OpenOffice.Org Tools

I've heard for a while about OpenOffice.org's suite of tools. Their tools include word processing (Writer), presentation software (Impress), spreadsheet (Calc), a database program, and a math-based application. Now I'll admit that, in the past, when I've thought about OpenOffice.org my mental picture has been something along the lines of Microsoft Works which, in my opinion, is a terrible suite of applications. But I'll also admit I've never tried OpenOffice.org.

So now I am going to install it and try it out. The reviews on the latest versions seem to be better. I am hoping that the applications work well. I like the open source concept - especially for basic applications like this. Let's face it, word processing has been around since the days of the Wang OIS and it ought to be fairly straightforward by now.

Obviously there are a lot of people out there who think that word processing and spreadsheet applications should be free or else Microsoft wouldn't spend so much on anti-piracy initiatives. So, if that's the case, a good, solid product should be able to make it. Especially if it is intuitive and works with standard file formats (Word, Excel, etc.). I'm installing OpenOffice.org tonight and I'm going to use it for my business, community, and personal work to see how it goes. I'll report back here on any significant findings as well as my overall impression in a month or so.

One last thought about OpenOffice.org's chances of getting market share. Even if OpenOffice.org's tools are better and free, they may never take the place of Microsoft's (or anyone else's) paid-for tools. People are simply resistant to change. Later in the week I'll explain be telling you about the QWERTY keyboard vs. the Dvorak keyboard.