Computer Geeks Unite! And farging help me!

[Zanshin]

Google docs is great. OpenOffice is another free and solid alternative that will read and edit any office document.

[Diomedes]

You have to download OpenOffice, igy.

https://www.openoffice.org/

[ice grillin you]

when you say google docs is compatible with excel does that mean I could work at home on google docs then when in the office save that same google docs spreadsheet to excel that is on my office computer hard drive

also ive already noticed one thing I cant seem to do on google docs that you can in excel....when bordering spread sheet cells in google docs the drop down menu only gives you three border options....one of which is not the really thick border that is an option in excel...at least if its there I cant see it

[SunMo]

OpenOffice is the way to go. 

[ice grillin you]

is the first question in my last post true of open office....or is it its own thing and doesn't overlap with excel

[SunMo]

As far as I know it has most of, if not all, the same functionality as excel

[ice grillin you]

i dont mean same functionality....i mean can i create a document on open office or excel and then continue to work on it on the other program....like what if i wanted to work on a spreadsheet at the office but all I have their is excel....then do some work on the same document at home that night but on open office becauase I don't have excel at home

[Seabiscuit36]

Not knowing exactly, I'm sure you can "Save AS" and select the proper file type so you don't encounter any issues. 

[Diomedes]

OpenOffice has all the same functionality as Excel and should be completely interchangeable, meaning you can work on a doc at work, save it to a flash drive or email it to yourself, and then when you get home to the machine that has OpenOffice on it, open the document and continue working.  Then, the next morning, take it back to work (either on a flash drive or emailed back to yourself with the changes from the night before) and continue working.  The only tricky thing is, as seabiscuit noted, you might have to "save as" the correct format in preparation for opening the doc on the next machine.  Not sure about that part.

Google docs everything is online, requires an internet connection to use and save, etc.  And it probably doesn't have all the borders and other bells and whistles you might want.

[ice grillin you]

OpenOffice has all the same functionality as Excel and should be completely interchangeable, meaning you can work on a doc at work, save it to a flash drive or email it to yourself, and then when you get home to the machine that has OpenOffice on it, open the document and continue working. 

yeah thats exactly what i was looking for....actually just downloaded open office....after an initial look/see it seems like it basically is excel when you are in a spreadsheet....theres probably a bunch of features above and beyond anything I would need that excel has and this doesn't but I don't see why anyone would pay for excel when this is free

good lookin on the info

[SunMo]

right, if you create a document in open office, it will want to save it as an open office file, just 'Save As' and choose the file extension that matches your excel (probably .xls)

[phattymatty]

they should convert pretty well most of the time. if anything, some formatting and maybe some formulas might jerk off a bit once in a while.

[SD]

Need some recommendations for a decent laptop in the $300 range. I would like to switch to a Kindle fire instead but I like typing on keyboards. Have had my current Toshiba for 3 years but it's really starting to act up. Probably a virus from all the porn I watch. Any recommendations? I have no idea where to start.

[Diomedes]

Nothing you buy for $300 is going to be much better or worse than anyting else at that pricepoint.  It's all essentially disposable crap.  Go buy something and leave us alone about it.

[General_Failure]

You can buy a keyboard for a Kindle Fire.