When we think of an Office Suite, most of us do not even look beyond Microsoft Office Suite. But there is a competitive option that is free and open sourced called LibreOffice 4.3. This is an Office software with excellent compatibility with Microsoft Office and as mentioned above it is available for free. LibreOffice has been around for quite some time now but the recent 4.3 version showcases some major changes in its various apps and it is a really good option to Microsoft Office. It is a little dated as many of the components will look a little like older versions of Microsoft Office.
The Writer and the Calc components have really gone through some major changes and upgrades making the LibreOffice 4.3 a decent proposition. The LibreOffice 4.3 provides the users with a more classic experience similar to older versions of Microsoft Office so this app is not suitable for people looking for new and innovative features in their Office suites. Another drawback of the LibreOffice 4.3 is that it does not have any mobile presence and so has a limited scope in appealing to the target audiences.
Today Microsoft Office still holds a large percentage of the market share. Also LibreOffice 4.3 has to compete with many new free and innovative Office apps which provide more features and those who also have mobile presence. Though LibreOffice has many great features, it also has a few drawbacks. Moreover it will have to deal with a lot of competition in this sector.
LibreOffice 4.3 Features
LibreOffice (top) vs Microsoft Word 2007 (center) vs Google Docs (bottom)
Comments and changes are compatible with Microsoft Word.
LibreOffice’s Calc can tackle most of your Excel files.
Create PowerPoint presentations with Impress.
Draw is more of a flowchart-builder than a sketching tool.
Spruce up your documents and presentations with mathematical formulas.
Image via : cnet.com
