UltraEdit

Document editing means different things to different people. Some just want to be able to edit text, while others want to create and share documents on the web. Whatever your preference, you don't have to destitute yourself in the name of lining Bill Gates' pockets or install the bloater that is OpenOffice. We've been looking at the best alternatives available.

Both Google Docs and Zoho Notebook suffer from one big limitation: you need to edit your documents online, and relying on an internet connection to be able to write isn't suited to everyone. This means we must look at offline document editors for the two front-runners. With its network installation option, a highly configurable interface, and the long free evaluation period, UltraEdit is a real contender.

It's also hugely powerful with its code-folding, 64-bit file handling, 100,000-word multilingual spellcheck, Vista compatibility and fully configurable syntax highlighting. The disk-based text editing, which allows you to handle files in excess of 4GB without locking up is a real selling point, too.

The fact that UltraEdit is equally at home writing application code or HTML makes it hard to ignore. Although it's reasonably cheap to buy, it's also hugely complex, so it won't be for everyone.

Author: Davey Winder