- Quick specs
- Price: Free
- Operating system: Windows 95, Windows Me, Windows NT, Windows XP, Windows 2000, Windows 98
- Date added: September 18, 2007
- Total Downloads: 1,769,760
- Downloads last week: 13,741
- See full specifications
A newer version of OpenOffice.org is available.
(Download doesn't provide access to previous versions of this program.)
- CNET editors' rating: stars
- Average user rating: stars out of 1160 votes
See all user reviews
CNET editors' review
Reviewed by: CNET Staff
A credible rival to MS Office, OpenOffice.org includes powerful applications for making text documents, spreadsheets, presentations, diagrams, and databases, as well as HTML and XML documents. Not only does it let you edit basic documents, such as letters and faxes, it also handles equations and complex and multipart documents with bibliographies, reference tables, and indexes.
The interface is similar to that of MS Office, and even advanced Office users will find almost everything they're used to: templates, collaborative features (versions, recording changes), macros, and even a programming language. OOo, as it's known, lets you open and save documents in formats as diverse as MS Office formats, PDF, HTML, and XML. It can also import files from those formats, as well as WordPerfect and others. However, it normally saves files in the open-standard Oasis OpenDocument XML format, for maximum compatibility with other applications.
The latest versions of OpenOffice have seen a spurt of growth in the extensions available for the program. These include templates for professional writers, an export tool for bidirectional functionality with Google Docs, blog publishing, and others. Blog publishing assistance especially strikes us as a natural area for word processing to grow toward.
We were pleased to find that stability has improved too. No doubt about it, the multilingual and crossplatform OpenOffice.org is a compelling option for anyone in search of an alternative office suite.
Watch the CNET video review of OpenOffice.org:
Publisher's description
From OpenOffice.org :OpenOffice.org is both an open-source product and a project. The product is a multiplatform office productivity suite. It includes desktop applications such as a word processor, a spreadsheet program, a presentation manager, and a drawing program, with a user interface and feature set similar to those of other office suites. OpenOffice.org also works transparently with a variety of file formats, including those of Microsoft Office.
Localizations of OpenOffice.org are available in 27 languages, with more being constantly added by the community. OpenOffice.org runs on Solaris, Linux (including PPC Linux), and Windows. Written in C++ and with documented APIs licensed under the LGPL and SISSL open-source protocols, OpenOffice.org allows any knowledgeable developer to benefit from the source.
Version 2.3 adds program enhancements and unspecified bug fixes.
What's new in this version:
Version 2.3 adds program enhancements and unspecified bug fixes.
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User reviews of OpenOffice.org 2.3
- Average user rating: 4.4 stars out of 1160 votes
- My rating: 0 stars Write review
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Showing 5 of 64 user reviewsSee all 64 user reviews
This software version | All versions -
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful
Version: OpenOffice.org 2.3
Pros: Any chance youll upgrade this anytime soon to work with vista?.
Cons: See above
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Version: OpenOffice.org 2.3
"Yes, it DOES work with Vista."
Pros: First, OOo DOES work with Vista. Cnet needs to update their description. Look at the OpenOffice.org website for more accurate system requirements, etc.
I've been using OOo for more than two-and-a-half years on my own computer, while continuing to use MS Office on my PC at work (where I'm not given a choice). I've come to prefer OOo in a number of ways, mainly in word processing (which is what I need and use most). If you're accustomed to working with text frames, XML forms, multi-part and large documents, etc., OOo Writer can actually make your life easier than Word does. (And I don't have that many complaints with Word.)
The price and license terms can't be beat, of course.
Cons: OOo has a full compliment of advanced tools and functions, but is short on templates and wizards. It's probably best recommended to those who are more PC-proficient. Noobs and users who just want to perform routine tasks might be happier with the commercial software choices if their budgets allow.
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1 out of 1 people found this review helpful
Version: OpenOffice.org 2.3
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3 out of 3 people found this review helpful
Version: OpenOffice.org 2.3
"Excellent Alternative To MS Office"
Pros: For those of us who cannot afford over $1000 for Microsoft Office 2007, Open Office provides us with many of the same programs that have some of the same features.
Most of the time I use the Word Processing program. Formatting my documents is fairly simple and if you have some left over files from older versions of Microsoft Word, Open Office is able to read them with very few changes. Each version of Open Office seems to get better and better
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1 out of 1 people found this review helpful
Version: OpenOffice.org 2.3
Pros: It's free, and better than Office XP.
Cons: not much!
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