8 replies to this topic

[James (Jim) Hillier]

SoftMaker Office 2008 (previously shareware) has been supplanted by the 2010 version and SoftMaker have now made the 2008 office suite permanently available free for everyone.

The SoftMaker office 2008 suite includes a Microsoft Word compatible word processor, a Microsoft Excel compatible spreadsheet plus a 'Presentations' component which allows access to PowerPoint files.

The program runs on all Windows from XP up (and Linux) and is a 59MB download.

* The Microsoft Word compatible word processor that's so easy to use that you'll begin to wonder why you struggled with Microsoft Word for so long.
* The Microsoft Excel compatible spreadsheet that opens and saves all your Excel workbooks and comes with many time-saving functions.
* The presentation-graphics program that not only lets you access all your PowerPoint files, but also makes your life easier with many additional features.

SoftMaker Office 2008 can be downloaded free from HERE.

[marko]

Nice one Jim, will add that to the site mate
Marko

[zorg]

If i understand this correctly, this software would work just as good as either Crystal Office3 or Open office, is that right?

[marko]

I've never used that software in any great detail, but I'd say yes zorg - still prefer to use OpenOffice myself after being a hardened MS Office man for many years, mainly due to my work though

[James (Jim) Hillier]

Yes Zorg, Softmaker Office is a professional application....so will do everything well.

Guys, OpenOffice is no more....has now been supplanted by Libre Office.

[marko]

James (Jim) Hillier, on 26 August 2011 - 11:54 AM, said:

Guys, OpenOffice is no more....has now been supplanted by Libre Office.

Eh?? news to me Jimbo

[James (Jim) Hillier]

My bad mate, I should have said....Open Office is not what it used to be.

The proverbial hit the fan late last year when Sun Microsystems (including Open Office) was acquired by the Oracle group. Open Office developers were up in arms over the acquisition and, fearful that Oracle would not honour the true Open Source spirit, abandoned the project in droves. Most migrated over to The Document Foundation and are now developing the Libre Office suite.

It is now generally considered  that Libre Office is the "new" Open Office.

[marko]

LOL - you had me going for a minute their Jimbo, I'm still sticking with OO for now - or at least until Oracle decide to pull the inevitable plug

[James (Jim) Hillier]

I think a lot of users migrated over to Libre Office because they believed the mass exodus of volunteer developers would see the OO project stall. That plus the likelihood Oracle might either start charging for the software or abandon OO altogether.