Tools For Writers: OpenOffice The Free Alternative To Microsoft Word

Filed under Tools For Writers.

This series looks at Tools For Writers that will help you to write more effectively and improve your chances of producing a publishable book. They will also help you to avoid wasting time with less effective tools that may have become outdated.

Microsoft Word is the industry standard when it comes to word processing. However, Word, or Microsoft Office to be more precise, is expensive and beyond the budgets of many writers. If you find yourself looking for an alternative to Microsoft Word, I would suggest you look no further than OpenOffice.

Advantages

  • OpenOffice is FREE.
  • It is fully featured offering most of the utilities that you will find in Microsoft Office.
  • Word processed documents can be saved in .doc format (therefore can be opened in Word).
  • It is compatible with Mac and Windows.

Disadvantages

  • Its not Microsoft Office, which I find to be just that little bit slicker and well-presented.
  • To be honest, I struggled to come up with negatives about this amazing free software.

Next Step

You can download OpenOffice for free from their website.

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  • http://lifeinclarity.blogspot.com/ Rebecca Bradley

    I use Open Office and can’t see any problems with it. None that I have come up against so far anyway. A great software document for free.

  • http://lifeinclarity.blogspot.com/ Rebecca Bradley

    I use Open Office and can’t see any problems with it. None that I have come up against so far anyway. A great software document for free.

  • http://twitter.com/cillaclare PC Wheeler

    I’ve always used Open Office until I started writing in Google Docs. I found that Office has all the features, bells and whistles, but when writing a first draft, those aren’t really needed. Docs offers me a way to keep my files on ‘the cloud’ and accessible from any computer with an internet connection.

  • http://twitter.com/cillaclare PC Wheeler

    I’ve always used Open Office until I started writing in Google Docs. I found that Office has all the features, bells and whistles, but when writing a first draft, those aren’t really needed. Docs offers me a way to keep my files on ‘the cloud’ and accessible from any computer with an internet connection.

  • http://www.DyspepsiaGeneration.com Tim of Angle

    The thing I dislike about Open Office’s spreadsheet program is that, unlike Microsoft Excel, one cannot drag a value from one cell to another. I use that so often that it’s a deal-breaker for me.

  • http://www.DyspepsiaGeneration.com Tim of Angle

    The thing I dislike about Open Office’s spreadsheet program is that, unlike Microsoft Excel, one cannot drag a value from one cell to another. I use that so often that it’s a deal-breaker for me.

  • http://twitter.com/dreamfantastic Dream Fantastic

    I prefer google docs as well, due to the limitations in formatting of OO word, and the severe limitations of the spreadsheet program. The wonderful thing with Google docs is that you have your file ALWAYS available from any computer, and you can share it with other people. If you do so, it will track changes and revisions! So no accidentally losing a piece from saving over top of an old version.

  • http://twitter.com/dreamfantastic Dream Fantastic

    I prefer google docs as well, due to the limitations in formatting of OO word, and the severe limitations of the spreadsheet program. The wonderful thing with Google docs is that you have your file ALWAYS available from any computer, and you can share it with other people. If you do so, it will track changes and revisions! So no accidentally losing a piece from saving over top of an old version.

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