OpenOffice.org is the open source (free) alternative to Microsoft Office. I know that this seems like a cheap out doing both a Mac and a Windows download together, but this one is certainly worthy. OpenOffice is standard software that we install on all of our new computers at the lab. Our office needs for the most part are slight and I always found swallowing the $300+ price tag of MS Office to be very difficult.
Given it's ability to open, edit and save in to MS Office formats without the high price tag of a Microsoft suite is the huge claim to fame for this software. It's OpenOffice formats are gaining in popularity, but native MS Office files are still the worldwide standard in office files. While OpenOffice is missing any kind of an Outlook replacement it certainly covers the other major applications in the MS suite. Here is how the two compare:
OpenOffice Writer –> Word
OpenOffice Impress –> Powerpoint
OpenOffice Base –> Access
OpenOffice Calc –> Excel
OpenOffice also includes a Draw program which I will admit that I have never even used. Of the four listed above I use them all, with Writer and Calc being my most heavily used. Keeping in mind that I am a photographer and photo lab manager, not an accountant I have yet to run in to any kind of compatibility issue at all. Everything that I have been sent, and everything that I have created and saved in to MS format has just worked.
I also don't mind the missing Outlook alternative since I have started using Google Apps for my domain email hosting. The online nature of the service coupled with a local download of all mail in to the equally open source Thunderbird email client and I haven't opened Outlook in about 3 months. I keep my calendar now in my Treo and sync to Palm Desktop for a local backup.
The official OpenOffice release for Mac OS X is an X11 package and as is typical in this scenario it is barely usable. NeoOffice is a full Aqua port of OpenOffice for Mac and is actually seeing faster releases than the main OO.org releases. Follow the links below for more information or to download either.
OpenOffice for Windows & Linux
NeoOffice for OS X – Aqua
Powered by Zoundry
Filed under: Download - Mac, Download - Windows
