenOffice.org > Paths.
• If you find the color selection in OpenOffice.org lacking, you can create your own under Tools > Options > OpenOffice.org > Colors.

Printing

Writer printing: Tools > Options > OpenOffice.org Writer, Print: you might want to turn off the option for printing automatically inserted blank pages unless you’re heavy into the first page of a new section starting on the right-hand page.

Calc printing: Tools > Options > OpenOffice.org Calc, Print: it’s best to turn off both options here. If you want to select two or more sheets to print when you’re ready to print, just select one sheet tab, then hold down Ctrl and click on each additional sheet you want to print.

Read more....

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Comments

[suribe]

Hi, I always read your blog but don't comment. Anyway, about your "I clearly need to do better at publicizing my own blog" I agree. Since the content of the blog are the king (or queen ;-) ).
Your blog require an urgente "extreme make over". Maybe customizing a wordpress template or a new typepad template, delete almost all the left column and organize all the tags in a cloud will help to focus in the content, that lie between two overcrowed columns.
In fact you can add some tabs (About me, Links & Archive) and just put all your very well written post along with a tag cloud and "add a comment".
I think that will invite the readers to read and comment more. Do not fear the empty spaces!
Best wishes and RSS to you ;-)

[What is Open Office?]

Actually, I hope that you don't ruin the wonderful, clean page layout with a 'makeover'. You should publicize yourself more. I only yesterday found this site by googling Open Office bookmarks. I immediately signed up for the RSS feed. I'll stumble this post now, so you should see some traffic, but make sure that you advertise to increase traffic, and don't ruin the wonderfully clean layout.

[Solveig]

Thanks! I'm going to hit fsdaily and of course the big ones harder...might do more reposting of some of the ones that really were useful.

Solveig