Exclusive: Quickoffice 6.0 for S60 goes live!

[slitchfield]

Symbian OS office stalwart Quickoffice has just gone live with its long awaited version 6.0, incorporating password protected documents, ZIP file support, word count in Quickword (finally!), Quicksheet improvements that include Excel 2007 chart viewing and a 'Go to cell' function, plus a much improved file manager interface. There's also a new version of the Quickoffice-written Adobe Reader. Details, screenshots and link below.

Read on in the full article.

[slitchfield]

Sorry the comment thread wasn't up earlier, we had site problems.....

Steve

[wampyre]

Originally Posted by slitchfield

Upgrading from previous versions has to be done using the over-the-air Quickmanager system at present and the pricing is:

* Upgrade for 4.5 customers: $15
* Upgrade for 5.0 customers: $10

Nice to see the upgrade prices kept quite low...

I can't seem to find any upgrade links on their website.

Besides what happened to the offer of free upgrade if you bought the version 5 around Chritmas time?

You bet I'm going to place a support ticket and ask them about this.

[xerxes]

Let us know the answer about the free upgrade. I'm in the same situation
By the way, does anyone else find that Quickoffice 5 always defaults to numeric input? I have a sheet that requires a lot of text input and its a real pain having to hold down the # key before I enter each cell.

[fernando20]

Does Adobe Reader have a settings pane now? It's missing one badly, specially for us S60v5 owners. Sorry for the blog spam, but the current adobe reader just doesn't cut it http://www.fwrnando.com/blog/2009/ap...-25-for-s60v5/

what is the theme you are using for the displayed screen shots? i likey.

thanks.

[wampyre]

Originally Posted by xerxes

Let us know the answer about the free upgrade. I'm in the same situation
By the way, does anyone else find that Quickoffice 5 always defaults to numeric input? I have a sheet that requires a lot of text input and its a real pain having to hold down the # key before I enter each cell.

I submitted a ticket to them and shortly after they replied, but guess what?

1. They reply to a wrong ticket number, a ticket I submitted to them long ago with case status stating "closed".
2. When I already have said that I can't see the update through Quickmanager, they provide me with the step-by-step guide on using Quickmanager to update.
(At this time I came up, but not when I tried earlier today)

The answer they gave me was the following:

Hello, Cheung.

You may purchase Quickoffice v6 for a discount through Quickmanager on your device. Open Quickoffice and then select Quickmanager and Updates and Upgrades.

Which basically means that the upgrade is not for free. That is totally agains what they promised during their own campaign.


And for 80 Norwegian kroner = 11.96672 U.S. dollars it's not $10 as Mr. Steve pointed out.
(Though of course the currency varies a bit all the time)

I've had a modified version of the 6.0 for quite a while now and as far as I can tell there is just the GUI which has been improved / disproved (depending if you like flashy icons). I haven't tested fully what's under the hood though.

What about Open Document format?
Are .odt, .ods, .odp supported by Quickoffice?
If not, any other solution to enable handling of open document files?

[Ratkat]

Some points that Quickoffice or AAS fail to mention

1: If you have previously installed version Quickoffice 5, then Quickoffice 6 will not overwrite fully. It basically leaves a complete inaccessible of copy of Quickoffice 5 on the phone, complete with all help files.

If it is not accessible then its not a huge problem I hear you say, but because QO6 can only be installed to the device memory, it actually wastes close to 5mb of device memory.

With most devices like the E71, N82, N95 only having about 100mb to start with (and some considerably less, as low as 10mb for the 5500) to lose 5mb is a big deal.

Sloppy programming from Quickoffice, As all versions of QO are un-installable, the only way to truly get round it is to *#7370# format your phone and then re-install Quickoffice 6 on its own.

2: The fonts on QO6 in the file manager are massive, along with epocware's handy safe pro, QO seems to thing it's better to waste screen space with massive fonts, at least make them scalable and give us a choice of font size.


I wish I had just not bothered with update, oh well best get formatting..........

Ratkat:

>>Sloppy programming from Quickoffice

This is not true. This is a limitation of the Symbian/S60 software installer. If an application is in ROM (like Quickoffice is in most cases) on your phone, to update it in RAM you have to use a certain type of SIS file. That is a 'patch' (PU) SIS file - and the system will not let you uninstall it. This is all down to limitations from the operating system, not a mistake/desire to waste space from Quickoffice, I can assure you!

I am going to find out how these support tickets are being answered and how the 'free upgrade if you buy v5 now' process will work. I will try to post back.

Phil (Quickoffice)

[Ratkat]

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Ratkat:

>>Sloppy programming from Quickoffice

This is not true. This is a limitation of the Symbian/S60 software installer. If an application is in ROM (like Quickoffice is in most cases) on your phone, to update it in RAM you have to use a certain type of SIS file. That is a 'patch' (PU) SIS file - and the system will not let you uninstall it. This is all down to limitations from the operating system, not a mistake/desire to waste space from Quickoffice, I can assure you!

I am going to find out how these support tickets are being answered and how the 'free upgrade if you buy v5 now' process will work. I will try to post back.

Phil (Quickoffice)

Yes I can understand that if you update from the built in version in my E71's case QO4 to later version you can't un-install the version out of ROM, this has always been the case, and I accept it.

What I can't accept is that as in my case, I previously installed the QO 5 patch to go from QO4 tp QO5, then yesterday I installed the QO6 patch, surely this patch should uninstall or overwrite the previous QO5 patch, which it doesn't, it just wastes c: drive space.

In QO6 many of the QO file names both in SYS and RESOURCE have changed, so you essentially have both QO5 & QO6 both installed in addition to the QO4 in ROM.

By formatting and then installing QO6 straight over QO4 saves approx 4.8mb compared with QO4 - QO5 - QO6, this is simply down to the QO5 files being left in C: drive instead of being overwritten.

To say this is a limitation of S60 is wrong, Nokia Maps uses the patch system, and as you say you can't overwrite the ROM when you install a later version, however if you then update again it overwrites the previous patch, thus not wasting space.

[wampyre]

Originally Posted by Unregistered

What about Open Document format?
Are .odt, .ods, .odp supported by Quickoffice?

It have never worked in QuickOffice for those file formats you have to use Sept Solution Mobile Office for that

Originally Posted by Unregistered

I am going to find out how these support tickets are being answered and how the 'free upgrade if you buy v5 now' process will work. I will try to post back.

Phil (Quickoffice)

I've already tried that and they answered me that I had to pay for the upgrade.

Originally Posted by Ratkat

What I can't accept is that as in my case, I previously installed the QO 5 patch to go from QO4 tp QO5, then yesterday I installed the QO6 patch, surely this patch should uninstall or overwrite the previous QO5 patch, which it doesn't, it just wastes c: drive space.

In QO6 many of the QO file names both in SYS and RESOURCE have changed, so you essentially have both QO5 & QO6 both installed in addition to the QO4 in ROM.

By formatting and then installing QO6 straight over QO4 saves approx 4.8mb compared with QO4 - QO5 - QO6, this is simply down to the QO5 files being left in C: drive instead of being overwritten.

To say this is a limitation of S60 is wrong, Nokia Maps uses the patch system, and as you say you can't overwrite the ROM when you install a later version, however if you then update again it overwrites the previous patch, thus not wasting space.

That you have access to the SYS and RESOURCE folders just shows me that you have a hacked phone.
(You can view the content inside the RESOURCE folder with a non-hackable phone, but not the contents of the SYS folder)

Having my N95 available for hacking I've tried installing the Boingo application. However when I got trouble with it I tried again. Instead of overwriting things, files were replaced with a 01 at the back of the filename, leading to duplicates.

What I basically are trying to say is that hacked phones are more prone to have problems.

I installed QO 6.0.263 on my N82 which previously had 5.0.2.3 and the update went fine and everything is working.
(I had to pay for the update though, 80 NOK)

Going to test the support for password protected Office 2007 files.
If they fail to open you can bet I want my money back.

[Ratkat]

Originally Posted by wampyre

It have never worked in QuickOffice for those file formats you have to use <a href="http://www.sept-solutions.de/English/office.php">Sept Solution Mobile Office</a> for that



I've already tried that and they answered me that I had to pay for the upgrade.



That you have access to the SYS and RESOURCE folders just shows me that you have a hacked phone.

Having my N95 available for hacking I've tried installing the Boingo application. However when I got trouble with it I tried again. Instead of overwriting things, files were replaced with a 01 at the back of the filename, leading to duplicates.

What I basically are trying to say is that hacked phones are more prone to have problems.

I installed QO on my N82 which previously had 5.0.2.3 and the update went fine and everything is working.
(I had to pay for the update though, 80 NOK)

Going to test the support for password protected Office 2007 files.
If they fail to open you can bet I want my money back.

My E71 is not hacked, you have access to Resource without hacking, I installed QO6 (with the same results) on my old hacked N82 to see why I had the problem with my E71, hence the reason I can tell the file names have changed, the files names haven't had a '01' added, they are different names altogther prefixed by AM_ces

Our promotion for the free upgrade to 6.0 was for customers who purchased Quickoffice Premier 5.0 from the Quickoffice website or through Quickmanager between December 1, 2008 and the release of Quickoffice Premier 6.0. These customers can upgrade their Quickoffice Premier 5.0 for free in Quickmanager (over the air catalog). The free download will only appear in Quickmanager specifically for these customers that bought during the promotion; otherwise there is an upgrade charge to purchase our latest release.


David (Quickoffice Marketing Dept.)

[xerxes]

Ok. I checked in Quickmanager and I do see the free upgrade to v6.

I'll give it a try and see if it fixes my input default problem. If it does I'll report back here.