Jayne Blog (Volunteerism, Nonprofit Tech, Civil Society, etc.)

Jun. 18, 2008 - Free, GREAT alternative to MS Office? You bet!

In May of last year, I provided links to two free office suites (including word processing, spreadsheet, presentation, and database programs) as alternatives to Microsoft: NeoOffice for Mac OS X and OpenOffice.org for all the other PCs out there. Both can import, edit, and exchange files with Microsoft Office and other office suites. The software is continuously developed and improved, based on user feedback, with updates are made available on a regular basis. I promoted these software platforms... but wasn't using either myself.

As of January 2008, I use a MacBook, and I wanted to see if I could go Microsoft-free. So I've been using NeoOffice and the last version of AppleWorks for all my word processing, spreadsheet, presentation, database, drawing and photo editing needs for six months now. And... I'm loving it! I can read and edit any Microsoft files people send me -- .doc, .ppt, .xls, whatever -- and save my files as MS files. No one I'm transferring files with knows I'm using different office software than them. It takes some adjustment -- not every function is where I think it should be -- but that's true every time you upgrade from one version of MS to another.

So many offices in developing countries (and even in so-called developed countries) struggle with software costs, and many resort to using illegal copies of MS and other popular software, meaning they have no official support for these products -- and, in most places, they are breaking the law by using these illegal copies. Those of us who claim to be trying to help nonprofits, NGOs, grassroots organizations and others have an obligation to let these initiatives know about these free office suites that offer viable alternatives to using illegal software or paying the huge fees to use MS and other products. There is really no excuse not to.

-- Jayne Cravens

About Jayne

This blog (web log) is by Jayne Cravens, and is primarily focused on resources and news regarding mission-based organizations: nonprofits, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), civil society, and public sector agencies, as well as development issues and humanitarian efforts. It promotes resources and opinions relating to volunteer management/community involvement, tech use by nonprofits, and outreach strategies for nonprofits. There are also some personal postings (such is the nature of blogs), regarding travel, causes I personally support (like women's empowerment, urban biking, etc.). To comment on this blog, you must register on forumer.com.

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