Avoiding the Office
(Credit: CNET Networks)As a Webware reader, chances are that you're already curious about using a computer without having to install pricey, boxed software. It's easy to give no-strings-attached, browser-based applications a spin, but old habits die hard--especially when it comes to word processing, spreadsheet, and presentation applications that you might use daily.
(Credit: CNET Networks)As the 2007 edition of Microsoft Office reaches stores at the end of January, there's little doubt that it will remain the most popular software of its kind, but Office is not a one-size-fits-all package. More than a handful of competitors encroach upon Redmond's territory, with lower costs or none at all. We've evaluated a bunch to spare you the legwork. Check out these updated CNET reviews:
Web-based word processors Alternatives to Microsoft Office
(Credit: CNET Networks)Browser-based options that don't cost a penny yet remain in beta testing include ThinkFree Online, Zoho, and Google Docs & Spreadsheets. And we've reviewed suites that live on your hard drive: Corel WordPerfect, Sun StarOffice, ThinkFree 3, iWork, and the free OpenOffice.
Most of these programs don't do everything that Microsoft Office can, but they might do all you need. All can open files from Office 98 through 2003, and they save work that Office 2000 through 2007 can read. So far, none of these non-Microsoft applications can read or save work from the Office 2007's new file formats.
(Credit: CNET Networks)Even if you don't want to ditch Microsoft Office altogether, its rivals can take your work where Microsoft cannot: to the Web. Online competitors to Word, Excel, and PowerPoint let you save work to an account you can access from a Web browser--a more elegant way of sending and sharing work than attaching documents to e-mail messages. Frequent flyers, take note: Zoho's free plug-in for Word and Excel lets you retrieve Office work from your online Zoho account.
never heard of a competor to Microsoft Powerpoint. What is one? And is it free?
never heard of a competor to Microsoft Powerpoint. What is one? And is it free?
I'm not anti-Microsoft. I was in I.T. sales and services for a number of years, and made money off the sales of Office. Now, however, OpenOffice is what I recommend first when asked. With such a good free alternative, MS Office's high price is increasingly hard to justify.
I have tried Open Office.org for the past month and one half.
I find it interferes with MS format and I had to delete it. I was unable to use MS spelling and all kind of anoying changes came into effect.
Am I doing something wrong? If I do, please let me know, because I would like to use a programm, that does not cost me a year of entertainment. Tina
- I've avoided it for the last year and a half...
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by Cheapster
December 16, 2006 2:10 PM PST
- When OpenOffice 2.0 came out, I became a convert, after using MS Office for over a decade. For the past 18 months I've used OOo, and have come to prefer it to its MS counterpart.
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by trixy999
December 16, 2006 5:08 PM PST
- I have been using MS 2000 for the past 5 years.
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(12 Comments)I'm not anti-Microsoft. I was in I.T. sales and services for a number of years, and made money off the sales of Office. Now, however, OpenOffice is what I recommend first when asked. With such a good free alternative, MS Office's high price is increasingly hard to justify.
I have tried Open Office.org for the past month and one half.
I find it interferes with MS format and I had to delete it. I was unable to use MS spelling and all kind of anoying changes came into effect.
Am I doing something wrong? If I do, please let me know, because I would like to use a programm, that does not cost me a year of entertainment. Tina