LibreOffice 26.2 is here: a faster, more polished office suite that you control - TDF Community Blog
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We’re pleased to announce the release of LibreOffice 26.2, the newest version of the free and open source office suite trusted by millions of users around the world. This release makes it easier than ever for users to create, edit and share documents on their own terms. Designed for individuals and organizations alike, it continues to be a trusted alternative to proprietary office software. LibreOffice 26.2 is focused on improvements that make a difference in daily work and brings better performance, smoother interaction with complex documents and improved compatibility with files created in other office software. Whether you’re writing reports, managing spreadsheets, or preparing presentations, the experience feels more responsive and reliable. LibreOffice has always been about giving users control. LibreOffice 26.2 continues that tradition by strengthening support for open document standards, and ensuring long-term access to your files, without subscriptions, license restrictions, or data collection. Your documents stay yours – forever. Behind this release there is a global community of contributors. Developers, designers, translators, QA testers, and volunteers from around the world worked together to deliver hundreds of fixes and refinements. Their efforts result in a suite that not only adds features, but also improves quality, consistency, and stability,
  • mech@feddit.org
    11·
    20 hours ago

    Microsoft Word defaults to saving in its own file format .docx, instead of the ISO standard for word processing (.odt)
    To allow others to collaborate, Microsoft publishes documentation on how Word builds and opens .docx files.
    So LibreOffice would have no trouble opening .docx files with all formatting perfectly intact.
    If Microsoft actually followed their own documentation when building Word. Which they don’t.

    The other issue is that people use Word files to share documents with extensive formatting and embedded images in the first place, instead of converting them to PDF or using typesetting software.

    • pastermil@sh.itjust.works
      3·
      5 hours ago

      It’s a dilemma. MS might be breaking shit but they’re still the biggest player. It was mostly thru the fact people can open docx that people are willing to try LibreOffice in the first place.

      Hopefully now that they have large players behind them, they can start shifting the terrain.

      • rumba@lemmy.zipEnglish
        2·
        4 hours ago

        The other upside is that Google Docs aren’t entirely compatible either. So people are already used to imperfect versions and needing to pass around PDF’s if output matters.

        The biggest problem I see is Microsoft can only cleanly collaborate with Micrososft and Google with Google. The second you open that docx in Google, all bets are off.

        The real downer is the libre’s lack of supported online collab, that’s pretty much a requirement for business these days.

    • The Quuuuuill@slrpnk.netEnglish
      3·
      21 hours ago

      OH! i misinterpreted your thread starter. i thought… never mind what i thought. nevermind 🤣

      yes.

      this is something that makes me wish more casual document writers would migrate away from MS office