Windows/Mac/Linux: LibreOffice, the open source, free alternative to Microsoft Office, just got a big update that adds in a ton of new features alongside a new cloud version you can install on your own server.
Tagged With office suites
The days of only using desktop software are long gone. There's plenty of choice in the smartphone-capable space, but which suite should you choose?
Google Drive, and the apps in it -- Docs, Sheets, and Slides -- are great for people looking for a simple office suite. It's free, makes collaboration easy, and almost anyone can use it. But if you're used to something more traditional, like Microsoft Office, you may be hesitant to try Drive. Here's how to make Google Drive work more like the desktop suites you're used to.
Microsoft Office occupies a dominant position when it comes to office suites, but it isn't the only choice if you want a runs-on-the-desktop suite on multiple platforms. How does it compare to its most visible rival, LibreOffice? Let's take a look at how the two compare for individual use.
Dear Lifehacker, I heard the news that Google Apps for Business is no longer offering free plans to new sign-ups. That sucks because I just bought my own domain! What can I use for email, calendar and other tools that won't cost me a stack of money? Thanks, Free Reign On My Domain
Android has several good options when it comes to productivity and office software on the go. Every option for Android rolls in word processing, spreadsheets, and presentations natively, all in the same app. Even so, we found that like its iOS counterpart, QuickOffice Pro offers the best combination of document editing features, support for the Microsoft Office documents you'll inevitably want to view on your Android device, and cloud storage and sharing services to upload and share documents after you've worked on them.
The iPhone offers a number of office suites, bundling word processing, presentations, and spreadsheets all into one app, and none of them are really perfect because this type of work is never really optimal on a touchscreen phone. But when you need to get things done on the go, we like QuickOffice Pro for its many methods of accessing and sharing files, Microsoft Office compatibility, and simple, unencumbered editing features.
Microsoft has offered a cut-down, ad-supported free Starter Edition of Office 2010 for quite a while now, but it has only been available pre-installed on netbooks and other low-spec PCs. At the moment, however, you can download the whole thing for free from Microsoft's servers.
