| There are many free alternatives to the Microsoft | | | | 4) Draw is the graphics powerhouse in the suite. It is |
| Office products. This would be beneficial for college | | | | kind of a cross between Microsoft Paint and Microsoft |
| students, the average user and even small businesses | | | | Visio. I have not had much occasion to use it, but I |
| in general. These people often find that they are | | | | have tried it and it does deliver good results. |
| unable to afford the high prices Microsoft charges for | | | | Now, no office suite would be complete without the |
| its products. These alternative software offerings are | | | | ability to read PDF files and convert them. Foxit reader |
| compatible with Microsoft Office. | | | | is a free PDF reading and converting software. I have |
| The first free office product is actually an entire suite. I | | | | used this software and I find it to be much more |
| have used it myself and it is awesome. It is called | | | | productive than Adobe Reader. Of course, Adobe |
| Open Office, and is available for download so that you | | | | Reader is free for personal use; however Foxit |
| can start using it right away. Included in this complete | | | | Reader is free for business use, not including the text |
| office suite is: | | | | conversion version. Text conversion is only free for |
| 1) Writer is the software which is the equivalent of | | | | personal use. |
| Microsoft Word. It is very similar in look and feel. It has | | | | The main reason why I have decided to add Foxit to |
| the ability to read and write in the Word format up to | | | | this list of software is because, Foxit is free, it is small, |
| Word 2003. It has almost all of the features of | | | | and it is very fast. The one thing that has consistently |
| Microsoft Word and those that are not present will not | | | | bothered me about Adobe Reader is the speed at |
| likely be noticed. | | | | which it loads up. This is especially excruciating when |
| 2) Impress is the equivalent of Microsoft PowerPoint. It | | | | loading PDFs from the Internet. |
| can be used to create beautiful presentations with the | | | | There are additional plugins that you can purchase |
| look and feel of Microsoft PowerPoint. It also includes | | | | which would make Foxit as useful as a full blown |
| a couple of slide templates, but if these do not suit | | | | version of Adobe Acrobat, but the free version is |
| your needs, you have complete control over your | | | | perhaps all that you will need. The beautiful thing about |
| work. This software can also read and write in the | | | | using Open Office Suite and Foxit together is that |
| Microsoft PowerPoint format, which makes it | | | | Open Office Write can convert documents to PDF. |
| completely compatible, however Office 2007 is as of | | | | It is with these free software packages that you can |
| yet not supported. | | | | have all of the tools offered by Microsoft with zero |
| 3) Calc is the spreadsheet software included in the | | | | the cost. That is a huge advantage whether you are |
| office suite. It is compatible with Microsoft Excel. It has | | | | just trying to save a buck, or trying to keep the bottom |
| all of the functionality of the costlier Microsoft version, | | | | line down. |
| but it is free. | | | | |