Change the Default File Format in Lotus Symphony
If you've followed our advice and installed Lotus Symphony, you've no doubt discovered that it's a damn fine Microsoft Office substitute -- especially considering that it costs zero dollars.
Just one problem: By default, Symphony creates new documents in the Open Document format, which, while perfectly fine, isn't exactly business-friendly.
Fortunately, there's a simple way to strong-arm Symphony into saving new documents in Office format instead. Because, trust me, you'll either forget to do it manually or quick get annoyed by the hassle of it. Here's how:
- Click File, Preferences.
- Click the Load and Save option in the Preferences list.
- Click the pull-down under Select the file types to automatically create with IBM Lotus Symphony, then choose Microsoft Office 97-2003.
- Click Apply, then OK, and you're done!
Now, although you'll still see a filename like New Document 2.odt when you create a new doc, Symphony will automatically save it in .doc format.
Unfortunately, as you've no doubt guessed, Symphony still lacks support for saving the newer Office 2007 formats (though it can open them). But look at the bright side: the older formats are more universally accepted anyway.