Print this article | E-mail this article | Comment on this article

Chinese OpenOffice 4.0 beta takes design cues from Office 2007

By Tim Conneally, BetaNews

June 2, 2008, 12:48 PM

RedOffice, the suite of Office products based upon OpenOffice.org and optimized for Chinese users has received a new UI in its 4.0 beta.

Harkening to the famed Office 2007 ribbon interface, RedOffice's new UI has been designed to, as the group says, "provide a work area with a simple graphic interface, so that use is more concise and efficient."

While most versions of the Chinese office suite have provided a similar user experience to OpenOffice.org, the OpenOffice 3.0 beta which opened in May, and the RedOffice 4.0 beta have begun to take slightly divergent paths.

This screenshot shows how RedOffice takes cues from both Mac's OS X and Office 2007 by offering the "Red, Yellow, Green" Close, Minimize, and Fit to Screen buttons in the upper right hand corner, and by offering a template preview window in the left hand window similar to Office 2007's "Live Preview."

Some feel that this change could predict the future of OpenOffice's domestic product, with an improved UI being the next logical step. Meanwhile, others are noting the gradual speed decrease taking place in subsequent releases of OpenOffice products.

Add a Comment (12 Comments)

BetaNews reserves the right to remove any comment at any time for any reason. Please keep your responses appropriate and on topic. Foul language and personal attacks will not be tolerated.

By zridling

posted Jun 2, 2008 - 7:43 PM

I think Lotus Symphony splits the difference and is better than both. Except for their fantastic cinema, the Chinese haven't had an original, creative thought in at least a thousand years. They are the world's biggest thieves.

Score: 0

By IMM

edited Jun 2, 2008 - 10:50 PM

You mean thieves like the British stealing from the Indians, and Chinese during the colonial days? Or the Americans and British enslaving Africans? Or the Spanish plundering the Mayans? Or perhaps you are just a bigot, plain and simple?

Score: 0

By foxfyre

posted Jun 3, 2008 - 2:58 PM

Yup, the slave tradition in Africa has a grand tradition beginning far before the arrival of Europeans! And where would that market be without the acumen of the Muslim traders!

Just another product of the modern edumakashun sistim.

Score: 0

By uberfly

posted Jun 3, 2008 - 3:20 AM

WTF??? We didn't steal our slaves. We bought them from other Africans. Get your facts straight dipstick.

Score: 0

By Tenoq

posted Jun 2, 2008 - 8:03 PM

They just do the same things cheaper.

It's kinda like Apple doing the same things but better. Everyone complains Apple doesn't do anything original - but they still do it better. Likewise, the Chinese just figure out how to save money doing the same thing someone else did first.

Nothing wrong with progress, IMO. :p

Score: 0

By uberfly

posted Jun 2, 2008 - 4:08 PM

I don't know what's funnier. The fact that this is called "RedOffice" or that they're stealing Microsoft's Office 2007 ribbon talking points.

Score: 0

By GS5

posted Jun 2, 2008 - 4:58 PM

"RedOffice" is funnier!
The "stealing" is just being smart. The way I see it, if it works and makes the program better steal away. Besides, M$ and Apple has been stealing ideas from others forever.

Score: 0

By Tenoq

posted Jun 2, 2008 - 9:53 PM

Is it smart though? A lot of people don't like the ribbon. I thought _not_ having it would be a good way to distinguish themselves from the latest MS Office variants.

Score: 0

By GS5

posted Jun 3, 2008 - 2:13 AM

Many people might not like the ribbon right now. But 5 years from now these same people will say they can't live without it. With everything new it takes some time to get used to it. Just like the XP start menu, eventually everyone forgot the classic version.

So yeah, I do think it's smart.

Score: 0

By guru_v

posted Jun 3, 2008 - 11:18 AM

I still use the older interface, there are many things the newer one won't do, or won't let you do.

Sometimes older is better, if it works more efficiently.

Score: 0

By PC_Tool

posted Jun 3, 2008 - 11:50 AM

The one and only thing I miss (and miss terribly) is the tear-away menus for background, font color, and borders.

Score: 0

By PC_Tool

posted Jun 3, 2008 - 9:54 AM

With everything new it takes some time to get used to it.

Exactly. I cannot stand working in 2000/2003 now. It's not so much the ribbon as the highlight pop-up, though. I need that. Being able to make commonly used format changes without having to go back up to the bar/ribbon has been huge.

Score: 0

Oct 11 - 11:16 AM ET Things left unsaid, in a recent interview with Sony's CEO

Oct 11 - 11:03 AM ET EU regulations block Italian ISPs from blocking Pirate Bay

Oct 11 - 10:55 AM ET Making it to Apple's App Store by staying out of court

Oct 10 - 7:43 PM ET Wal-Mart changes its mind, leaves existing DRM servers up

Oct 10 - 7:05 PM ET Hands on: An amateur photographer tests out Adobe's latest Lightroom

Oct 10 - 6:52 PM ET Mobile service providers brace for the economic storm

Oct 10 - 6:24 PM ET Apple warns users about bad Nvidia graphics chips

Oct 10 - 4:21 PM ET New Norton Vista tool trades UAC for online feedback

Oct 10 - 3:23 PM ET Verizon Wireless to raise fees for service-related texts

Oct 10 - 3:04 PM ET BlackBerry Bold sales halted in UK