Microsoft Office rival is updated

 

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Posted on 3 Oct 2001 at 15:41

A beta version of Sun's StarOffice is available for download from the Sun Web site.

The software is a "full-featured, low-cost" office productivity suite and although it is from Sun Microsystems it does run on Windows systems (including XP) as well as Linux and Solaris.

The main thrust of this version is its use of XML as the default file format for editing and saving files, which enables non platform-specific document handling. The Microsoft Office import and export filters have also been improved and there is support for Office XP. The integrated desktop has been removed in order to support native desktop environments, whether Windows, GNOME and CDE.

"In the face of decreasing IT budgets, StarOffice 6.0 provides users a high quality, low-cost choice for office productivity software," said the VP of Sun's Webtop Applications Group, Mike Rogers. "We've developed the new features, interoperability and compatibility enhancements based on feedback from our existing users and the open-source developer community via OpenOffice.org."

You can find the download here. General release is scheduled for spring 2002.

Author: Alun Williams