Open Office.org is an online suite of apps similar to Microsoft Office Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. To download to your computer is free. It also appears to be very compatible with Microsoft Office. You can transfer or copy and paste information from one app to the other in most cases. I also found that documents can be converted to PDF format with Open Office.org.
Disclosure time - I bought a PC from a guy off Craigs List. I test drove it before purchasing, and everything worked fine, including all Microsoft Office apps. Four months after taking the pc home, a notice appeared that the trial version of Microsoft Office had expired and I would have to purchase the suite (which is costly). Needless to say, I was a bit miffed by this revelation. With Open Office.org (OOo), no purchase is necessary nor are there any compliance or licensing issues. Big bonus!!
Okay, I had to download OOo to explore and learn for myself what it's all about. The advantages mentioned above hold true. The only downside to OOo that I can determine is in time management. The app takes a little longer to open and to save than does Microsoft Office programs. It's not a big deal except that we've been spoiled on the timelessness that it takes to perform these functions with Microsoft Office. It's kind of like going from dsl back to dial-up, but no where near that extreme.
OOo is a viable and excellent alternative to purchasing Microsoft Office, if you want to save some cash. Newer versions are continually being produced in an effort to keep up with current trends so it seems that OOo will be around for a long time.
Servin Up Some
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I see in the future we won't purchase microsoft office...but just use the on-line tools...boy will you be ahead...
ReplyDeleteIf you need to purchase microsoft office...educators and students get a discount....helps to make it a little more affordable.
I've been using the open office software for about a year or so...almost as good as microsoft...and the fact that you can save it in microsoft format means no one knows you don't have it.