OpenOffice 3.4 - Best Free Alternative To MS Office

OpenOffice is a full-featured office suite that comes as a more affordable alternative to the popular Microsoft Office. OpenOffice brings alternative solutions for each major tool bundled into Microsoft's very own suite, which means that you can switch to this application even if you are a fan of MS Word, Excel, Power Point or Access.

OpenOffice has them all, obviously under a different name, but boasting almost the same powerful functions as Microsoft’s software package. The installer allows you to select which components you wish to drop on your computer; OpenOffice lets you install only the things you need, so checking them twice before clicking them is highly recommended.

Using OpenOffice is quite easy after you get used to the menus and the places functions are located. Sure, it might be a bit overwhelming for first-time users, but it’s only the way such a complex application may interact with its users. There are a lot of buttons everywhere you look, so it’s only a matter of time until you get used to it.

"Writer" is a part of the suite designed as a direct replacement for Microsoft Word. It comes with spell checking, it allows you to insert tables, pictures, files or graphs into new documents, change formatting, build macros, switch to another language or even install extensions from the same rich interface.

OpenOffice "Calc", Excel's equivalent, has everything you need, be it spreadsheet functions, filters, forms, charts and drawings. OpenOffice "Impress" component, on the other hand, challenges PowerPoint and relies on a wide assortment of built-in animations and effects to make your presentations more appealing.

OpenOffice comprises all the necessary tools to become your office suite of choice. It is reliable, easy to use and runs very smooth, even on older computers.

Apache OpenOffice.org Writer - The powerful word processor:

· The powerful word processor
· Wizards to produce standard documents such as letters, faxes, agendas, minutes.
· Styles and Formatting to put the power of style sheets into the hands of every user.
· AutoCorrect dictionary, which can check your spelling as you type.
· AutoComplete to make typing easy
· Text frames and linking for newsletters, flyers, etc..
· Table of contents, index for complex documents
· OpenDocument and MS-Word .doc format compatible

Apache OpenOffice.org Impress - Impress your audience:

· Master Pages and Layouts simplify the task of preparing your materials.
· Complete range of Views are supported: Normall / Outlline / Slide Sorter / Notes / Handouts to meet all the needs of presenters and audiences.
· Easy-to-use drawing and diagramming tools to spice up your presentation.
· Slide show Animation and Effects to bring a presentation to life.
· Fontworks provides stunning 2D and 3D images from text.
· OpenDocument and MS-Powerpoint .ppt file format compatibility

Apache OpenOffice.org Calc - The full-featured spreadsheet:

· Natural language formulas let you create formulas using words (e.g. "sales - costs").
· Hundreds of spreadsheet functions with built-in expert help
· Scenario Manager allows "what if ..." analysis at the touch of a button.
· Powerful graphics to extract the meaning from your numbers
· Pull in data from external databases with DataPilot technology
· OpenDocument and MS-Excel .xls file format compatibility

Requirements:

· 256 Mbytes RAM (512 MB RAM recommended)
· At least 650 Mbytes available disk space for a default install (including a JRE) via download. After installation and deletion of temporary installation files, OpenOffice.org will use approximately 440 Mbytes disk space
· 1024 x 768 or higher resolution with at least 256 colours

Download OpenOffice 3.4 for Windows (144 MB)

Download OpenOffice 3.4 For MAC (170 MB)