Devin P.L. Edwards
Copy & Bulletin Editor
You might feel Microsoft Office is familiar – and I know how familiar things make you feel all warm and fuzzy – but a thicker wallet will keep your behind warmer, and that’s all the fuzzy you should need.
Believe it or not, you can save money for school by downloading your office program for free. Microsoft Office can cost over $129 and Mac’s iWork around $89, but another alternative, OpenOffice.org, costs nothing – it’s open-source software.
Open Office saves files in international open standard format, but can read and convert files to doc, docx and pdf so you can send all your assignments to your professors, other students or colleagues confident they’ll be able to read them.
Open Office is available in many languages, for multiple operating systems, and has been developed over a period of 20 years. Its open source development process allows anyone to find and report bugs, and request or develop new features. The software bundle includes word processing, presentation, spreadsheet, graphic and database programs, and presents them in a very familiar interface.
The Office substitute is made by Oracle, which is the same company that developed Java. Each update is published on a public wiki, so you can decide if you want to update and know in advance when updates are scheduled to appear.
Even though Open Office doesn’t have all the features of the latest Microsoft Office, it does update several times a year, letting you access new features quickly without having to wait on a marketing department to decide if there is enough hype for a release.
And since Open Office is free, all the updates are, too, so you won’t need to shell out more money each year to stay current. The development cost for Open Office is covered by donations from individuals and companies, and its open-source license ensures that Open Office will always remain free to use.
If you just got a new computer and need a program to write your essays, do yourself a favour and save a few bucks.
Got a tech tip? Email us at technology@excal.on.ca
