Get The Most From OpenOffice.Org
When most people think about word processors, spreadsheets and presentation software the first name that comes to mind is Microsoft Office. As good as Microsoft’s office applications may be though, they don’t come cheap, and the cost of the suite may be more than home users and small businesses can afford.
Just because you don’t have the funds for Microsoft Office doesn’t mean you need do without good quality productivity software. OpenOffice.org is an excellent alternative, which is completely free for home users and businesses alike.
Originally developed from Sun Microsystems’ StarOffice software, OpenOffice.org is a well established alternative to the commercial options. The StarOffice source code was released as Open Source back in 2000 and since then the OpenOffice.org project has developed it into a capable and flexible office suite, which is capable of handling virtually every task you could want from an office program.
The applications in the OpenOffice.org suite – including the word processor Writer, spreadsheet tool Calc and presentation program Impress – are capable of opening Microsoft Office documents and saving files in a format you can share with users of the commercial suite. OpenOffice.org is much more than just a free clone of the Microsoft tools though – its wider support means you can output files directly to .pdf or make use of Open XML formats too.
Over the course of this guide we’ll introduce you to the various applications in the Open Source suite and guide you through the many features on offer, from the basic options to hidden and more advanced functions. You’ll be a pro in next to no time.
This 28-page Guidaroo guide is available for instant download for just £2.99.
(Roughly* €3, or US$5, or Can$5, or Aus$5)
PDF format, filesize: 35,153KB. How does this work?
Inside...
OpenOffice.org explored
- Introducing OpenOffice.org: Learn all about what the Open Source office suite has to offer.
The OpenOffice.org tools
- Produce documents with Writer: Master the formatting and layout functions of the suite’s word processor.
- Build spreadsheets with Calc: Work with cells and formulae in the OpenOffice.org spreadsheet tool.
- Create presentations with Impress: Create striking presentations with the free PowerPoint alternative.
- Start a simple database in Base: Learn how to get your data organised in the suite’s database application.
- Make your own artwork in Draw: Use the OpenOffice.org vector graphics tool to create unique designs.
Advanced options
- 20 tips: Get productive with OpenOffice.org. Learn how to create templates, work with add-ons and customise
- The problem with OpenOffice.org: Troubleshoot problems with the office suite and contribute to its development.
Sample pages
