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Software602 Suite Is Now Free

Downsized alternative to Microsoft Office includes a word processor, spreadsheet, and photo editor.

By James Evans, IDG News   

The suite--which includes a word processor, a spreadsheet, and a photo editor--can be downloaded from the company's Web site. Its predecessor cost $49.95.

The word processor, called 602Text, and the spreadsheet, called 602Tab, both support Microsoft Office file formats. The photo editor, 602Photo, supports a majority of the graphics and Internet image formats used today. It runs on the Windows 9x, NT, and 2000 operating systems and is designed for both commercial and noncommercial use.

Unlike other free software, the 13MB suite does not feature any advertising, says Software602 President Premysl Pech. Consumers are not obligated to register the suite, but registration entitles the consumer to discounts for other Software602 products and to a newsletter. Customer information gathered is only used within Software602, he says.

Software602 seeks to profit from selling software add-ons to extend the suite's functionality, as well as from selling technical support contracts.

Software602 came about from a group of university students in Prague who, in the mid-1980s, formed a government-approved software club. The programmers received government registration number 602, hence Software602.