1. Free of charge
OpenOffice.org is being distributed completely free of charge. The cost is not zero, of course, as you have to somehow pay for downloading it, but it is nothing in comparison with what Microsoft wants for its products. All updates and new versions of OpenOffice.org are also free of charge.
2. Open source
OpenOffice.org is open source software. That means that a lot of people around the World are constantly making it better and better. Releases, in their turn, appear when the critical number of improvements is done, not when the marketing people of Microsoft decide to finally bless the users with another patch.
3. Cross-platform compatibility
OpenOffice.org runs on both Windows and Linux platforms. Just download the necessary version and enjoy the same rich functionality on any platform you like. Regardless of the operation system you use the same interface, the same file formats and the same documents. Isn’t it convenient? It surely is!
4. Portability
A revolutionary feature of OpenOffice.org is opportunity to download portable version, write it to some flash or optical medium and keep it in your pocket to use on any computer you meet on your way. Can you imagine doing so with Microsoft Office? Not in this life, but in some better World, probably.
5. Upgrades to open-source applications are also free
You don’t have to pay for upgrades to OpenOffice.org. Just download them free of charge. New releases are free either. New releases of OpenOffice.org appear once in several months, while Microsoft’s updates are issued once in two or three years.
6. Support owns OpenDocument format.
OpenOffice.org uses OpenDocument format, which is getting increasingly popular day by day. Its files are smaller than those of Microsoft Office. Support of the xml based formats also means a lot in our today Internet-centered world.
7. Faster operation performance.
OpenOffice.org has a simple, user-friendly and fast menu interface with a high performance. You shouldn't wait a few seconds to open multipage document or large size file. OpenOffice.org also consumes less PC resources, that is why all its applications run faster and more effectively.
8. More convenient writing
OpenOffice.org Writer, having all the features of powerful word processor, is simple and understandable. It takes no time to start working with it and all necessary functions are readily available. Letters, leaflets, memos and any other documents have never been faster to create and edit.
It even outdoes Microsoft Word in terms of graphics, which is more convenient and predictable: there are no crazy canvasses that first scare everything out of a user and then simply disappear, leaving him/her wandering what had he/she just done wrong.
9. Friendlier interface and easy to understand
OpenOffice.org took everything best from used-to-be-the-best Microsoft interfaces, but threw overboard all their today extravagancies that are learned longer than used. Although more traditional, the interface of OpenOffice.org is equal to that of Microsoft Office and, in some aspects, is better in terms of usability and friendliness.
10. More efficient calculations
OpenOffice.org Calc is faster, simpler to use and less demanding in terms of memory and disk space. It excels in calculation functions available, and its flexibility in fine-tuning of diagrams is outstanding. Calc also has several very useful and convenient data filtering features, which makes it a good balanced choice for anyone who needs a reliable and opportunity-rich spreadsheet.
Comments
I totally agree. Open-Office now trumps the Microsoft Suite in every aspect. Money was my first issue, but after a time I learned it was better in so many more ways. Being a student, I jumped on this and I am not changing until another open source suite takes its place but that is unlikely. Cheers to the great article!
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