OpenOffice 3.0 beta

Other components

The remaining components of the suite include the Base database program, Math equation editor, and Draw graphics program. You won't mistake Draw for a fully featured photo editor or illustration tool, but that's not what it's been designed to do. It has a far richer set of tools than the Paint program that ships with Windows, so if Paint doesn't offer you what you want, and you don't want to spend the time or money learning a more complex program, you may want to give Draw a try.

Base has been designed for people who don't normally create databases, which means most of us. Like Impress, it starts out with a wizard interface, so you don't have to know much about databases, and you can still create one in a few minutes.

OpenOffice vs Microsoft Office

For most of what you use an office suite for, you'll find that OpenOffice 3.0 will more than fill your needs. Whether you're creating documents, spreadsheets, or presentations, the suite offers all the basics and much more. There are excellent formatting tools, mail merge, macros, solid charting tools, and the ability to easily create presentations.

If you're thinking of switching to OpenOffice from Microsoft Office, expect practically no learning curve. Many keyboard shortcuts are exactly the same, as are many menus and toolbar choices. You'll be able to import your existing Office documents, and create them in Office formats as well. OpenOffice also comes with a nice set of wizards for accomplishing a wide variety of tasks. Want to create a formula in Excel, or create a new presentation in Impress? You'll find a wizard for the task.

However, OpenOffice 3.0 does have some shortcomings compared to Microsoft Office. Start with the interface. There's no way around it — while functional, the OpenOffice interface is dull and stodgy. You may feel as if you're back in the 1990s when you use it. The issue is more than simply aesthetic — the Office 2007 Ribbon puts far more tools and features at your fingertips, and in a simpler and more elegant way than does OpenOffice 3.0. (Of course, if you're one of those Office users who dislike Microsoft's new interface, you may find OpenOffice's more traditional look to be an advantage.)

There are other shortcomings as well. OpenOffice doesn't have some of Office's more interesting and higher-end features, such as Quick Parts. In addition, you won't find as many templates, backgrounds, or layouts. OpenOffice 3.0 only has the bare minimum (of course, this is a beta release, so this may change).

That shouldn't surprise anyone, considering that OpenOffice is free and without the backing of a multi-billion dollar company. Still, keep that in mind when deciding which you'd rather use.