This is very useful for sending files to people who are using Microsoft products. The Writer interface is extremely intuitive and, even if you’re very comfortable using the Ribbon and GUI interface in Microsoft Word 2010 or 2013, you may find that the simplicity of using a menu and the standard and formatting toolbar is a familiar change and one that you may be willing to accept knowing that the open source software is a free solution.Īpache OpenOffice’s native file format is OpenDocument (.odt) but one of the main advantages of Writer is the ability to open and save documents in other software versions such as the Microsoft Word (.doc) and Microsoft Word 2003 (xml).

Writer provides you with all the features of a modern, fully equipped word processor without the fancy GUI interface. This may seem like a step backwards but you need to keep in mind the reason why you use a word processing tool in the first place which is basically to create business documents such as letters, memos, agendas, reports, flyers and manuals. While this may change in the future, the current Writer interface resembles Microsoft Word 2003 so if you’ve never upgraded beyond this version of MS Office, you’ll feel right at home with OpenOffice Writer. If basic word processing functionality is all you need, you’ll find the ability to create, style, save and print business documents in Writer is much the same as Microsoft Word. This review focused on Open Office Writer which is an excellent alternative to Microsoft Word if you are willing to forfeit the extra bells and whistles that come with Microsoft Office 2013 such as the Ribbon, Backstage view, Quick Access Toolbar and contextual tabs to name a few. Governments, not for profits and small businesses have been migrating towards using this software for years, yet few software training companies offer any formal training on OpenOffice.Īpache OpenOffice 4.1.1 comes with a full suite of products including Writer for word processing, Calc for spreadsheets, Impress for creating presentations, Base for database management, Math, an equation editor and Draw for creating graphics. Apache OpenOffice 4.1.1 is a free, open-source office suite used for creating documents, spreadsheets and presentations.

recently took the time to download and evaluate the Apache OpenOffice suite to determine if it is a viable solution for business, students, teachers and any other budget conscious people and organizations.

Apache openoffice writer styles