Android version

users
#1

Hi :slight_smile:
Has anyone here used the AndrOffice or the LibreOffice version on Android?

Does anyone know if it installs onto the device itself so that it's usable
off-line?

I have a friend who is going off to a distant land where they won't be able
to use their hand-held phone but has created a spreadsheet to help convert
between the various currencies they will encounter. I've never used an
Android so i have no idea what to recommend but i'd rather suggest a
LibreOffice or OpenOffice solution. Any ideas?

Regards from
Tom :slight_smile:

#2

The last I tried them, neither was ready for prime time but that may have changed since time passes so quickly for me now.

#3

Hi Tom,
I've not had a good experience with AndrOffice - however the LO Viewer (from the Document Foundation) seems to work very well. There's also a developers option to enable simple editing, although I've not yet used it.
The LO Viewer downloads to the device, so you don't need to be online whereas AFAIK all the others need internet access...

YMMV.....

Cheers
Gordon

#4

Hi Tom

TomD wrote

Has anyone here used the AndrOffice or the LibreOffice version on Android?

Does anyone know if it installs onto the device itself so that it's usable
off-line?

I have a friend who is going off to a distant land where they won't be
able
to use their hand-held phone but has created a spreadsheet to help convert
between the various currencies they will encounter. I've never used an
Android so i have no idea what to recommend but i'd rather suggest a
LibreOffice or OpenOffice solution. Any ideas?

AndrOffice is a port of OpenOffice but the interface was not redesigned so
it's unusable in a mobile phone (maybe on a 10" tablet it could work)

LibreOffice Viewer is... a viewer (and absurdly slow). I realize that at
some point it will have editing functions but at the moment it is a huge
download just to view files. The main advantage is that is supports ODF

I use WPS Office (formerly Kingston Office) but it is not Open Source. It is
a reverse-code software from an unknown company, so use at your own risk...
The usability is quite good even on a mobile phone. IMO it is currently the
best option. It doesn't support ODF, only MS formats (old binary and XHTML)

All of these are installed on the phone and work with files on the phone (no
need to connect to the "cloud")

Finally there is Microsoft Office... The interface is not bad (but inferior
to WPS) and it works with local files but requires an account to synchronize
at some point to the "cloud". I was not very impressed. I can't remember if
it worked with ODF...

Hope this helps (and looking forward to read other opinions :slight_smile: )
Pedro

#5

Hi Tom,

Has anyone here used the AndrOffice or the LibreOffice version on Android?

AndrOpenffice is a huge download, but is usable offline. It is also
rather clunky, and not really optimized for use with a touch screen, as
it basically just draws the whole OOo interface, which is far too fiddly
for fingers and touch screens. If your tablet has a keyboard and mouse
pointer, well it actually works pretty well most of the time (except for
Base, which is even more unstable than usual).

The LibreOffice Viewer for Android is just that - a viewer. You can't
edit documents with it (unlike AndropenOffice), and it is pretty
hopeless at displaying all the files in a given directory on the tablet
or phone. For some reason, someone thought that it would be useful to
cripple the built-in file finder, so as to list only those files which
are ODF.

So, if you have an Android tablet with a keyboard, AndrOpenOffice is
currently still the winner with regard to ODF import and editing.

Alex

#6

Hi :slight_smile:
Thanks all :slight_smile: So it sounds like AndrOffice and Kingsoft are worth trying.

I had thought about making my exchange-rate spreadsheet into a database.
I'm sure it would be far better, and would allow a purpose-built UI
front-end but the spreadsheet route is plenty good enough for this trip.

The main thing is having the functionality off-line, and from
recommendations from people i trust so i am really glad to have had good
responses so quickly from so many people here so quickly. I'm going to
look-up some 3rd party articles too but i don't trust them as much as i
trust everyone here.
Many thanks and regards from
Tom :slight_smile:

#7

Tom,

For what it's worth, KingSoft is a company in China.

#8

Hi Tom and all:

  I've used AndrOffice in my tablet. It has improved step by step. Now I
think it is, in general, stable for general perfomance that I've used
it. It has digital mouse and other special things.

  Another program that I've used is WPS (Kingsoft Office) but I think it
isn't free software like LibreOffice but it is free an usually is
stable.

  My experience with my tablet (10 inch) is that the screen is to small
to work seriusly (For example to the job) or using digital keybord. To
modify something fast is ok and so usefull and help a lot, or to review
a file already finished.

I hope this words help you and your friend,

Regards,

Jorge RodrĂ­guez

#9

The app (WPS) is also designed to be as similar to MS office as possible. WPS stands for Writer, Presentation, Spreadsheet.

Going off topic, do NOT try installing the Windows version of WPS on the same Windows computer with LO. It does not play well with LO.

#10

Why not take one of the free or inexpensive purpose built exchange rate apps for Android? Some of them will download updated exchange rate data when connections are available and all the ones I looked at briefly allow you to run the conversions offline.

I think that would be a much better option than trying to force that into a spreadsheet type app.

I had thought about making my exchange-rate spreadsheet into a database.
I'm sure it would be far better, and would allow a purpose-built UI
front-end but the spreadsheet route is plenty good enough for this trip.

Eugenie (Oogie) McGuire
Desert Weyr, LLC - Black Welsh Mountain Sheep http://www.desertweyr.com/
LambTracker - Open Source SW for Shepherds http://www.lambtracker.com
Paonia, CO USA

#11

There is also Eurooffice, which is free for Android and can be downloaded from GooglePlay. It has also (non-free) versions for Windows and some linuxes.

2015-09-14 14:41 keltezéssel, Tom Davies írta:

#12

AndrOffice works off line. However, your friend should test it before
he goes. Also, while it works on a tablet, I'd hate to use it on a phone.

There are currency converters, on Google Play, that might be more
appropriate, though I haven't used any of them.

#13

For any Wordprocessing app for editing, you really need to have an external keyboard, to save visual space on the tablet's screen.

Also having the portable battery backup devices to help keep a phone and tablet charged up between "downtime" [when you have access to AC power] is a must. Also, you really need to take a surge protection device for when you charge your electronics. This makes sense even if you are charging the devices at home, let alone abroad.

OFF Topic. . .
You can download the language files for Google Translate, for most of the languages you can hear while online. This may be good for a traveler who does not speak the native language for the area that they are visiting.

Having Translate and a good currency info app may help a lot.