When we reviewed StarOffice 8 for the Smart Computing May 2006 issue as part of a roundup of low-cost office suites, it earned a perfect score. It faces stiffer competition this time around, yet we found ourselves once again impressed with its ability to deliver big-brand functionality at an off-brand price.

The suite consists of five components, all of which are based on the OpenOffice source code: Base (database), Calc (spreadsheet), Draw (vector-graphics drawing), Impress (presentations), and Writer (word processing). Each one stands out as a competitive program in its own right, loaded with features and intuitive interfaces. Thanks to the suite’s neatly organized toolbars and drop-down menus, we were able to jump right into our documents without spending a lot of time searching for ways to perform common tasks. Users who need additional guidance on bigger projects, such as writing a business letter or building a spreadsheet table, can get assistance from the suite’s self-help wizards, all of which are conveniently available in the File menu. We liked this option. We also liked that the suite provides integrated support for PDF (Portable Document Format) file creation. It supports XML (Extensible Markup Language) forms, too, although we wonder how many average users will take advantage of this feature.

One thing we don’t wonder about is the value provided by StarOffice 8. Users can purchase Sun’s productivity suite for less than half the price of the cheapest edition of Microsoft Office. And users can run the product on as many as five individual computers at the same time. Better yet, customers can place up to three free phone calls to technical support in the first 60 days of usage. No other productivity suite featured in this roundup can say as much.

Of course, StarOffice isn’t Microsoft Office. The suite can accommodate documents created with Microsoft applications, but users may encounter minor difficulties when importing those documents into StarOffice. We noticed that Writer had a problem recognizing em dashes in our Word documents, for instance. But minor occurrences like these happen when importing any document into any program other than the one in which it was created, so we do not hold it against StarOffice.

Microsoft Office Home And Student 2007

All of the major productivity suites model themselves after Microsoft Office. Maybe that’s why Microsoft felt the need to redesign the latest version of its popular productivity suite. Or maybe Microsoft’s product engineers simply grew bored with the old interface. Whatever the reason, we wish it hadn’t happened. Instead of sporting the traditional menus and toolbars that we have grown accustomed to using, Office 2007 features unfamiliar components such as tabbed ribbons and a quick-access toolbar nestled in the upper-left corner of the program window. We know we will eventually learn how to use the new interface, but it serves as a source of constant frustration in the meantime.

Other than the interface, the average user will find few significant differences between Office 2003 and Office 2007. Unfortunately, the most significant new feature Microsoft could have put into Office 2007—integrated support for PDFs—didn’t happen. When Microsoft announced its intention to do exactly that, Adobe threatened to file an antitrust lawsuit. Interestingly, Adobe filed the suit knowing full well that Microsoft was simply planning to do something all of the other productivity software developers are doing already (see the other reviews in this roundup). As a result of the lawsuit threat, Microsoft abandoned its plans for integrated PDF support and designed a downloadable PDF plug-in instead.

We certainly sympathized with Microsoft's plight under these unusual circumstances, but pity could not make us overlook our less-than-positive experience with Office 2007. The installation, which includes registration and activation processes, took too long, and we wish the suite would have imported our personal settings (such as the blue screen background in Word) from Office 2003. We also noticed that older Office documents—even those created in Office 2003—had to be converted into the newer Office 2007 format to gain full access to the suite’s features. The price, which is quite modest by Microsoft standards, nevertheless stands as a negative when users can purchase comparable products at a fraction of the cost. We also were disappointed that Microsoft left Outlook out of this product offering (users who want the combination email/contact management application can pay $250 more to get it as part of the Standard edition).

Note that this review is based on the Microsoft Office 2007 beta edition. Perhaps things will change before the final product is released. However, we do not know when that will be. At press time, Microsoft had not announced an anticipated final release date for the latest version of Microsoft Office.

Corel WordPerfect Office X3 (Standard Edition)

Users have long turned to Corel’s WordPerfect productivity suites as the preferred alternative to Microsoft Office. It’s easy to see why. WordPerfect Office has a recognizable name, a recognizable interface, and a reasonable price. (WordPerfect suites typically retail for about $100 less than their Microsoft Office counterparts.) Plus, the suite’s various programs are easy to use.

A smooth installation got things off to a good start, and we had WordPerfect Office X3 running within a matter of minutes. Upon opening each program in the suite—the Standard edition ships with WordPerfect (word processing), Quattro Pro (spreadsheet), Presentations (presentations), and WordPerfect MAIL (contact management)—we had the option of specifying a preferred interface. We were able to set up WordPerfect to look and act like Microsoft Word, for instance, and we had the option of configuring the Quattro Pro spreadsheet to mimic Microsoft Excel or Lotus 1-2-3. This thoughtful nod to our comfort deepened our appreciation for the suite, especially after our experience with Microsoft’s take-it-or-leave-it interface makeover.

Needless to say, we had a positive experience with WordPerfect Office. We were glad to see that the suite supported PDF editing and creation capabilities, and we liked the integrated Yahoo! toolbar that let us access Web content from within WordPerfect. The WordPerfect MAIL contact management tool is a nice addition, as well, providing many of the same capabilities offered by Microsoft Outlook.

While recognizing that WordPerfect Office typically costs less than the standard version of Microsoft Office, the release of Microsoft’s Home And Student edition means Corel has the most expensive productivity suite in this review. And the price includes only one free warranty support phone call, which seems rather stingy for a $300 product. WordPerfect Office certainly represents an attractive alternative to Microsoft Office. But as alternatives go, it falls short in comparison to some of the other alternatives currently available.

Ability Office (Standard Edition)

Originally released in 1985, the Ability office suite was a success from the start. Millions of users have since installed the software on their systems. Of course, most of those users live in England, Spain, and Portugal. The ever-expanding global economy has introduced Europe’s popular productivity suite to the North American masses. The masses will probably like what they see.

The suite’s interface will seem very familiar to experienced users. It features drop-down menus chock-full of functions and options, handy toolbars, and support for all of the popular Microsoft file formats. The suite let us adopt Microsoft’s file formats as our default formats even though Ability has developed its own proprietary formats. Ability Office also supports PDF creation.

The programs performed well, and we encountered only a few minor inconveniences. The SHIFT-BACKSPACE key combination could not get past punctuation marks such as commas and dashes, for instance, and we could not figure out how to display text documents without viewing the hard page breaks. A bigger gripe is that Ability does not provide phone-based tech support. Unlimited online support is available, however.

All minor grievances aside, the fact that Ability Office retails for less than $60 is reason enough to consider a purchase. But there are other reasons, too. In addition to word processing, spreadsheet, and presentation software, the Standard edition delivers a vector drawing utility (Draw), a file management tool (Photoalbum), and an image-editing application with more than 90 filters and effects (Photopaint). Another bonus is that Ability Office provides unlimited licenses for noncommercial use. We were able to install the software on our desktop and laptop PCs without violating the conditions of the EULA (End-User License Agreement).

Reach For The Star

The productivity suites profiled in this roundup provide broad functionality and easy usability. Of course, most users will continue to invest in Microsoft (and, to a lesser extent, Corel) software simply out of habit. We encourage users to consider alternatives such as Sun’s StarOffice 8, which earns our Smart Choice designation once again. Why spend $150 or $300 when you can get top-of-the-line capabilities for less than $75?

by Jeff Dodd

Buying Tips Each product featured in this roundup represents a single edition within a family of productivity suites. Shoppers should examine various editions, each of which features a unique combination of programs and tools, before settling on a particular one. Users who have minimal office needs may want to consider investing in a product such as Microsoft Works ($49.95) or WordPerfect Office X3 Home Edition ($99.99). Note, however, that these products typically lack the full capabilities and support options that come with their more sophisticated (and more expensive) counterparts.

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