Open Office

http://www.openoffice.org/

Opens / Saves MSOffice documents, such as word documents, spreadsheets, etc.

Anyway, the fancy thing is you can export your files to a PDF, which doesn't have any adverts or watermarks on it.

Useful for people who like to write downloadable tutorials.

I'm surprised they havn't been issued with a cease and desist by Microdoft. Grab it while you can.

This has been around for a long time, and there's no hurry; it will probably continue to exist in every large distribution of random free software to come.

Good to post the link, though :)

For those using it: you can launch OpenOffice in a fraction of the time, by unchecking the 'Java runtime environment' under Tools -> Options -> Openoffice.org -> Java

Some plugins can use Java, but you're unlikely to have any of these and disabling it makes a big difference in how long it takes to launch OOo.

Yeah you're a bit late to the OpenOffice party dude :)

I guess the thing with open source software is that there isn't really a person or organisation to issue a C and D notice to? Or am i talking rubbish?

@xlsior good tip!

I've been using this for a while but only realised how useful the PDF export was recently.

I suppose if they wanted to, MS could just issue a cease and desist to the owners of the website. As long as they get someone, I bet Bill Gates would be happy.

Didn't MS open up a lot of their file formats as part of it's new caring sharing image (AKA trying to allay any more antitrust suits)?

Last I heard, that's one of the big issues that they are still holding back on big time. They had a nice little PR campaign where they announced they would allow people to view the actual source code for a fee, claiming to go 'above and beyond' the demands of the European Union's anti-trust lawsuit rulings, but in general they are just ignoring things again, like all along.
File format specifications and API's are a lot more important than being able to view the sourcecode, and they've been fighting the release of that info tooth and nail.

The last couple of office releases have each used slightly different file formats. Originally MS published their specs, but haven't in many years. The support for .doc and .xls and such in competing products at the moment, is all by reverse engineering office documents. They have a very high compatibility level, but still not a 100%.


Another point of how 'open' they want to be, is Microsoft's very vocal disappreoval of the OpenDocument fileformat, which is supposedly intended to be a new universal 'generic' format to enable information exchange between office suits. A bunch of the other vendors have rallied behind it, but Microsoft has pretty much announced they won't support it, regardless of how many requests they get for it.

It's important to remember that Microsoft's monopoly is build on lock-in -- essentially they hold you hostage by locking up your information and making it a major hassle to switch to competing products. Opening up file specifications is one of the biggest dangers in their mind, since it would open up the door for people to leave to a competitor.

Ah...It must of been the source code thing I was thinking of then.

I have been using this for a while, and wondered why it was starting up so slow.

Thanks xlsior - the Java tip really helped.