Thought I’d ask, as I use Libre Office and don’t use Windows at all.
All my documents are open format
So question is:
If you use Android on a tablet, what are you using to read open documents such as from Libre Office?
Thanks
Hey caf.
I don’t own a tablet, but on my phone, i used this: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=at.tomtasche.reader
It managed to read the documents quite fine.
Regards,
I’ll take a look thanks
On 2014-07-01 08:06, caf4926 wrote:
>
> Thought I’d ask, as I use Libre Office and don’t use Windows at all.
> All my documents are open format
>
> So question is:
> If you use Android on a tablet, what are you using to read open
> documents such as from Libre Office?
On my Android phone, I use “ThinkFree”, which I think it is a Samsung
app (the about box says “Hancom”). It says to be compatible with
“office”, and I have only used it to read PDF files. I used it because
it as already included.
I have just copied to the phone a .odt file and a .doc file, and it sees
neither. In fact, the phone file browser is totally unable to see those
files!
Good grief, error on download on both files. I try to redownload, gives
error without saying which.
Ah, firefox says I have no download permission on the .doc file. It is
correct, it does not have global read permission, so my apache can not
provide it. But the .odt file downloads fine with FF.
Apparently the native android internet browser thing has a download
filter of some sort. :-?
…]
I’ll use the usb cable instead.
Ok, the .doc file gives open error (it is a 1999 year file), and the
…odt file it refuses point blank, says that no application can open it.
A recent .doc should work, I hope.
When you find a decent app, please tell us 
–
Cheers / Saludos,
Carlos E. R.
(from 13.1 x86_64 “Bottle” at Telcontar)
Tried this and it’s pretty good.
There also appears to be one from open office of sorts, but compared to the above it sucks.
So for now the app recommended by @holden87 is good for me. Thanks
It kind of surprises me that give the roots of android that it should be so commercially oriented and that primary support seems to be toward windows.
I dont use my phone for reading any documents so this is entirely a guess but I think they just want to be able to read docx and pdf and dont really care about the other formats since all people seem to mail around are docx and pdf (in my limited experience anyways). One time my dad was helping me find a job for my coop work term and he asked me for my resume which I sent to him as pdf and he got upset and told me docx was the standard format for resume/cv. I didnt really know what to say to him but I think it serves as an example of how many “normal people” do their work. And that is probably what the developers of these applications think too.
I hear what you say and agree.
I recently had a bit of a discussion about this at college (where I was doing a teacher education course). A large part of the course deals with ‘access for all’, which basically means don’t exclude anyone. I argued that the practice at college of using only Microsoft format documents could exclude those who don’t have the finances to support that option.
My experience though with friends and family is that most use open format document and many will attach me in .odt .pdf and .doc(x)
On 2014-07-02 06:06, alanbortu wrote:
>> It kind of surprises me that give the roots of android that it should be
>> so commercially oriented and that primary support seems to be toward
>> windows.
It doesn’t surprise me at all.
Many commercial er… projects? use Linux as the base for their gadgets,
inside, but then they absolutely refuse to create Linux software to use
on the computer when you need to upgrade the gadget or do maintenance on
them. They only provide Windows applications, so to keep control, and
force you to buy hardware and software, so that the commercial community
thrives.
It is intentional.
Examples:
- Samsung android phone. Support app is Windows only.
- TomTom car GPS navigator: very closed platform. Linux inside,
connects via encrypted USB. Support app is Windows only. - Kobo touch ereader. Linux inside. Support app is Windows only.
And few more I had…
Another: Seagate firmware update, or disk hardware checkup: Windows only.
Android is a very commercial setup. Someone defined it as a platform to
spy on you, and keep you tracked, that also makes phone calls as second
thought.
> I dont use my phone for reading any documents
I only do on emergencies. I once needed to read a map supplied on PDF,
out of home, and had no printer to print it. The screen of mine is way
too small to be of serious use.
> One time my
> dad was helping me find a job for my coop work term and he asked me for
> my resume which I sent to him as pdf and he got upset and told me docx
> was the standard format for resume/cv.
I refuse to send my CV on docx. It can be modified.
PDF can be displayed inside email or web browser, internally. AFAIK,
docx needs external app. It even can carry viruses!
> I didnt really know what to say
> to him but I think it serves as an example of how many “normal people”
> do their work. And that is probably what the developers of these
> applications think too.
And previously they wanted .doc.
–
Cheers / Saludos,
Carlos E. R.
(from 13.1 x86_64 “Bottle” at Telcontar)
Interesting, -when I have try to take up the issue before I have been…
Yes, -over a billion phones/pads are running. Strange that is fixed on non-linux plattforms to run Android apps.
No comments.
That’s been the bug in my bonnett about Google’s lack of a Linux Google Drive version 22 (and counting) months after they promised they were working on it. I’m not sure if they are stopping because there is a 3rd party that came up with a solution, but this lack of follow through really irks me.
If you absolutely have to do something in Word (or MS Office) format, you could use OneDrive’s online version. It doesn’t have all of the features of the installed version, but it can display almost all of the formatting of an existing file even if it cannot edit it. I think that is what is used with the Mobile Office version.
Of course it would be really cool if it became an option for running it in Linux. Whether or not it is used, having the option would make such a difference.
My OneDrive is set to save its files in Open Document format by default. It can open and read Open Document and MS Office formats without any issue.
By saving it as an Open Document by default then when OneDrive synchronizes with my Windows computer I can open it in LibreOffice without any warnings, message boxes, bells or whistles!
On 2014-07-17 17:16, dragonbite wrote:
> If you absolutely have to do something in Word (or MS Office) format,
> you could use OneDrive’s online version.
I absolutely refuse to use an online app to work with office documents
of any kind.
Besides being possibly sensitive, you need a good Internet connection, a
luxury I often don’t have.
This instant, for example, I’m on 1 GB/month cap.
–
Cheers / Saludos,
Carlos E. R.
(from 13.1 x86_64 “Bottle” (Minas Tirith))
See, I am the opposite. I use the browser-based office programs and file storage because when I am at work I don’t want to do the download-edit-upload routine because it leaves something even temporarily on my system other than the history and cache.
When I am at home, I want to use a local program, but can survive with using an online application if I need to (I have a 6MBps connection speed).
But at work, I cannot install anything and don’t want to leave any larger fingerprint than my browsing history.
On 2014-07-17 19:46, dragonbite wrote:
> But at work, I cannot install anything and don’t want to leave any
> larger fingerprint than my browsing history.
But your online application provider has your document and can look at
it. Your work people /might/ not have it, though. Or they might know
someone at your provider that does have access, even by a back door.
–
Cheers / Saludos,
Carlos E. R.
(from 13.1 x86_64 “Bottle” (Minas Tirith))
Not much I can do about Google or Microsoft. I don’t know if anybody at work knows anybody at Google or Microsoft and has a (really boring) interest in snooping around my files.
Then again, if I cannot trust the people I work with then I better not work here at all! Being paranoid about my co-workers will never end well. Healthy caution is one thing.
On 2014-07-17 21:06, dragonbite wrote:
>
> robin_listas;2654531 Wrote:
> Not much I can do about Google or Microsoft. I don’t know if anybody at
> work knows anybody at Google or Microsoft and has a (really boring)
> interest in snooping around my files.
>
> Then again, if I cannot trust the people I work with then I better not
> work here at all! Being paranoid about my co-workers will never end
> well. Healthy caution is one thing.
It was just an example.
If I have to edit a private file at the office, I just do it openly, or
I use my private hardware, if the file privacy is important to me.
What I never do is use an online service to work on any kind of
sensitive file, be it private or work related. I know that there are
people out there digging information, stealing business plans or
whatever, even from unimportant companies. So no, I’m not going to make
it that easy to them.
And if I ever use such an online service, it has to be based on my
country, subject to my country privacy and security laws, never a
foreign company. So google is ruled out.
–
Cheers / Saludos,
Carlos E. R.
(from 13.1 x86_64 “Bottle” (Minas Tirith))