It's not only Word but the whole Microsoft Office suite is something that many computer users have become accustomed to. Although it's a very able package, it is also expensive and many of the features that ship with programs such as Word often remain unused, yet people will still go ahead and buy the package without ever trying or considering an alternative. Why not look at some of the many open-source alternatives now available? Some of which enable you to open, edit and save documents using the popular the Word Document file format .doc.     

OpenOffice Portable 3.0.1 is an able freeware alternative to Microsoft Office. The suite ships with a spreadsheet tool, word processor and a presentation application as well as other utilities. This is the portable version of the popular opensource tool enabling you to take the whole suit on the road.

OpenOffice Portable 3.0.1 link.

Many peoples first experience of using a PC is typing up a document, often using Microsoft Word. It's not only Word but the whole Microsoft Office suite is something that many PC users have become accustomed to, even if it is expensive. Although it's a very able package, many of the features that ship with programs such as Word remain unused by many, so why pay so much? It may be worth looking into some of the many open-source alternatives now available, some of which enable you to open, edit and save documents using the Word Document file format .doc.     

OpenOffice Portable 3.0 is a very able open-source alternative to Microsoft Office. The suite ships with a spreadsheet tool, word processor and a presentation application as well as other utilities. This is the portable version of the popular freeware tool so it can be taken on the road.

OpenOffice Portable 3.0 link.

The Microsoft Office suite is a very capable package that many of us have become accustomed to, but there's no getting away from the fact it's expensive. Although the applications within the suite are very able, many of the features that ship with programs like Word are hardly or never needed by the average user. There are now a number of open-source word processing applications now available that enable you to create documents and save them as a Word document (.doc).

OpenOffice 3 is a very able open-source alternative to Microsoft Office that ships with a spreadsheet tool, word processor and a presentation application as well as other utilities. It's cross platform and compatible with Microsoft Office formats, so you can open, edit and save documents with ease. The latest version 3 is now fully Mac compatible using the Aqua interface.

OpenOffice 3 link.

Most corporate websites require input from multiple sources. Whether it's a group of people updating the latest news or someone responsible for keeping company information up-to-date, these people need access to your site and/or server. It's made far worse if the contributors are situated outside of your office and, thus, outside of your firewall. One solution is a content management system, which enables you to give access rights to various people and allow them to access your server from outside your company.

Joomla 1.5.5 is free content management opensource software that enables you to upload a content management system (CMS) to your server and then open up access to particular users. It needs access to a database, so check the requirements before implementing the software.

Joomla 1.5.5 link.

When it comes to office software, as we want to fit in with everyone else, we just go with what we think everyone else will be using: Windows, Microsoft Office, Adobe Acrobat, Internet Explorer. We lack individualism and we're somewhat scared that the projects or work we create won't be accessible by other companies and our company will be embarrassed as a result. Very unlikely. Most rival office suites enable you to read and write to Microsoft Office documents.

OpenOffice 2.2 is the latest version of the popular opensource Office suite. It ships with the tools you'll need for your work, including a word processor, spreadsheet, presentation tool and more. These tools all read and write to Microsoft Office documents, so you could as easily use Writer from OpenOffice to edit your Word documents.

There are a plethora of lists out there on the web that attempt to bring all the best freeware together in one handy place. Some are certainly better than others, but none match the sheer detail and quality of Ask the eConsultant. Displaying 450+ freeware programs, all with direct download links and in a simple html file; finding the correct tool for free has never been easier. Each section is prefixed with “I want a Freeware Utility to…” which somehow helps the brain make its mind up that little bit faster.

Here.

Karl Fogel, the Open Source champion who plied his trade working on the Subversion project, has released his own free book on how to begin producing your own Open Source software. Available as a PDF download or as a simple HTML document, the 184 pages will enlighten you with detailed info on everything from technical infrastructure, packaging and development to dealing with your volunteers and getting your software released effectively. Unlike many developers and in true Open Source spirit, Mr Fogel makes sure his ideas and terms are clear and understandable, making it widely accessible to both rookies and veterans alike.

Get it here.