Using OpenOffice for an online class that uses Microsoft Office 2007?

Question

I thought I needed to ask this question just to be on the safe side. My teacher told me that for that class, Microsoft Office 2007 is used. I told her that I don't have that expensive software on my home computer, but that I use a free office suite called OpenOffice. She said I might run into a problem if she's not able to open my OpenOffice files on Word 2007.

I read that Word 2007 uses the .docx and .docm extensions instead of the .doc. Would that cause problems with OpenOffice being able to open those .docx or .docm files?

Answer 1

Word 2007 can open earlier, .doc format. files.

BTW, the school can't require that you buy Office.  If the teacher can't read your perfectly valid documents, that's her problem, and if she doesn't correct it, let a parent handle it (during a visit to the principal).

(Don't they require intelligence in teachers any more?  Or at least an IQ greater than -1?)

Answer 2

Yes you will probably run into problems with the docx format. You won't be able to open the docx documents that the teacher will give you. The solutions are here, choose one of them:

1) Use Novell's Open Office

http://download.novell.com/Download?buil...

It has support for MS Office 2007 formats.

2) Use Open Office 3.0 Beta. This too has support for docx, but might be unstable as its Beta.

http://download.openoffice.org/3.0beta/

3) Use file converting software to convert docx to odf and vice versa (not recommended)

4) Use the .doc file format that is compatible with all Office suits

5) Buy MS Office 2007

http://office.microsoft.com/