OpenOffice.org released its long-awaited 3.0 version of this free open source office suite in October to an eager audience. Having used the 2.4.x version for quite some time, I immediately downloaded the new 3.0 release.
Apparently, I wasn't the only one that wanted to upgrade. In fact, the 3.0 release was so popular that it brought down the OpenOffice.org web site for a short time.
At first glance, OpenOffice.org 3.0 is the best release yet, and puts this software suite on an even keel with Microsoft Office. The suite includes Writer (text document), Calc (spreadsheet), Impress (presentation), Draw (drawing), Base (database) and Math (formula).
I've completely migrated to OpenOffice for my document, spreadsheet and presentation needs. I rarely use the Microsoft Office counterparts anymore except for Visio and Publisher, which I still use for specific applications.
There's nothing I've done with Microsoft Word, Excel or PowerPoint that I can't also do with OpenOffice Writer, Calc or Impress. And the best feature of all is that OpenOffice is free!
In the end, you need to judge whether OpenOffice can replace Microsoft Office in your organization. If you're concerned about containing costs, OpenOffice might help you put some of your current software licensing fees to better use.
Combine OpenOffice with a online service like Google Apps and you will have a very effective and economical collaborative solution for sharing documents. This just might be the future of desktop computing.
You can read more about OpenOffice 3.0 and download your free copy at www.openoffice.org
By Harry Hiles, HBH Technology LLC — 29 N ov 2008
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