This month article, let’s look at the advantages of using OpenOffice as an alternative to Microsoft Office. It’s really easy to have the latest Microsoft office suite installed on your computer in Cambodia, without paying a cent to the software maker. For this reason most people don’t think about alternatives. Getting a properly licensed version of Microsoft Office can cost you between$200 to $300. Yes, you can buy the real deal for yourself or your company from computer shops in Phnom Penh like ANANA, PTC, NETPRO and others. But then again, you can get a pirated version at the market for only $2. So why even think about OpenOffice? Well, maybe it will make a difference when bringing your computer back to your country or updating features from Microsoft.
As the name implies, OpenOffice is a free, independent program designed for office productivity uses. The program is robust and there are subprograms like Write (like Word), Spreadsheet (like Excel), Presentation (like PowerPoint), Draw (like Visio), Math and Database. OpenOffice has the same look and feel as Microsoft Office 2003, which many people prefer to more recent versions. One of the great flexibilities with OpenOffice are the add-ons (or extensions). Add-ons allow you to download more functions to your OpenOffice like language packs, dictionaries, templates and so on. The program also provides a one-click option to convert a document or presentation to a PDF or SWF (flash player file).
The new version of OpenOffice supports all Microsoft office standard format documents. Unlike MS Office, OpenOffice runs on most Operating Systems like Windows, Mac, Linux and CentOS system. Therefore,you don’t have to worry about compatibility issues when working with different operating systems or in another word its easier to open your documents on different computers without having to worry about this issue. The program is now popularly used by schools and NGOs in Cambodia. There is also a Khmer language version of OpenOffice developed by NiDa and Khmer Open Forum. The powerful and free OpenOffice can be downloaded from www.openoffice.org or the Cambodian version at www.khmeros.info.
