OpenOffice 3.1 RC 1

The most widely used alternative to Microsoft Office is an open-source program called OpenOffice, which is sponsored by Sun Microsystems. OpenOffice is an entire office collection that consists of a word processor, spreadsheet, presentation, drawing, database, and some other applications. It also features Base as an alternative to Access, along with two additional applications - Draw and Math.

OpenOffice tries to match all the major features of Microsoft's program. OpenOffice can read files created in Microsoft Office, and it can create new files that can also be opened by Microsoft Office or specific files that can only be open in OpenOfficeOrg. Therefore, you could take home spreadsheets created at work using Excel, and edit them on your home computer without having to buy Office, or you can create Microsoft Office files at home and take them to work.

In practice, OpenOffice lives up to its goal to match Microsoft's product; if you're not too picky. Simple text files and spreadsheets can be moved from one program to another without any obvious changes. Still, a file transferred from OpenOffice to Microsoft Office, or vice versa, might not always work right, especially if you create complex documents, like word documents with unusual paragraph formatting or spreadsheets. You can make your documents ready for internet with its HTML export to the web feature, or publish them in PDF format to preserve the layout for printing.

Other new features in OpenOffice include multi-pane view, new custom shapes (compatible with Microsoft AutoShapes), more slide transitions, and animation effects. Enhanced PDF export, new enhanced database front-end, mail merge wizard, enhanced word count feature, support for nested tables, digital signatures support, and XForms support are also included. WordPerfect filters, 65536 rows in Calc, enhanced PivotTable support, native installers, native desktop integration, floating toolbars, and of course the open standards XML file format are also part of the multi-pane view.

OpenOffice's Writer is pretty much a modern, fully equipped word processor. It is simple enough for a quick memo and powerful enough to create complete books with diagrams and indexes, etc. You can easily create standard documents such as letters, faxes, agendas, minutes, and mail merges, which make your tasks easier and efficient. It also includes a spell checker, an auto-correct option, an auto-complete like feature, and auto formatting.

Impress is much more than a replica of MS PowerPoint with a neater and easier to understand layout. It's a truly outstanding tool for creating effective multimedia presentations. Your presentations will stand out with 2D and 3D clip art, special effects, animation, and high-impact drawing tools. A complete range of views such as drawing, outline, slides, notes, and handouts are supported to meet all the needs of presenters and audiences, plus an optional multi-pane view to put all the tools at your fingertips. The most remarkable feature of this application is its ability to export your presentations directly to Flash (SWF) animations, making them ready for publishing over the net.

Base is a new way to maintain databases, which enables you to manipulate data effortlessly within OpenOffice. You can create and modify tables, forms, queries, and reports, using either your own database or its built-in HSQL database engine. Base offers a choice of available wizards, design views, or SQL Views for beginners, intermediate, and advanced users. With Base, you can create new tables for your data and change them as your needs change. Base also supports many popular database technologies including ADO, Microsoft Access, MySQL, or any database through the industry standard ODBC and JDBC drivers. It also supports any LDAP compliant address book as well as common formats such as Outlook, Windows, and Mozilla. In short, Base is a full-fledged database manager and an excellent alternative to MS Access.

Calc is the spreadsheet program, which is an alternative to MS Excel. It's an all-purpose spreadsheet, and an easy to learn application with the conventional layout, also found in Excel. The wizards guide you through choosing and using a readily available comprehensive range of advanced spreadsheet functions.

Draw lets you create quick sketches and some complex plans. It gives you the tools to communicate with graphics and diagrams for enhanced output. Its built in styles and formatting features put all your graphics styles at your fingertips.

Math is another component of this suite, which is used to create mathematical equations and formulas for your documents. It is most commonly used as an equation editor for text documents, but it can also be used with other types of documents or as a stand-alone application. Its integration within the Writer, Calc, and Impress lets you insert the equation as an object inside these documents. It makes it easy to find a solution to these complicated calculations through automated formulas with just a few simple clicks.

Pluses: A major plus is that OpenOffice is free since it is an open source project. Among its notable improvements, we may consider the possibility of publishing documents in PDF format to preserve the layout for printing. Another remarkable feature of this application is its ability to export your presentations directly to Flash (SWF) animations.

Drawbacks / flaws: OpenOffice does not include an E-mail client and organizer similar to Outlook. This could be a major drawback for corporate clients who manage large contact databases and who need an integrated solution for e-mail clients and address book management. Another inconvenience is that Open Office is slower than its Microsoft counterpart is, when it comes to opening files. You can also notice the lack of a image scanning acquisition component.

In conclusion: OpenOffice is a multiplatform and multilingual office suite project, offering an obvious economic benefit for any individual or organization, when it comes to commercial solutions. Since it is an open-source product, OpenOffice is free, easy to use, and fluidly interoperable with every major office collection. You should download it now, regardless if you are a home or corporate user. The results are stunning.

version reviewed: 3.0 RC 1 Beta