OpenOffice.org releases Version 1.0 of its free office suite

Computerworld - After 18 months of development, Version 1.0 of the open-source OpenOffice.org productivity suite was released today for free download.

In an announcement today, OpenOffice.org, the developer community that has been building the applications based on open-source code provided by Sun Microsystems Inc., said the new version is being touted for small businesses and other users who want full-featured software without high costs.

OpenOffice.org Version 1.0 shares much of its source code with Sun's StarOffice 6.0, which is due to be released later this month for retail sale. StarOffice is Sun's entry into the highly prized office-suite market, which is dominated by Microsoft Corp.'s Office products. The OpenOffice.org project is Sun's separate open-source effort aimed at maintaining a free version of the suite. Sun announced in March that it would begin charging for StarOffice while still making OpenOffice available free of charge (see story).

OpenOffice is available for Windows, Linux and Solaris machines and is being ported to other operating systems, including Apple Computer Inc.'s Mac OS, according to Zaheda Bhorat, senior product manager for OpenOffice.org at Sun. The suite will also be available in more than 21 languages, including Spanish, French and Chinese.

For businesses and other users, the key features of OpenOffice include its ability to recognize and work compatibly with Microsoft Office file formats, said Sam Hiser, an OpenOffice developer and co-leader of the product's marketing efforts. "We're going to try to make it easier for everyone without it mattering what the file formats must be," he said.

Analyst Bill Claybrook at Aberdeen Group Inc. in Boston said the availability of the OpenOffice suite is good news for users seeking a free, full-featured office suite. But it still faces tough competition from Microsoft Office.

"I think more people will try it," Claybrook said. But he's not sure how many will use it instead of Microsoft's suites. Most business users want applications that come complete with printed documentation and easy to access technical support when needed, even if they have to pay for it, he said.

Michael Silver, an analyst at Gartner Inc. in Stamford, Conn., said that while the OpenOffice.org effort claims high compatibility with existing Microsoft file formats, there will likely be problems in reading files that include macros and complicated fonts or formatting. "In terms of file formats, nothing except for Microsoft Office will let you open all Microsoft files properly," Silver said.

On the other hand, "there's a ton of backlash against Microsoft because of their licensing changes," and many users may be more likely