- Quick specs
- Price: Free
- Operating system: Windows 95/98/Me/2000/XP/NT
- Date added: February 01, 2007
- Total Downloads: 372,516
- Downloads last week: 975
- See full specifications
A newer version of AbiWord is available.
(Download doesn't provide access to previous versions of this program.)
- CNET editors' rating: stars
- Average user rating: stars out of 131 votes
See all user reviews
CNET editors' review
Reviewed by: CNET Staff
This free, open-source word-processor strikes us as a worthy alternative to pricey, big-name products. AbiWord has a quick learning curve, since the interface is very similar to those in Word and WordPerfect.
You'll find just about all the features you'd expect, including the ability to cut and paste, highlight, and a bevy of common formatting tools. Although we did miss a grammar-checking utility, AbiWord can check your spelling in many languages; you'll need to choose the appropriate foreign language dictionaries during installation. A huge plus is the ability to open and save Microsoft Word documents, though the program also has its own proprietary file format. You can download plug-ins at the publisher's site to import and export a wide variety of other formats, including OpenDocument.
AbiWord should appeal to a wide range of users who seek a functional word-processing app but lack a large bank account.
Publisher's description
From AbiSource :AbiWord is a lean yet full-featured word processor. It features a familiar-looking interface, basic character formatting, paragraph alignment, a spell checker, interactive rulers and tabs, styles, unlimited undo/redo, find and replace, and image support. It can also import Microsoft Word 97 and RTF (Rich Text Format) documents, as well as support headers/footers, superscript/subscript, widow/orphan control and newspaper-style columns. Many plug-ins are available. Support for tables is currently limited.
Version 2.4.6 may include unspecified updates, enhancements, or bug fixes.
What's new in this version:
- Fix a typo in the GNOME Office Chart plugin
- Avoid crashes when objects have 0 height (related to bug 10482)
- GR_UnixGraphics::genImageFromRectangle: return NULL if x, y, w or h is invalid (related to bug 10482)
- Better chart resizing
- Add +1 to embedded run width and heights when redrawing after unselect, to ensuree the whole selection rectangle is removed
- Don't display "GNOME Office Chart" in the open dialog at all (Unix, bug 10380) see all new features
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User reviews of AbiWord 2.4.6
- Average user rating: 3.8 stars out of 131 votes
- My rating: 0 stars Write review
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Showing 5 of 17 user reviewsSee all 17 user reviews
This software version | All versions -
4 out of 6 people found this review helpful
Version: AbiWord 2.4.6
Pros: Abiword is relatively small and relatively simple. It's more capable than WordPad, and less complex than Word or WordPerfect.
Cons: Slow to load and execute, locks up and crashes often. Uncompressed default XML file format means even small documents can result in big files. The program is fairly simple, but the help files are sketchy at best.
Abiword is a good idea. Not everyone needs or wants something as somprehensive as MS Word or OpenOffice Writer. However, I found Abiword frustratingly buggy and less than reliable.
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2 out of 2 people found this review helpful
Version: AbiWord 2.4.6
"Overall better than MS Works Word Processor."
Pros: AbiWord is a very nice program because it has just about everything MS Word does. One improvement from MS Word is that it adds a Ctrl+Y redo function - in case you accidentally undo too much. Personally, I think it has a much cleaner look to it, also.
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0 out of 2 people found this review helpful
Version: AbiWord 2.4.6
"Great no Frills application..does the job admirably"
Pros: Easy to use and extremely user friendly software.Well worth downloading if you don't need the "bells and whistles" that come with a full office suite.Excellent programme !!
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1 out of 4 people found this review helpful
Version: AbiWord 2.4.6
"Good choice, but better alternitives if you're looking for a whole Office Suite."
Pros: AbiWord is light on system resources, and is compatible with Microsoft Word. It also looks and acts like Microsoft Word, making the move to AbiWord painless if you are used to working with Microsoft Word. If all you need is a word processor, not an entire office suite, AbiWord is a good choice.
Cons: The only feature that AbiWord (and most other free word processors have yet to implement) needs to become a serious contender is a grammar checker. The features list is not quite up to par with other word processors, which also hampers the rating. If your goal is to obtain an entire office suite-not just a word processor- you would be better serviced by downloading OpenOffice, instead of compiling a hodge-podge of different applications.
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1 out of 1 people found this review helpful
Version: AbiWord 2.4.6
"A basic word processor without the bells and whistles"
Pros: I have downloaded and used Abiword on several occasions. It is a good program but I find that things like headers/footers and other detail involved features when used can cause frustrating results. But for a free program that you want to say print out a quick and profressional looking document with thumbs up from me.
- See all 17 user reviews Write review
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