First Look: OpenOffice 3.0

The third iteration of the OpenOffice productivity suite has been released and we've taken a first look at the final product.

The OpenOffice 3.0 installation file weighs in at about 127MB, so downloading it shouldn't tax anyone's internet connection, except possibly those still on dial-up. Installation is straightforward, and includes an option of removing any previous versions of OpenOffice.

On first run there is an introduction, set-up and registration process where existing OpenOffice users are given the option to transfer settings and information from their previous installation.

The latest version provides a total of six applications: word processor, spreadsheet, presentation creator, database, drawing program and mathematical formula editor.

Those familiar with the last version of OpenOffice will have no problem diving into this update, as the look and feel is almost identical.

Similarly, users migrating from Microsoft Office should have no problem getting to grips with the basics of all the open source product's applications. Even the menu and toolbar layouts are almost identical to those in Office XP and OpenOffice 2.4.

At first glance there isn't a huge difference between the new and previous versions, but the inclusion of the OpenDocument Format 1.2 and native Mac OS X support alone will make it worth the change for some users.

One of the most notable new features in the Writer word processing tool is support for multi-page display and the inclusion of a slider control for zooming in and out, making it much easier to edit documents spanning several pages.

The Calc spreadsheet has been revamped to be a far more useful business tool. The number of available columns has jumped from 256 to 1,024, and it now offers a collaboration feature for multiple users to work on a spreadsheet simultaneously, improved cell selection, a better equation solver and a range of new graphing features.

There is also a new table design panel in Impress which allows native support for tables in a presentation rather than having to import them from a spreadsheet.

For those who need to make very large images for posters and the like, Draw can now deal with graphics of up to three square metres.

The optional wizards which guide users through creating files and other activities are excellent and thorough, although we did find the number of templates to be somewhat lacking. That said there are plenty available for download if you're prepared to do some digging around the internet.

As with all office suites, most users will only scratch the surface of these programs' capabilities and will quickly to able to get the hang of things in most applications. For those needing to perform more complicated tasks, there is a comprehensive help system as well as a plethora of forums discussing the more involved techniques.

As with previous versions, OpenOffice 3.0 has its own native file formats and supports most other related file formats as well. It also now includes native support for opening files created in Office 2007 and saved in Office Open XML. However, you'll have to save them in another format if they have been altered.

When compared directly to Microsoft Office, the one thing OpenOffice 3 does lack is a comparable version of Outlook. However, there are several open source email and personal information managers out there such as Mozilla's Thunderbird, and Google Mail and Calendar.

Power users may find OpenOffice 3.0 lacking some of the complex and deeply embedded features found in rival applications.

However, for the basic functionality that the vast percentage of users need, OpenOffice 3.0 stands up well against Microsoft Office, especially given the hefty price tag for a full version of Office in a business environment requiring multiple licences.

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