Open Office is a free open-source office suite that not only
competes with Microsoft Office, but can open and save Microsoft
Office file formats. It was created using code developed by Sun
Microsystems for their Star Office product. Open Office includes
a word processor, spreadsheet, presentation manager, drawing
application and several other applications. There are versions
for Windows, Linux, Mac, and Solaris.
Open Office is easy to use because the interface is similar to
other office suites. Naturally, the first thing I had to try was
the drawing program. Within seconds I was able to create 3D
textured text and complex textured 3D objects.
Why switch to Open Office? Because now is the time to free
yourself from Microsoft's Monopoly. If you are not prepared to
jump right to Linux, Open Office makes a good transition. You
can work with Microsoft Office file formats in Open Office. Then
when you switch to the Linux, you can continue to work with
Microsoft Office file formats in Open Office.
At the OpenOffice.org website, www.openoffice.org, there are
links to download version 1.0, and version 1.1 beta2. Version
1.1 adds PDF and Macromedia Flash export; DockBook, PDA
offic-file formats, and flat XML and XHTML.
When you click on the link to download a version for your
operating system, you are taken to a chart of FTP servers
hosting the download. For example, if you are located in the USA
you would click on the Indiana U link.
If your operating system is Windows, you download a 60 MB zip
file. With a 56K modem, it might take three hours to download.
You'll need a zip file extraction utility to uncompress the
download. The most popular zip file extractor for Windows is
WinZip. You can download the WinZip trial version from
www.winzip.com
The Linux version comes in a 70 MB "tarball". With Linux, you
can open a terminal window and use the "tar" command to
uncompress the download. Both versions come with an easy to use
setup program. If installing on a multi-user system, like
Windows 2000 or Linux, make sure you are logged in with
Administrator rights before you install the program.
During installation, Open Office may inform you that it can't
find a Java runtime environment. Certain features require a Java
Runtime environment to function. I don't know what features
those are (not the 3D textured graphics) You could go to Suns
Java Website, java.sun.com, to download and install the Java
Runtime environment before you install Open Office.
You can continue to work with Microsoft Office file formats
without the excessive cost and frequent crashes. Open Office is
easy to use and you can even create 3D textured text and complex
textured 3D objects. Download this powerful and free open-source
office suite today.
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