Freeware Solutions: An Office Alternative

Installing StarOffice

To download StarOffice, you'll have to visit Sun's Web site:

Download StarOffice from Sun Microsystems.

On the first page, select which version of StarOffice you want (most likely the English/Windows edition). On the next page, click Register. (We're assuming you've never downloaded or used StarOffice before. If you have, you can enter your StarOffice username and password here, if you remember it.) Now you'll get a registration form to fill out. Only the fields highlighted in red are mandatory, and you can choose some options at the end of the form that will keep your mailbox clear if you don't want to be contacted by Sun or others.

After submitting the registration form, you'll see a license agreement. Once you accept it, you'll arrive at the download page at last. Select a server from the list, then click the Download StarOffice link.

You'll notice that this is one hefty download: The English/Windows version is about 80MB. That's not much of a problem if you're on a broadband connection, but if you're connecting with a modem, you're in for a wait. You might want to let the suite download overnight.

If you experience problems grabbing all 80MB--especially over a dial-up connection-- Sun offers some pointers to help you out. As Sun suggests, you may want to use a helper application such as Download Accelerator, which can restart a file transfer where you left off if your connection is broken.

Once You've Got the File

The installer program you've downloaded has a jigsaw puzzle of a name, probably "so-5_2-ga-bin-windows-en.exe." Use My Computer or Windows Explorer to navigate your way to the folder in which you saved the file. Give the file a double-click.

A wizard will take you through the rest of the installation process, but there are a couple of gotchas that can crop up:

• You may receive a message stating, "No Java Runtime Environment was found." At this point, you can choose to either disable Java and JavaScript support in StarOffice (used mainly by the built-in Web browser) or install Sun's Java Runtime Environment. To disable Java and JavaScript, simply click OK in the dialog you're staring at. To install Java/JavaScript support, click Install. A separate setup program will launch, and when it is complete you'll return to StarOffice Setup, which will now let you know that a compatible Java Runtime Environment is installed.
  
  
• If you're going to use StarOffice's database module (by far the least friendly part of the program--we recommend it only if you're familiar with databases in general already), you need to download the Adabas database engine. There's a download link on the same Web page where you started your StarOffice download. Grab the Adabas installer and run it after you finish the main StarOffice installation program. Restart your computer before opening StarOffice and creating a database.