Unbelievable as it may seem, Microsoft Office is not the only game in town.
Several alternative office productivity suites are doggedly hanging on, despite the fact that Microsoft Office owns more than 90 percent of the application suite market. And while no other package is as intuitive, comprehensive, and feature-laden as Microsoft Office, all offer a common benefit: A much, much lower price. In fact, you can find at least two full-featured office suites--E-Press EasyOffice 6.9 and OpenOffice.org 1.1.2--that are absolutely free. Here's a rundown of some packages you might want to check out.
Corel WordPerfect Office 12 Standard Edition
This XML-savvy productivity suite provides word processing, spreadsheet, and presentation software. Its compatibility with Microsoft apps has improved. Expect to pay $300 for this well-established suite; for specs and ordering information, go to Corel's site.
What's Missing: Graphics and e-mail applications.
E-Press EasyOffice 6.9
E-Press's astonishingly complete package offers compatibility with Microsoft Office and applications ranging from word processing to e-mail, graphics, and HTML software. Its quirky interface may aggravate some people, but you can't beat the price: It's free for downloading, or $40 for a licensed CD-ROM version. Go to the E-Press site for details.
What's Missing: A consistent interface.
Lotus SmartSuite Millennium Edition 9.8
SmartSuite has its critics, but this $202 package delivers word processing, spreadsheet, presentation, database, and personal information management applications. Any business that uses Lotus Notes should give SmartSuite a close look. For buying information, go to IBM's Lotus SmartSuite site.
What's Missing: An e-mail client.
Microsoft Works 7.0
Microsoft has its own suite alternative. Microsoft Works ($55) includes word processing, spreadsheet, database, and calendar and addressing applications. For details and buying information, go to Microsoft's Works 7.0 page.
What's Missing: Advanced features found in other alternative suites.
OpenOffice.org 1.1.2
An open-source offshoot of Sun StarOffice 5.2, OpenOffice.org 1.1.2 makes extensive use of XML to provide good file compatibility with Microsoft Office and other applications. But as you might expect, this free suite has a few rough edges. For more information, and to download the suite, go to the OpenOffice.org site.
What's Missing: A vendor to go to for support.
Sun StarOffice 7
Sun Microsystems' nicely rounded suite has improved significantly over the past two years. StarOffice 7 includes graphics and database applications and offers strong compatibility with Microsoft Office apps. At $75 to $80, the price is right, and it runs on Linux, Solaris, and Windows. For specs and purchasing information, go to Sun's StarOffice page.
What's Missing: An e-mail client.
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