Libre Office on Mac: A Review of Its Compatibility Issues

If you're looking to switch from Microsoft Office to Libre Office on your Mac, you may encounter some compatibility issues that can be frustrating. In this article, we'll take a closer look at the problems you might face when using Libre Office on macOS Big Sur (11) and Catalina (10.15).

One of the main issues is the alert message you receive when trying to launch Libre Office for the first time: 'LibreOffice.app cannot be opened because the developer cannot be verified.' This warning can be misleading, as it implies that Libre Office is not trustworthy or secure.

However, if you're willing to bypass this warning, you can still open Libre Office by going into macOS's Security & Privacy prefpane and clicking on the 'Open anyway' button. But why isn't Libre Office developer-verified with Apple yet?

The download page for Apache OpenOffice, another popular office suite, offers a 'Important hints for OS X' section that promises to provide information about an OS X version. Unfortunately, this link is misleading, as it only mentions that an OS X version is 'Coming soon.'

Another issue you might encounter when using Libre Office on Mac is its compatibility with Microsoft Word files (.docx). While Libre Office can open .docx files just fine, saving changes to these files can be problematic. You may find that some formatting options are lost or altered during the save process.

In addition to this issue, Libre Office has a tendency to change font styles and sizes when opening certain types of documents (.odt). For example, if you open a document with Palatino font, it may be changed to Times New Roman. This can be frustrating for users who rely on specific font styles in their work.

While Libre Office is capable of saving files as .docx format, this format doesn't preserve all the newer Microsoft Word formatting options. As a result, you may find that some formatting is lost during the save process.

In conclusion, while Libre Office has many benefits, its compatibility issues with Mac operating systems can be frustrating for users. Until these issues are resolved, it's essential to weigh the pros and cons of using Libre Office on your Mac before making a decision.

Libre office on mac