As promised, I have posted a full review of the recently released OpenOffice.org version 3. I used it for the last two weeks for all my word processing needs, and I am very impressed. There were very few instances that I became frustrated with the software, and since it can open and save in Microsoft Office file format, I had no issues sharing documents with other people. As I used it, I never once found myself wishing for Microsoft Office or Apple's iWork—it did everything I need and much more.

For the past year, I used prior versions of OpenOffice.org on my Windows machines for all my office needs, but up until this new version, Mac support for OpenOffice.org had not been fully implemented. This new version brings native support for the Mac platform and does it very well. Now, for all my machines, whether they be Windows or Mac, I can use OpenOffice.org.


For all platforms, OpenOffice.org 3 is stable, powerful, feature rich, and completely free. You can download it from OpenOffice.org. It's not a dopey trial version, or one of those lame downloads that has a limited set of working features. It is a full-blown powerful suite of office programs for word processing, spreadsheets, databases, presentations, and much more. Many people who discover OpenOffice.org and begin using it, later wonder why they ever spent money on Microsoft Office.

Brief notes on OpenOffice.org:

• It's free.
• Can open and save in Microsoft Office file formats.
• If Microsoft Office can do it, so can OpenOffice.org.
• I had mixed experiences with OOo's extensions feature, but this is not an essential part of the software.
• Its customizable.
• Available for Windows XP, Windows Vista, Mac, and Linux.
• It's worth trying.

My overall assessment is that OpenOffice.org version 3 spanks Microsoft, and does so hard.

Read my full review by clicking here.