OpenOffice.Org a free alternative to Microsoft Office Suite
One of the ways I save money is by utilizing the vast amount of Open Source freeware available.
I’ve decided to start a series of blog entries dedicated to the Software I use. I know that this has been done before by many bloggers… But, there are still a few people who may not have come across this information.
For example; rather than pay $149.95 for the least expensive version of Microsoft Office… I use OpenOffice.Org.
I admit that I was skeptical at first as to whether or not it could stand up to it’s well known competitor. At this time… the only inconvenience I had was having to remember to save the file in a *.doc format before sending it off to an Office user. But, I discovered that you can set the *.doc format as a default!!
The main components of the OpenOffice.org Suite are:
Writer wordprocessor (screenshot);
Calc spreadsheet (screenshot);
Impress for presentations (screenshot);
Draw for graphics (screenshot);
Base database (screenshot).
Personally I like this program over other Free or Cheap Office Suites because it is available whether you are connected to the internet or not. Google offers a solution to the Office Suite with their Google Docs product. There is a product by ZOHO that is similiar to Google Docs and you can access it with your Google account login. But, if you are not online… you are not on ZOHO! This is also an issue if you have a slow connection via WiFi or Aircard.
Don’t get me wrong… there is a benefit to working on your documents online. They are saved online… you can access them anywhere as long as you can get online. You can share them easily as well. You don’t have to worry about attachment size limitations when e-mailing the document. I just hate to be caught with my pants down if I can’t get online.
With WIFI becoming more widely available I might change my mind really soon.
Well you have my two cents on the matter… what do you prefer?
