August 30, 2006
Native OpenOffice.org hot on the tails of NeoOffice
Posted Aug. 30, ’06, 9:30 AM PT by Aaron Freedman
Category | Software
Only a few days ago the Aqua version of NeoOffice, the native OS X version of OpenOffice.org, was released for free to the public. Well, now it seems that OpenOffice.org itself will be releasing their own OS X native version of the software that runs without X11. According to OpenOffice.org developer ericb, the OS X native version of OpenOffice is set to ship in September, and will be unveiled at the Apple Expo in Paris next month. Well, I’d prefer to have Steve Jobs at the Apple Expo instead of native OpenOffice, but hey, life just ain’t fair.
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Forgive my uninformed questions, but what is the significance of it running without X11? Is that a benefit or detriment? Which of the two seems to be the more user-friendly and stable (and comprehensive)? Would you recommend one over the other? Just curious if y'all had any preference at this point...
Well, native apps are better for a ton of reasons:
1. Use of OS X features. Cocoa and Carbon apps can use OS X menus, prompts, and resources. Cocoa apps, like Safari, can tap into even more OS X resources, like the Kyhain and Address Book.
2. Aqua. Almost all native OS X apps (inluding the new NeoOffice) use Aqua, OS X's GUi, for menues, scroll bar, buttons, etc.
3. No need for X11. X11 requires you to do a whole separate install to install it, and X11 runs as another application.
Overall, I'd highly reccomend getting a native, non-X11 version of any app, as it allows for the best appearence, function, and ease-of-use in the app. As for stability, my guess is that the final version of native OpenOffice will be just as stable as the X11-requiring current one.
Just to add on to Aaron's #3 reason: because X11 is running as a separate application, any programs that rely on it suffer a performance hit. I've run into this problem with the GIMP, which has no OS X native version to my knowledge.
Well, actually Seashore, http://seashore.sourceforge.net/index.php, is a native Cocoa OS X app that's based on teh GIMP, but lacks many of its features.
Yes, Seashore is a promising project, but in the documentation for it the author says quite plainly: "Seashore is not the GIMP, because I don't want a Mac version of the GIMP." Unfortunately, I *do* want a Mac version. As you said, Seashore lacks certain features I need (such as Paths) and the performance is not very good yet.
Back on topic, I'm curious what the introduction of a native OpenOffice will do for the NeoOffice project.
Well, here's my guess:
1. NeoOffice surrenders and merges with OpenOffice.org, devoted to mkaing the ultimate Mac version of OpenOffice.
2. NeoOffice tries to create an even more Mac-ish version of OpenOffice, with Cocoa and other OS X goodness.
Well, Mac OS X is based on Unix, after all, even if its developers did a very good job of hiding the least pleasant part of this venerable OS, that was conceived when computers were supposed to answer command lines given by the user, in most cases a skilled programmer, via a teletype
(I started working with computers in 1969, the same year the first version of Unix was put together, and I don't remember having seen any video terminal until some years after that).
This fact allows the Mac users to run a wealth of code that was written for Unix, whose graphical interface, when one is provided, is run through X11.
This ability is a very good thing for some people, first of all the scientific community, but an application run in this way is NOT a real Macintosh application and is not meant to be installed and used by someone who is simply focused on the task at hand and doesn't like to delve into the guts of the OS. The most common problem arises from the fact that Unix applications customarily install code and resources into Unix directories that aren't even reachable through the Mac OS X Finder.