It is time for me to add another tool in my trade analysis. I would like to get a spreadsheet program loaded and learn how to use it. Many years ago I did some basic stuff with excel for chemistry interests. I do not think excel is on my computer and I will have to buy. I guess the other option is open office. My question for the gang here, what to you suggest I get, keeping in mind I will need handholding via instructional manuals. I've seen some dummies books on excel, and some stuff you can buy for Open office. Thanks for the pointers. 4nursebee.blogspot.com
If you dont plan on using the optimisers or the VBA code (macros) OpenOffice is just fine. I dont know if you can have macros in OpenOffice. I must add that OpenOffice is slower if you have a lot of data or calculations.
Open Office still way behind Excel. Excel has a superb 10,000 item object model. The open source community would need another millenium just to match it. Also, Excel is totally programmable...either with VBA or via Visual Studio and Dot-Net. Excel 2007 was a dud due to reduced speed, but Excel 2003 and from the looks of it, Excel 2010 is where you want to be.