If you would like to express an opinion on a particular piece of software or an opinion about a certain topic related to this post, please feel free to comment.
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Let's say that your a High School senior who's writing a big English paper, but there's one problem, you don't have a word processor. Which brings up the question, should you shell out the $700 for a reliable Microsoft Office suite or go for a free alternative? If your wondering which you should use then read this post, as I compare and contrast Microsoft Word and it's free equivalent, Open Office.
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It's the age old question, which office program is better, Open Office or Microsoft Office? Both are great programs that offer essentially the same features, Word Processor, Spreadsheet, PowerPoint, etc. But which one gives you more for your money (or in Open Office's case for your download time.) That is what this article will dissect.

So let's take a brief overview of each program. Microsoft Office dates back all the way to 1989, with the latest upgrade being in 2007. Microsoft Office was also the first all-in-one Office program, offering anything a home/corporate office would need in one program rather than five or six separate ones. Old versions of Windows would include Microsoft Office for free, though newer versions offer only a 30-day trial to try out the program before shelling out the $700 to get the complete suite. Open Office was created in 2001 with one goal, to give computer users the same Microsoft Office experience for free. That's right, the same (or nearly the same) Microsoft Office components for free. Though it doesn't have the mainstream reputation like Microsoft Office, it is still a cult favorite among Windows, Mac, and Linux users worldwide.

So now that we have a brief overview on each program let's compare their components. Microsoft Office has four main components, the most well-known one being Microsoft Word, a word processor that outlined incorrect words, making manual spell check a thing of the past. Microsoft Office also contains: Microsoft Excel, a Spreadsheet program.; Microsoft Outlook, (not to be confused with Outlook Express) is a personal information manager and e-mail communication software.; Microsoft PowerPoint, a popular presentation program. As well as other non-notable programs that were only available in certain past editions of Office.

Open Office has six main components, the most notable of which being "Writer" which is a word processor similar to Microsoft Word and has nearly the same interface. Open Office also contains: Calc., a Spreadsheet program similar to Microsoft Excel.; Impress, a presentation program similar to Microsoft PowerPoint or Apple Keynote.; Base, a database management program.; Draw, a vector graphics similar to GIMP.; Math, a tool used for creating and editing mathematical formula.

Now that we know what both programs contain, let's get some background information on both. Microsoft Office is 3 GB in size, runs on Windows Operating Systems only, and costs approx. $700 for the full suite. Open Office is about 440 MB in size, runs on Windows Operating Systems as well as Mac and Linux, and costs $0.00 for the full-package.

So with all of this info, which program is better, Microsoft office or Open Office? I think it's clear to see that Open Office is clearly the better program, it has all of the components of Microsoft Office and more, not to mention that it takes up less space on your hard drive, only 440 MB (compared to Microsoft Office's 3 GB), and it's FREE, and who doesn't like free stuff?
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Get Microsoft Office

Get Open Office
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