A free, Open Source alternative to Microsoft Office

As the name suggests, OpenOffice.org is the most open office suite available:

IMPRESS is the fastest, most powerful way to create effective multimedia presentations. Your presentations will truly stand out with special effects, animation and high-impact drawing tools.

WRITER is OpenOffice.org’s word processor: use it for anything from writing a quick letter to producing an entire book with embedded illustrations, cross-references, tables of contents, indexes, bibliographies... Auto-complete, auto-format, and real-time spelling check make light work of the hardest task. Writer is powerful enough to tackle desktop publishing tasks just like creating multi-column newsletters, brochures – the just limit is your imagination.

In addition, OpenOffice.org offers enhanced printing capabilities and options for direct connection with external email programs as well as form-letter management to send letters to addresses from a database.

Use CALC to bring your numbers under control. This powerful spreadsheet has all the tools you need to calculate, analyse, summarise, and present your data in numerical reports or sizzling graphics. A fully-integrated help system makes entering complex formulas a breeze. Sophisticated decision-making tools are just a few mouse clicks away. Pull in external data using the Data Pilot, and sort it, filter it, and produce subtotals and statistical analyses. Use previews to select from thirteen categories of 2-D and 3-D charts including line, area, column, pie, XY, stock and net with dozens of variants.

DRAW will produce everything from simple diagrams to dynamic 3D illustrations and special effects.

OpenOffice.org is a free, Open Source alternative to MS Office with a Word compatible word processor, a complete Excel compatible spread sheet program and a Power Point like presentation software and drawing program and as well permits to save to PDF file.

• it’s easy to change to OpenOffice.org - the software reads all major competitors’ files
• the software looks and feels familiar and is instantly usable by anyone who has used a competitive product
• with a completely open development process, OpenOffice.org has nothing to hide - the product stands or falls on its reputation OpenOffice.org is friendly
• hundreds of thousands of users have participated in the beta testing of version 2
• the roots of OpenOffice.org go back twenty years, creating a huge wealth of experience
• the source code for the software is freely available under a full OSI certified licence OpenOffice.org is synonymous with quality
• the first office suite to comply with the OASIS OpenDocument format
• available on all major computing platforms
• no language barriers - if it’s not yet available in your language, the chances are it will be soon
• no commercial licences or software compliance issues to worry about

· OpenOffice.org is supported by a global community of friendly volunteers, just too happy to provide assistance to newcomers and advanced users alike

These are the main features of this software

OpenOffice.org writer - The powerful word processor

• Pull in data from external databases with DataPilot technology
• Powerful graphics to extract the meaning from your numbers
• Scenario Manager permits "what if ..." analysis at the touch of a button.
• Hundreds of spreadsheet functions with built-in expert help
• Natural language formulas let you create formulas using words (e.g. "sales - costs").
• OpenDocument and MS-Powerpoint .ppt file format compatibility OpenOffice.org calc - The full-featured spreadsheet
• Fontworks provides stunning 2D and 3D images from text.
• Slide show Animation and Effects to bring a presentation to life.
• Easy-to-use drawing and diagramming tools to spice up your presentation.
• Complete range of Views are supported: Normall / Outlline / Slide Sorter / Notes / Handouts to meet all the needs of presenters and audiences.
• Master Pages and Layouts simplify the task of preparing your materials.
• OpenDocument and MS-Word .doc format compatible OpenOffice.org impress - Impress your audience
• Table of contents, index for complex documents
• Text frames and linking for newsletters, flyers, etc..
• AutoComplete to make typing easy
• AutoCorrect dictionary, that can check your spelling as you type.
• Styles and Formatting to put the power of style sheets into the hands of every user.
• Wizards to produce standard documents just like letters, faxes, agendas, minutes.
• The powerful word processor

· OpenDocument and MS-Excel .xls file format compatibility

Requirements for this software

• 200 Mbytes available disk space
• 128 Mbytes RAM

· 800 x 600 or higher resolution with at least 256 colours