DIGITAL ORIGINAL
software has been around a long time and
users are finding it is as feature rich as
Microsoft Office. More importantly, open
source products support the common
document file types, including Microsoft
file formats.
Most free or open source alternatives to
Microsoft Office have the basic applications for office productivity: word processing, spreadsheets, and presentations.
Several of the alternatives provide more,
including drawing applications, database
tools, and storage options.
The top free programs to look at
include ApacheOpenOffice, LibreOffice,
GoogleDocs, and NeoOffice.
Apache OpenOffice and LibreOffice are
built on the same open source code. They
let you save documents in the OpenDocument format, read Microsoft Word
documents, and save your work in the
Word format and standard Excel formats.
Both suites include a word processor, a
spreadsheet application, a presentation
application, an image application, and a
database tool. Both support the Microsoft
Windows, GNU/Linux, and Mac OS X
operating systems and have third-par-
ty extensions and templates available.
LibreOffice offers additional functionality, including PDF import, a presentation
minimizer, and a Wiki publisher.
NeoOffice has most of the same features
found in OpenOffice, but it focuses on
Mac users. The newest version supports
OS X 10.8 and integrates into the OS X
interface and use of Mac OS X fonts and
printing services. It also provides support
for a fee.
GoogleDocs is available to anyone with
a Google account so they can create,
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QUICK PRINTING / May 2013
share, and collaborate on the Web. It has
tools for documents, spreadsheets, presentations, drawings, and forms, all centrally stored and accessed via the cloudbased storage service Google Drive.
Software is changing. You can expect
standalone software packages to start disappearing as online delivery becomes
common. Subscriptions provide a consistent revenue stream for software companies. You may end up paying more for
the software over the life of the product,
but you should gain so many advantages
it will be worth it. You will also see additional free open source software options
come on the scene. In the end, the user
will benefit. ◗◗
John Giles is a consultant and technology
director for CPrint International. He is the
author of "12 Secrets for Digital Success" and
"The DTP PriceList". He can be reached at
954-224-1942 or john@cprint.org. You can
also find John on Twitter at @JohnG247 and
LinkedIn. Read his blog at www.MyPRINTResource.com/blogs/john-giles. Order John's
books from Crouser & Associates (MyPRINTResource.com/10004688).
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