OpenOffice Writer vs. MS Word vs. Google Docs

This is just the tip of the iceberg.

But so far, what I’ve noticed:

* OpenOffice doesn’t have the same kind of quality as stuff like Firefox, Pidgin–heck: Ubuntu, gedit, the GIMP, etc. I guess it’s a pretty big project.
* OpenOffice is slower than Word. This is true, I read about it somewhere, where they clocked it.
* OpenOffice really doesn’t have any killer features that Word doesn’t…except being open-source and having plugins.
* OpenOffice has much more intuitive auto-formatting, and much more intuitive menus.
* I’m used to Word, so the intuitive menus, while more intuitive, were also foreign.
* Google Docs lacks a LOT of the features OO and Word have. Duh.
* Word can’t deal with odt format. Which is sort of annoying, and would take Microsoft about half an hour to make happen. [Expletive deleted]
* Google Docs (being webbased) is GREAT for that quicky school paper that you do half of in study hall and half at home. Otherwise it’s:

1. Open processor-heavy program (OO or Word)
2. Type
3. Save
4. Open browser
5. Go to email
6. Log in
7. Compose Mail
8. Attach document
9. Send
10. Close browser
11. Close OO/Word

As opposed to:

1. Open browser
2. Go to Google Docs
3. Type
4. Save
5. Close

* Don’t forget to run Google Docs in full-screen mode. Do you really need your addres bar/tabs?
* Word is expensive. Google docs is ‘FS’ (Free Software). OpenOffice is FOSS (Free Open-Source Software).
* OpenOffice has great community support
* Google Docs has the Google Help Center (complete with videos)
* Word has the Office Assistant (that annoying paper-clip fellow)

Conclusions:

Use Word if you have money and want a feature-rich environment. (The only part you care about in FOSS is the last S)

Use OpenOffice if you don’t have money, or if you’re a big FOSS supporter

Use Google Docs for something quick, easy and portable.

Don’t use Google Docs if you don’t have Internet (duh…)