OpenOffice 2

The suite-wide file format has changed, too, moving towards open standards. It has switched to the OASIS OpenDocument schema, as supported by IBM, Novell and Red Hat, which make up the OASIS consortium. It's open source, which could be enough to ensure widespread adoption, making it more likely that this could become the industry standard in years to come, particularly as the European Union has welcomed it (along with the new XML format in Office 12) as the basis of all cross-platform document use.

Of course, there are quirks. We don't like the way it resolves file-sharing conflicts by opening a file in read-only mode without warning. When it does, it blocks you from making edits, so you won't lose any work, but at the same time it's unable to tell you who is working on the file in question the way Microsoft Office would do, so you can't chase them down and get them to close it.

Likewise, Britain takes a back seat in terms of templates; though there are presets for Korea, China and a range of European countries, we get lumped in with the US, which opts for letter-size paper rather than A4, for example.

There's also no PIM, but with Outlook Express bundled as part of Windows, and Mozilla touting its Sunbird (calendar) and Thunderbird (email) applications, the gap isn't impossible to fill.

Fortunately, the suite's bundled database is adequate compensation. It's fully conversant in MySQL and Access formats and the Form Wizard will now produce cross-platform database applications, saving you the time and expense of hard-coding from scratch.

Overall, we're both surprised and impressed at just how closely OpenOffice is tracking Microsoft here. It has always been a good alternative for anyone with limited funds or an aversion to the market leader, but more often than not you'd have to work hard to justify to an IT department why they should go down this route. In this latest release, with its close-to-seamless recognition of native Microsoft files and integrated PDF creation, the tables have turned, and it's Microsoft Office that should require the more serious justification where budgets are concerned.

For personal use, there are even fewer reasons to choose Microsoft. OpenOffice certainly doesn't lack features compared to the market leader, and most of its ease-of-use issues stem from people's familiarity with Microsoft Office rather than an inherent problem with the program itself. As such, you should certainly try OpenOffice's offering before donating another £100 or more to Microsoft's coffers. After all, it's free.

Author: Nik Rawlinson