[libreoffice-marketing] Re: Marketing the next release

Le 2010-11-03 16:56, Michel Gagnon a écrit :
> Le 2010-11-03 16:06, leif a écrit :
> > Hi Marc,
> > I'm not trying to emphasize LibO compared to OOo. But in every software
> > release, the users are asking: Whats new?
> >
> > If we don't say what we have achieved so far our users will wonder why
> > we are hiding it.
> >
> >
> > /Cheers
> > Leif
>
>
> I think we need to compare LibO 3.3 to OOo 3.2.1 and say what's new in a
> way that can easily be understood by common users. Having a dry table
> with a list of "issues" doesn't mean anything for the average user. By
> the same token, it could be said, for example, that the migration from
> OpenOffice to LibreOffice won't change anything for the user,
> compatibility wise, but will allow the developers more freedom to
> develop a better software (or interface, or...). This way, we don't fuel
> a debate between OOo and LibO, but rather between LibO (OOo) and
> commercial products.
>
> We should also highlight a few advantages of LibreOffice vs the other
> commercial suites. I must admit that my list is more geared toward the
> power user than the casual user, so work could be done on it. Here I start:
> - more possibilities with styles (at least in Writer and Calc)
> - variables allow more possibilities for long documents
> - better integration between modules, which means a few more formatting
> and customizing possibilities in Calc and Impress
> - unbeatable cost.


I do not work with power users but mostly beginner/everyday users. I 
normally am able to convince approx. 150 OOo installs/upgrades per year 
at my school. Not this year, I'm off on sick-leave.

*I know that if we can make use of the already available templates and 
bundled them up somehow, we could boast of the distro's ability to 
easily (I am not sure about this claim) create templates and there are 
already a certain amount of templates. The templates are actually well 
appreciated when people figure out where to get them in the menu. This 
is for the non-power users.

* emails directly from your documment in ODF, .doc and .pdf (this also 
is well appreciated when the regular user has configured it)

* close to 150 available presentation backgrounds (this is how many I 
installed a couple of weeks ago but on a OOo setup for someone else) 
Again, if we were able to bundle these up in the package or one location 
for downloading, this is well appreciated by the regular user.

* opensource clipart -- well appreciated by the regular user. While I 
think of it turning the clipart window for regular window is not 
intuitive enough. Again if we bundle it with the disro or make it easily 
downloadable for the regular user.

* Presentation effects (we should quote the number of effects -- 
especially if you are going to compare. This makes a big difference with 
school kids)

* can Presentations do start/stop music per slide yet? If yes, this is 
another big seller.

Regular users are not that interested in extensions. Usually the biggest 
interest is in Write and Presentation. One more thing that is common, 
having the Microsoft fonts installed, even when I tell them that there 
are specific replacement fonts, they still want these fonts istalled. I 
try to do my best to dissuade them and I would say on average, 90% of 
people are willing to try once convinced. The others will install the 
opensource fonts and thereafter they usually tell the other 90% about it 
and my arguments for not installing these fonts start up again.

Sound/music is another BIG issue. The kids need this to work. Start/stop 
for all kinds of slide groupings.

That's it.

Cheers

Marc


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