What is the current best ODF editing Android Package?

users
#1

Here is the thing, with my Nook tablet, I could not get any ODF editing package - i.e. Android AOO and such - since it seemed to need an external keyboard and a faster processor.

Now the Nook is giving me "troubles" that tells me it may "die" soon. SO I ordered a new tablet, one that I could afford which is to say on sale.

I ordered the following, with some of the specs shown.

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=9193339&sku=DOU-102596624

Double Power 10.1" Tablet
[about $120 with a 2 year accident protection warranty]

Quad Core MTK8127 1.3GHz,
Android 4.4 Kit Kat,
1024x600,
1GB RAM,
8GB Flash memory,
Bluetooth Keyboard.
[will include a 32GB microSD card]

So now it the time to look into an ODF editing package, again. Hopefully these specs will work better [though the Nook has 16GB flash], with the quad core and the newest Android package.

So, what is the "current" best ODF editing package for Android? I want to be able to just take my tablet along, instead of my laptop, to certain meetings and gatherings. So that will require a WORKING text editing package that hopefully will read/write the ODT file format and maybe the spreadsheet format as well.

Since the tablet should be in my hands Thursday or Friday, I am starting to gather a list of the apps I will be using.

The interesting part for this tablet is that is has a microphone jack, along with the headphone one, so I could actually use some type of Android video conferencing package. My Android based Nook has no cameras.

To be honest, right now I am using the Nook as a reader and TV streaming device [which helps when I am told I am being admitted into the hospital for a few days, like I was told on the 3rd]. But, with an ODF editing package, and external keyboard attached to the case, I would be able to do some "work" or at least be able to read/write emails easier from my hospital bed via their Guest WiFi. Even my doctor's office has a Guest WiFi access. I really want to do more than just read books and watch TV when I am away from my home/office setup - like spending time in a hospital bed for observation for possible heart/lung issues or for a case of pneumonia.

So any help with choosing the best ODF editing package, would be nice.

#2

​I'm affraid the situation on the Android front is moving slowly. Really
slowly. And AndrOpen Office​ is your best (and almost only) solution. It
works offline, as it is basically the whole open office app, but your
mileage may vary. Some people have good results with it, others can't get
it to run at all.

The status of Android development and LibreOffice is explained here:
https://wiki.documentfoundation.org/Development/LibreOffice_on_Android but
"it's not there yet". Help wanted, you might say.

Note that for some "dirty" work, Google Doc now support importing and
exporting opendocument files, so it might be worth a shot.

#3

If you can run Ubuntu on it, here is something you might be interested in.

  X.Org Apps Now Running On Ubuntu Touch/Phone

http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=Ubuntu-Touch-Phone-XMir-Apps

#4

Hi Tim,

So, what is the "current" best ODF editing package for Android? I want
to be able to just take my tablet along, instead of my laptop, to
certain meetings and gatherings. So that will require a WORKING text
editing package that hopefully will read/write the ODT file format and
maybe the spreadsheet format as well.

EuroOffice Words (ODT fles)
EuroOffice Calc (ODS files)
EuroOffice Presenter (ODP files)

Quite why these apps don't get more frequent recommendations, I don't
really know, they seem to work fairly well as far as I'm concerned with
my limited testing, and the UI isn't too bad either - certainly leagues
beyond where the current LO project is today with its own Android
offering which will only be read capable when it is finally released.

The EuroOffice project is based on QT and Calligra code, the source code
is available too.

If you want to work with ODB database files, then you need AndrOpen
Office, but it is very unstable (i.e. prone to crashing) with these.

Alex

#5

So, what is the "current" best ODF editing package for Android?

Install both the EU and AnOO packages.

I want to be able to just take my tablet along, instead of my laptop,

to certain meetings and gatherings. So that will require a WORKING text
editing package that hopefully will read/write the ODT file format and
maybe the spreadsheet format as well.

The "best" ODF editing package on the market does not meet your
requirements.

Root your tablet, install Debian Wheezy, and you have a fighting chance
of running an ODF editing package that meets your requirements.

If you aren't willing to root your tablet then it is a tossup between
EuroOffice, and AndroOpenOffice.

I've got both installed. Both programs have their virtues. Both have
their vices.
* Navigation is easier with AnOO than EU
* AnOO opens more files than EU;
* EO crashes less than AnOO;
* They are both equal opportunity presentation markup destroyers;
* EU is more secure than AnOO;

If all you are doing is taking notes, use TextWarrior, or another text
editor. It is much easier to reformat those notes in LibO, than fixing
the mess that both EO and AnOO make of documents.

#6

No I will not "Root" my tablet, since I do not think I want to deal with the Warranty issues - loosing it - if I install a different OS. Besides, I have a number of Android Apps that I use that does not have any Linux [or Windows] version out.

I am "worried" that MS Office now has apps for their Office packages that runs on Android 4.4 [and better]. I do not want to see LO and AOO loose out of the mobile market.

I do not know if I want to deal with Google Docs either.

What I really want is a package that does not need to be connected to "the cloud" to use. Most places I would be using the tablet will not have any "guest" access for me to use. I want to be able to modify my documents - Word or Calc - at meetings or while I am waiting for appointments. That way, I can show the modifications then and there for "approval".

I want to do more with my tablet than read books - or watch streaming videos when attached to a network.

#7

I am "worried" that MS Office now has apps for their Office packages that
runs on Android 4.4 [and better]. I do not want to see LO and AOO loose
out of the mobile market.

​From the (quick) glimpse I just had about Office on Android, I wouldn't
say that they are better or worse​. It *will* open your document, but say
goodbye to almost all of your formatting; even text size is inconsistent
with the original. Images are nowhere to be found, no pagination, no
header/footer... and that's for the "viewing" functionnality. When hitting
the "edit" button, I get a message saying that it can NOT edit .doc files.
Opening a .docx got me a "sorry, this file can not be opened, it might be
damaged" (this same file works on the desktop version).
And it could not open a file with a dash in its name, be it on the device,
or from either dropbox and onedrive.

Just to be complete on this short, somewhat negative review, I did create a
new docx from the app. There's not much more, still no pictures, and no
style support at all.

From this short experience, you're better of loading Andropenoffice, at
least the document sort of looks like what you expect. I'll admit such a
quick test is not enough to get all the possibilities of the application,
but from it I'm not too "worried" about their presence on Android.

I do not know if I want to deal with Google Docs either.

​Are you sure about that? From what I've read about open document suite on
Android, and from what I got when trying the msoffice stuff​, it sound way
more reliable and you get roughly the same editing capabilities than
msoffice.

What I really want is a package that does not need to be connected to "the
cloud" to use. Most places I would be using the tablet will not have any
"guest" access for me to use. I want to be able to modify my documents -
Word or Calc - at meetings or while I am waiting for appointments. That
way, I can show the modifications then and there for "approval".

​All the options (Andropenoffice, MSOffice, and Google Docs) can manage
offline documents. For GDocs you have some planning to do (mark some files
as available offline), but it's also a possibility.

Just to be clear, I'm not saying that one product is better than another;
it's more that none of them is complete as it is today. For now you'll have
to cut on your expectations if you want to edit "real" documents on a pure
Android tablet. I made all three options choke at various level with a
.docx containing a single sentence and a picture :frowning:

#8

Thanks.

I doubt I will create many documents - with images - on the tablet, since I would not have access to my image selection I have on my desktop drive system [not online] or the one I have on a 64GB flash drive that I take with me when I need an image/graphic while using the laptop.

I need to keep the document formatting with the included image placement.

As for Google Docs, I never tried to use them on a system that is offline.

#9

Just wondering . . .

For non-ODF editing [ .doc and .docx ] . . . Which Android app would you use? I do not want Cloud computing since most of the time the tablet will not have access to the Net.

I looked at some reviews for AOO and EuroOffice for Android and the review was "all over the place" from good to bad.

I do want to keep the page format, font usage, and other page items kept intact.

Sure I would prefer to deal with ODF, but if I am going to email the document to a user or hand over my microSD card for them to copy the document to their system, I would need to be able to keep the page formatting intact and be able to read/write the document to/from the microSD card [32 gig card will be used]. I just wish the tablet has a USB port - but the only one I could afford did not have as many feature as the tablet I expect to be delivered today.

So it would be nice to finalize the Android app list today or tomorrow, since I plan on installing what I currently use now on my old Nook tablet this afternoon - if the tablet actually is delivered today.

#10

If you are satisfied with the capabilities of Google documents, you can
download Google Docs for Android and
"- Create new documents or edit any that were created on the web or on
another device.
- Share documents and work together with others in the same document at the
same time.
- Open, edit, and save Microsoft Word documents.
- Get stuff done anytime -- even without an internet connection.
- Add and respond to comments.
- Never worry about losing your work -- everything is automatically saved
as you type"
as they say in their advertising. Note that you can work without an
internet connection, and then, when you do have a connection, upload to
Google Docs.

#11

Tim,

For non-ODF editing [ .doc and .docx ] . . . Which Android app would you
use? I do not want Cloud computing since most of the time the tablet
will not have access to the Net.

In my experience, so far, nothing is perfect.

If your Android device is a tablet running Kitkat 4.4, then you should
be able to use Microsoft's own, free, Word/Excel/Powerpoint Preview
apps, which are currently in generalized beta testing.

I have tried, WPS Office, Textmaker/Planmaker/Presentations Mobile (paid
app), DocsToGo (paid app), QuickOffice, Olive Office Premium (IMO the
worst of the lot so far), all with varying degrees of success.

Alex

#12

WPS Office came with the tablet.

Right now I am just looking at free apps. Any yes I know that no Android app for this work is "perfect" for my needs, but I any "new" to using a tablet for this kind of work.

Yes I know about MSO for Android KitKat. I do not know if I want to use it though.

I have found an article about the advantages to have a bluetooth keyboard for a tablet or even a smartphone. I have not read it yet, but one good thing about my tablet [which came Thursday] is the fact that it has a case that has a keyboard attached to it. Here is a link to the page for this tablet at Tigerdirect.com.

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=9193339&sku=DOU-102596624

Yes, it is a low end 10.1 inch tablet, but I do not have the money to buy the more expensive ones.

So this posting was really about trying to find the "best" option[s] for my "office needs" with free apps and maybe really low costing paid apps. It will be nice to see a LO for Android app, whenever it comes out. I tried AOO for Android [last year] without a bluetooth keyboard and a slower processor than the new tablet. It was a failure. I will download both AOO and EuroOffice for Android to see which one might work. This Tuesday is the first meeting that I want to try using the tablet instead of hauling a backpack containing the laptop.

Actually yesterday was the first time I used my tablet, either one, for dealing with my Gmail when I was not at home.

Now I want to get it to do the wordprocessing "stuff" I took my laptop to deal with. Maybe I will even find an offline HTML editor. That would help with some of the other "stuff" I deal with.

<http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=9193339&sku=DOU-102596624>

#13

Well, I tried AOO and EuroOffice for Android. AOO wanted a wider screen resolution for its toolbar than I had on my 10.1 tablet. Worked, but it did work. EuroOffice had less features, but it fit on my screen. WPS was "factory installed" and works fine, for non-ODF documents.

SO I have EuroOffice's Writer and Calc apps installed, along with WPS Office.