Upstart Seeks To Overthrow OpenOffice

[LinuxMint-4]

Upstart Seeks To Overthrow OpenOffice

Softmaker Software Has Taken Out After Open Source OpenOffice, Saying it's Not Good Enough to Score Against Microsoft

http://opensource.sys-con.com/node/680195


By: Maureen O'Gara
Sep. 17, 2008 02:30 PM


Softmaker Software GmbH, a German Office wannabe, has taken out after open source darling OpenOffice, saying it’s not good enough to score against Microsoft and proposing its own widgetry as a substitute.

The company has just put out a public beta of its Software Office 2008 for Linux, which includes what it calls a Word-compatible word processor, TextMaker, an Excel-compatible spreadsheet, PlanMaker, and a new PowerPoint alternative, Presentations.

Softmaker faults OpenOffice as slow, and says its Microsoft file format compatibility is dicey and its user interface crowded.

It claims its own software reads Microsoft .doc, .xls and .ppt files without a hiccup, without changing charts or objects and without losing formatting.

It also claims features not in Microsoft like PDF export and an ability to run off a USB flash drive without being installed on the hosted operating system, a skill it figures is handy in Internet cafes.

It says it leaves OpenOffice in the dust speed-wise, which translates into superior performance on the new netbooks such as the Eee.

See www.softmaker.com.

[eddie]

If you have ever read Groklaw, You know that the author of that article is allegedly full of human defacation most of the time. I hope there is a contender to openoffice. The more the merrier. I still prefer to use other software when I can.

[dann]

Anyhow, that's been around for a while now. I think I may have tried it a few years ago. But as you can see, due to my lack of enthusiasm for the product, I'm still with OpenOffice.

[eddie]

I like open office, but I end up using vim most of the time. I actually purchased star office umpteen years ago.