OpenOffice.org - Free Office Software

Did you know there is a very good free office program available?

I used to use MS Office until I found the free OpenOffice.org office suite software about 5 years ago. I work on computers every day and I run my own business. I need to be able to write letters and faxes. I need to be able to open documents made in Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and so on.

Why I tried OpenOffice.org and like it.

I was using MS Office and was getting annoyed every time I had to install a service pack for it. The service pack would be a huge file to download and when installing, it would ask for the program CD every time. Once I put in CD #1 it would complete half way, then ask for CD #2, sometimes even ask for CD #1 again! Why did it need the CD? What a pain. Also, there are critical updates available frequently to address vulnerabilities so you have to repeat this monotony almost monthly.

Then I found OpenOffice.org. I found it could do everything I was using MS Office for. Best of all, OpenOffice.org 3 can be downloaded and used entirely free of any license fees. OpenOffice.org 3 is released under the LGPL license. This means you may use it for any purpose – domestic, commercial, educational, public administration. You may install it on as many computers as you like. You may make copies and give them away to family, friends, students, employees – anyone you like.

For people used to other office software, OpenOffice.org 3 is a pleasant surprise. It’s so straightforward! Studies have proved it is easier (and cheaper) to move to OpenOffice.org 3 from Microsoft Office than it is to upgrade to Microsoft’s latest Office 2007. Because OpenOffice.org is one piece of software, everything works consistently between applications. You don’t even have to know which application was used to create a document – OpenOffice.org 3 will use the correct one.

I can install OpenOffice.org for you

I install OpenOffice.org as part of my Computer Tune-Up service.
While I am performing a Computer Tune-Up, I will check to see if you already have a licensed MS Office installed. If you do I usually leave it, but if you don’t, I will install OpenOffice.org for you. When you pick up the computer, I show you OpenOffice.org on your computer and explain that it can open Word, PowerPoint, and Excel files someone may send you.

Many new computers come with a MS Office 60 Day Trial, but after the 60 days, it stops working unless you purchase a license key. I have found that many of my customers have the expired trial, so I uninstall that and install OpenOffice.org.
Call Mike to arrange a Computer Tune-Up, or to Install OpenOffice.org by Remote Support. Mike Challis

Tags: open office, open source

This entry was posted on Tuesday, June 16th, 2009 at 6:10 am and is filed under Software. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.