What's the best "Word" doc type to use?

[Obsoleet]

I'm a LibreOffice user, not having a copy of MS Office to use (gave my Office2007 copy to my mother who needs it for specific reasons). Libre supports docx, odt, doc and pretty much everything. I've always tried to use doc for most things, simply going with the assumption it's the most widely supported format out there.
I'm considering making the move to a more modern file format and unsure to pick docx or odt. It appears both are listed as being "very popular" according to some research I've done on file formats. ODT is open source which I like, but docx might be the future- I'm just unaware if that's the case.

For now, I'm sticking with doc for interoperability but interested in opinions.

 

[EagleKeeper]

.doc ensures that older versions of Office can read your document. Otherwise, they would have to upgrade (MS loves that), or install a converter or ask you to save off in the .doc format for them.

Most people will have Office 95 (or equiv) or higher which supports the .DOC format

 

[lxskllr]

.odt. It's free, and it always will be. MS can't be counted on to give proper support, so you could be left with a drive full of garbage in the future. Always store your data in free formats. If you require a different format for another use, create a second copy, and keep the original free.

 

[sm625]

I use an older version of office along with the latest office Word viewer. Some docx files take a full 45 seconds to convert before they open. (The .doc and .pdf versions of the exact same file will open instantly, my machine is not slow!) It is a major pita especially if you have to scan through dozens of such documents. Dont put anyone through that... docx is crap. odt is openoffice so I assume it is crap by default.

 

[Charles Kozierok]

.DOC is probably the most universal.

I use Word 95 for most of my content creation, before porting to another platform. It's cheap (if not free), fast, mostly stable and easy to use.

 

[AlexAL]

I use .rtf for what I do. It's 'old' enough for me to not worry about losing access to my files for the next 20 years or so and it is shared with a number of other frequently used software suites on my system.

 

[corkyg]

.DOC is very universal. RTF is good if the formatting is not complex. It can then open in Windows WordPad.

 

[gmaster456]

I use either docx or ODT because that is what the people I deal with use the most. I wouldn't count on docx going away anytime soon.

 

[Obsoleet]

.odt. It's free, and it always will be. MS can't be counted on to give proper support, so you could be left with a drive full of garbage in the future. Always store your data in free formats. If you require a different format for another use, create a second copy, and keep the original free.

I agree with these sentiments. The same reasoning as to why I convert all my CDs to FLAC and nothing else (maybe MP3 from the FLAC if its going on an ipod or being uploaded). I'm not a big fan of relying on a corporate standard.

I use either docx or ODT because that is what the people I deal with use the most. I wouldn't count on docx going away anytime soon.

You know a lot of people using ODT? Just curious because my research showed ODT as being "very popular" for file formats online.

 

[themillak]

if its for myself I save it as .txt or .odt. if i'm sending it out, .doc

 

[gmaster456]

I agree with these sentiments. The same reasoning as to why I convert all my CDs to FLAC and nothing else (maybe MP3 from the FLAC if its going on an ipod or being uploaded). I'm not a big fan of relying on a corporate standard.



You know a lot of people using ODT? Just curious because my research showed ODT as being "very popular" for file formats online.

Whoops. I meant ODF. Nevermind. No I didn't.

 

[0roo0roo]

are the open formats more ram efficient? i've opened some large docs in libre and they eat hundreds of megs of ram..it boggles the mind.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Best bet is .doc. Not everyone can open .docx or is bothered to install converters and stuff. A .doc file will do the same as a .docx file, so may as well use the format that's more compatible. The open office format as suggested is great too, except most people wont have open office, they'll have word, so they wont be able to open that either. (or can word open those? never tried tbh).

 

[gmaster456]

Best bet is .doc. Not everyone can open .docx or is bothered to install converters and stuff. A .doc file will do the same as a .docx file, so may as well use the format that's more compatible. The open office format as suggested is great too, except most people wont have open office, they'll have word, so they wont be able to open that either. (or can word open those? never tried tbh).

I know 2010 can. I believe it also works with 2007.

 

[sswingle]

Most things I save as PDF since I don't want or need other people to change things. But if I do send a word file I use docx. I mean really, who doesn't have 2007 or 2010, or have the converter installed on older office by now.

 

[lxskllr]

I mean really, who doesn't have 2007 or 2010, or have the converter installed on older office by now.

I don't, and I never will. My data is one of the areas I take a hard stance on with regards to libre software. My office suite needs to be completely free, and it isn't open for negotiation.

 

[zokudu]

I use .doc. All free office suites can open it with no issues, all MS office suites can open it. I see no real downside.

I'm sorry but I can understand the want for an open data type for some things where no other software can use it but programmers are not going to forget how to open the .doc file type over night and magically remember how to implement .odt or dig up the source code for how to implement .odt.

Like I think on this forum there was someone who was using an old version of some publishing software. They eliminated the ability to transfer template files from the old version to a the new file type and the person had not upgraded between that and couldn't transfer their templates.

That's a legitimate issue with a company preventing the usage of your data but the .doc file type is deeply ingrained in modern office suites that even if MS did go under there would be a way of using the files and transferring to whatever standard surfaced from there.

It's the same with mp3 in my eyes. Is mp3 a patent encumbered mess? Yes. Is there a usability problem stemming form that? I don't feel so. In fact using an open standard such as Ogg Vorbis is a bigger hassle then just biting the bullet and using mp3. I wouldn't want to reencode from mp3 anyway because it is already a lossy conversion.

As far as an archive format then yea I use FLAC as opposed to something like ALAC or WMA Lossless. But again we as a society know how to transcode to and from ALAC and WMA Lossless. Maybe if I buried my media drive for 20 years and took it out I might have an issue transcoding from ALAC but whos to say FLAC hasn't died out and there's no way of recovering those files either.

I think open formats are good but ignoring a deeply ingrained and prominent propriety format that has tons of software capable of reading it is just silly in my eyes.

 

[0roo0roo]

since you're a libre office user, any idea on how to get it to allow pasting web page from a browser? Word has done this for a long time now, I found it weird that libre just freaked out when I tried this.

btw i mean with images and formating, text is obviously simple.

 

[lxskllr]

I use .doc. All free office suites can open it with no issues, all MS office suites can open it. I see no real downside.

I'm sorry but I can understand the want for an open data type for some things where no other software can use it but programmers are not going to forget how to open the .doc file type over night and magically remember how to implement .odt or dig up the source code for how to implement .odt.

.

.doc can't be opened without issue. It can look different depending on which Office you use to open it. The only reason it works in libre office suites is because of reverse engineering. I don't want to entrust my data to hacks and luck. That's bad policy, and can bite you in the ass. With a libre standard(and .odt is a real standard) you can look for yourself how it gets created. There's no luck, or hackery involved. Your .odt will look right no matter what program you use as long as the standard is implemented correctly.

since you're a libre office user, any idea on how to get it to allow pasting web page from a browser? Word has done this for a long time now, I found it weird that libre just freaked out when I tried this.

btw i mean with images and formating, text is obviously simple.

It works for me. I just tried it on the front page of Ars, and it looks like everything came through.

 

[bruceb]

I will agree and say to use .doc format. When you use .docx, then other users need Office 2007 and later or use the converter. But the converter, while it can open and read the files, sometimes, can not edit them, if the file creator used some oddball formatting from Office 2007 or later in it. In some cases a company is making a move to Office 2007 or later and requires all users to use a specific format. If not, or for your own use, stick with .doc

 

[0roo0roo]

.doc can't be opened without issue. It can look different depending on which Office you use to open it. The only reason it works in libre office suites is because of reverse engineering. I don't want to entrust my data to hacks and luck. That's bad policy, and can bite you in the ass. With a libre standard(and .odt is a real standard) you can look for yourself how it gets created. There's no luck, or hackery involved. Your .odt will look right no matter what program you use as long as the standard is implemented correctly.



It works for me. I just tried it on the front page of Ars, and it looks like everything came through.

odd, guess it was that specific page.

google docs isn't much of a solution either, it freaks out when there are more than 20 pics pasted in the webpage, since tiny parts of a page are pictures, this makes google docs useless for that. annoying how they gimp themselves.

same gripe with their pdf to doc conversion file size limit..way too small.

 

[Obsoleet]

since you're a libre office user, any idea on how to get it to allow pasting web page from a browser? Word has done this for a long time now, I found it weird that libre just freaked out when I tried this.

btw i mean with images and formating, text is obviously simple.

Just worked for me in the latest version of LibreOffice (3.5.3.2).

odd, guess it was that specific page.

google docs isn't much of a solution either, it freaks out when there are more than 20 pics pasted in the webpage, since tiny parts of a page are pictures, this makes google docs useless for that. annoying how they gimp themselves.

same gripe with their pdf to doc conversion file size limit..way too small.

Not sure about pdf to doc conversion size. I don't use LibreOffice because of any reason other than it's free, Office isn't and Office isn't that important anymore when it was the only game in town. I use Office 07 or 10 at work, but only because it's preinstalled. Most people just need basic excel, word and powerpoint functionality.

You might want to try OpenOffice as well as LO. I prefer LO because it's more open source so to speak than OO is anymore. Or if you prefer MS Office just buy that.. not this guy though.

I find open source software superior in almost every regard.
7zip > all
Filezilla > all
FF > all
ect
This is especially true once you consider the price of the other choices. Even in Chrome's case, a decent but overrated browser in my mind- you pay not in $$ but in being datamined and in using a vehicle for Google services (not that most care- but I have no interest in going "all google" anytime soon).

The only thing I haven't moved to yet is a Linux install and that's because I play League of Legends and have been getting free copies of Win7 from friends. I won't pay for Windows, I have no real need for it. As soon as the free copies stop, I'm installing Ubuntu and firing up WINE for my League of Legends addiction.
I wouldn't mind having an Ubuntu tablet- but Apple has some very compelling -hardware- out there at this point.. it's tough for the open source world to attack the mobile market but we'll see what happens as the market matures as open source seems to lag behind naturally.

.doc can't be opened without issue. It can look different depending on which Office you use to open it. The only reason it works in libre office suites is because of reverse engineering. I don't want to entrust my data to hacks and luck. That's bad policy, and can bite you in the ass. With a libre standard(and .odt is a real standard) you can look for yourself how it gets created. There's no luck, or hackery involved. Your .odt will look right no matter what program you use as long as the standard is implemented correctly.

This is a great point. .doc support in programs like LibreOffice IS reverse engineered. That- is sad. Not to mention that doc has been around so long- you're right, opening doc in Office 95 isn't going to be the same as in Office 2010.

It's probably best to stick with ODT for this reason- and save in doc when you have to email it. But frankly, another guy made the point if you're sending a document- wouldn't you send it in PDF.. most cases they don't need to edit it and send it back.

 

[shortylickens]

DOC 2003 version. Its mostly universal and it ensures almost anyone else can still read it. Only problem is if someone else accidentally saves it as a newer format and starts sending that around.
I use 2007 so formats arent an issue for me but theres loads of computer illiterate people out there who freak if they get a file format they cant handle.

Actually, if it doesnt have anything special in the formatting I prefer RTF whenever possible. Thats even more universal and cuts down on file size slightly.

For personal stuff I still use plain text. Since Notepad allows you to change the display font to anything you like, you dont really NEED formatting in the text itself.

 

[gevorg]

I use RTF whenever possible, otherwise DOCX (XML). I've dropped using DOC format the moment Office 2007 was released (unless someone specifically asks for it).