Getting  Along With Your Computer Column Archive

Online Alternatives to Microsoft Office

By Cate Eales
Appeared October 11, 2007 on castanet.net

Two weeks ago we looked at Microsoft Office alternatives which you can install and use on your computer. This week, I'll show you a couple of free Office-like web applications.


Why all the fuss about Microsoft Office?
Microsoft Office has long been the standard against which all other word processing, spreadsheet, and even presentation software packages are measured. MS Office is feature-rich --- so much so that it is more than many people need or want.

In a business environment, you might need a spreadsheet program that will do complicated calculations and hold tremendous amounts of data. You probably need specialized macros for your word processor, especially if you practise law or medicine. People in major corporations get the shakes if they don't have to sit through or create a PowerPoint presentation, complete with fly-in effects and customized backgrounds, at least once a week.

But if you're the secretary of your neighbourhood association, or help with the Sunday church bulletin, or you just need something that will act like Word so you can exchange letters with everyone else, MS Office is overkill both functionally and financially. Microsoft Works is a lot less expensive, but it doesn't save documents or spreadsheets in formats easily understood by Office-like applications...including Office!

Good news. There are free, easy-to-use online alternatives.

Office Suites are online, too
You might not even need to install an office suite on your computer, if you would rather use one online. Most notably, Google Docs and Spreadsheets provides many of the functions and features of Microsoft Word and Excel (Or OpenOffice Writer and Spreadsheet, for that matter.) You don't need to install anything on your computer, but you do need to be online (fast connection a must!) to work. If you have concerns about putting sensitive information online, read Google's privacy statement. If you still have concerns, don't put sensitive information up there!

One advantage of having the documents online is that you can invite others to collaborate with you. Are you part of a committee or team drafting a schedule or trying to write newsletter content? Instead of emailing things back and forth, you can share the documents and revisions.

Google has just released a Presentation program as part of this suite of programs. The presentation software can be characterized as "PowerPoint Light." I think of that as an advantage. Most people not working in companies don't need thousands of templates and backgrounds, spreadsheets with complicated macros and pages and pages of calculations, or documents that go on for hundreds of pages. There is no point in paying for all that if you just need to create a flier to post in the laundry room, or track your electricity bills for a year. Check out Google Docs & Spreadsheets here. This includes the presentation software.

Things being what they are these days, there is even a free alternative to the free Google offering. Zoho offers free online document, spreadsheet, presentation, contact management, and more. It looks great, and it's easy to use. Have a look here.

I have been creating, importing, saving, and editing documents in both Zoho and Google Docs, and if you are thinking of using an online office suite, I'd suggest you take both Google and Zoho out for a spin. They are similar, but not exactly the same, and in the end you will probably choose the one you feel most comfortable using. Again, be aware of the privacy policies, and if you believe any of the information you are working with is sensitive in any way, do not put it online.



Thank you to everyone who emailed their comments and suggestions. Please keep them coming! You can contact me at cate@rlis.com.  If you'd like to look at past columns, browse over to the column archives, here. If you'd like to subscribe to this column by email, please visit this link.  It's easy, and free. If you'd prefer the RSS Feed, click here.

Please practice safe computing! Visit the Secunia Software Inspector site and make sure your computer is up-to-date.



Links
Google docs and spreadsheets http://docs.google.com/
Zoho http://zoho.com/
Secunia Software Inspector http://secunia.com/software_inspector/
Getting Along With Your Computer Column Archives http://rlis.com/column.htm
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Cate Eales has been helping people make online computing safe, accessible and fun for over 20 years. She lives in Kelowna with her husband, Eric, and her dog, Sandy. Cate is a partner in Real Life Internet Solutions, helping individuals and small businesses with virus, spyware and malware eradication; personal computer training and management; digital image management; music transfer; and website design, hosting and management. Email Cate at cate@rlis.com with your comments, suggestions, or questions. To browse the column archives, visit the Real Life Internet Solutions website at www.rlis.com.