A lot has happened with technology during the past three years. Microsoft failed miserably with Vista, the iPhone was released, and Google continued to dominate the search engine market. In the lifespan of technology, three years is an eternity! And that’s exactly how long it’s been since the last major release of OpenOffice.org.
OpenOffice.org has released the latest version of their productivity suite, version 3.0, with the hope of providing users a clear, free alternative to Microsoft Office. Some of the new features include Mac OS X support, the ability to import, view and edit MS Office 2007/2008 for Mac files, collaboration support for document files, an updated user interface and Windows Vista support. With the addition of Mac OS X and Vista support, OpenOffice can now be installed on almost any system, including flavors of Linux and Solaris. OpenOffice contains components similar to those found in Microsoft Office such as a Writer, Calc, Impress, Base, Draw and Math application.
So, is this software ready to be used in your firm? In a word, no. We don’t recommend using open source software in a business environment. In the words of Ghostbusters, “Who Ya Gonna Call?” for support if you run into an issue? The open source community?
We know how hard it is for attorneys to restrain themselves when they find something FREE but OpenOffice is far better suited for personal use. Home computer – sure. Business computer – nope.
- John and Mike
(703) 359-0700
digitalsamurai@senseient.com
www.senseient.com
