Using an open-source office suite like OpenOffice can help you save money. It is an alternative to Microsoft’s Office suite and offers features compatible with Windows. However, there are some disadvantages.
Apache OpenOffice
Developed by the Apache Software Foundation, Apache OpenOffice is an open-source office productivity suite that offers a variety of word processing and spreadsheet programs. It can also read and save files from various office software packages. This means that users can choose which components they want to use and keep their work in the format they prefer.
Apache OpenOffice is available for both Linux and Windows. Its features include word processing, spreadsheets, graphics, presentations, and databases. It has an easy-to-use user interface and is easy to learn. It can be downloaded for free and supports multiple languages.
Its primary purpose is to provide an alternative to Microsoft Office. It can do almost all the same things as Microsoft Office and is compatible with many industry-standard file formats. In addition, the files can be exported to various forms, including PDF, and shared with others quickly.
The software is free to download and install, and users can install it on as many computers as they want. It offers a friendly user interface and is suitable for older and newer computers.
Go-oo
OOo is a fork of the popular free office suite OpenOffice. The OOo name is a bit of a misnomer, however. Instead of being a fork of OpenOffice, Go-oo is an open-source alternative to the OOo suite.
Go-oo offers some excellent features, such as a built-in pdf-converter and multimedia framework. It also has a 3D slide transition in Impress. It supports various file formats, including XLS, DOCX, and PPTX. It also includes VBA macro support. It also supports EMF rendering and natively supports SVG files.
OOo has been a part of most open-source desktop initiatives. It’s also been a target of accusations that Sun is too controlling of the project. OOo has a tiny circle of developers, and developers who contribute to OOo rarely have much contact with their colleagues.
The Document Foundation is a fork of the go-oo in the OOo suite, but it’s not just about the code. The foundation has a list of goals and a member list.
Similarities to Microsoft Office
Compared to MS Office, Open Office is a popular office software suite. It includes a word processor, a spreadsheet application, and a presentation tool. In addition, it’s free and available for public use.
The spreadsheet application in Open Office is called Excel. It supports several file formats, including XLS and XLSX, DOC and DOCX, and ODP. In addition, the application includes an equation editor called Math.
MS Office includes Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Each application is designed to do specific tasks. Each of the three applications is also able to perform other tasks.
In addition to Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, the suite includes Publisher, InfoPath, and Visio. These applications are designed to work with other Office applications and can be used to create charts, graphs, and different presentations.
Microsoft also offers a cloud storage solution called SkyDrive, which allows users to access and edit documents from any computer. It’s an online storage system that automatically saves documents as they are edited. This makes the file size less of an issue.
Disadvantages
Besides the many advantages of using an open office, there are also some disadvantages. Some of these disadvantages may be unavoidable, while others can be prevented.
The main disadvantage of open offices is visual noise. Depending on the layout of your office, employees are bombarded by all kinds of stimuli. The noise of typing, clicking typewriters, ringing telephones, and overhearing conversations are all more distracting than meaningless background noise.
Another disadvantage is the lack of privacy. This may limit face-to-face interactions. Some people are embarrassed to ask a question or pitch an idea. Others are afraid to be laughed at.
An open office may also create a sense of impersonality. In addition, the lack of privacy can make it difficult to coordinate work. This is especially true when employees are grouped.
A study by IPSOS and Steelcase found that 95% of workers value privacy. This may help to boost job satisfaction. Studies have also shown that job satisfaction correlates closely with psychological privacy.
