There is a Free Open Source alternative to MS-Office. Open Office is a professional quality application suite unlike most of the open source projects I've seen. It has all the features of MS-Office and you can even open and save all the MS Document Formats. Open Office even has a couple really neat features that MS-Office doesn't have: Writer can save to PDF and Impress can save SWF (Macromedia Flash). It is currently at Version 1.1, and 2.0 is currently in development. I haven't looked very indepth at the features of this suite, but I am very impressed with it being Free Open Source and all.
| MS-Office |
Open Office Alternative |
Open Office Description |
| Word |
Writer |
Is a powerful tool for creating professional documents, reports, newsletters, and brochures. You can easily integrate images and charts in documents, create everything from business letters to complete books with professional layouts, as well as create and publish Web content. |
| PowerPoint |
Impress |
Is the fastest, most powerful way to create effective multimedia presentations. Your presentations will truly stand out with special effects, animation and high-impact drawing tools. |
| Excel |
Calc |
Is a feature-packed spreadsheet which can turn boring numbers into eye-catching information. Calculate, analyse, and visually communicate your data quickly and easily. Use advanced spreadsheet functions and decision-making tools to perform sophisticated data analysis. Use built-in charting tools to generate impressive 2D and 3D charts. |
| |
Draw |
Will produce everything from simple diagrams to dynamic 3D illustrations and special effects. |
Flash Introduction to Open Office: http://www.digitaldistribution.com/samples/openofficeintro11en.swf
For more information or to get Open Office: http://www.openoffice.org