No Downside to this Free Office Download

One of the biggest changes to computing over the past several years has been the shift towards open-source software. This open source software has made it easy for the average computer user to get great software, that is useful, for free. A great example of this is the free office download available from OpenOffice.org.

Microsoft Office did not become one of the biggest software packages of all time because it was a revolutionary product that everyone wanted. It was more a case of Microsoft Office being a product that everyone needed. After all, many people wanted to use their computer for basic tasks like writing documents, tracking their budget, and (for those in the white collar workforce) to be able to create presentations. In addition, sharing these documents required both users to have the same software. In the end, most people had Microsoft Office, so that became the de facto standard.

The Internet, and specifically the open source software movement, has changed all that. Open source software is designed to work on any platform and is in many cases free to the user. This movement has provided the first real significant challenger to Microsoft Office in quite some time. This free office download offers several features and benefits as described below.

OpenOffice.org – Free Office Download

First, Open Office comes with an entire suite of products. This includes a word processor (Writer), and spreadsheet (Calc), a presentation tool (Impress), a basic drawing program (Draw), and a way to manipulate database data (Base). Essentially, it has all the tools that the majority of users would need.

Second, Open Office is not only a free office download, but it is available on all the major computing platforms such as Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X. This enables users to share data and move files seamlessly across the operating systems without having to worry about data conversions that can possibly alter the data.

Third, Open Office is compatible with most other software files. Files created in Microsoft Office can be opened and edited with Open Office and vice versa. No longer are users restricted to the software that others have.

Last, Open Office is a quality program that contains functionality that is easy to use and most in need by the average user. The biggest criteria for software should be that it has the functionality the user needs. Any additional functionality becomes bloat and will probably never be used. Many users of programs like Microsoft and Excel never even come close to using all the functionality of the software. When evaluating any software, whether purchased or a free office download, only focus on the functionality that will be needed, not whether the software has all the bells and whistles that will never be used.

Users would be wise to check out the free office download at OpenOffice.org. In many cases, the software will have all the functionality needed and the price is right – free.