Open Source v's Commercial: Productivity


I installed Apache's Open Office to compare its features against those offered with Microsoft Office Productivity Suite.  The similarities of the tools offered are similar in that both provide a host of tools such as word processing, spreadsheet, presentation, database and formulas, with each tool being relatively equal in both usability and speed of operation.  The main difference between the two comes in their layout, or more precisely, the ribbon.  Here, Open Office is more similar to older versions of MS Office in that it doesn't have a ribbon, where newer versions of MS Office all come with it.  This may be a blessing or a curse, depending on whether the ribbon is your cup of tea.  Being freely distributed, I would highly recommend Apache's Open Office to anyone looking for a similar experience with productivity tasks as that offered through MS Office, minus the price!  Click Here if you would like to evaluate Open Office for yourself.

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