Pay attention to Open Office

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I think more attention needs to be paid to Open Office, the free clone of Microsoft Office.I know, I should not call it that because it really is not a clone of Microsoft's highly successful product that has been around for so many years.But it is what I call a "good enough" product for so many users that I think it is worth a serious look for more users, especially home consumers.Here is what you get with Open Office (www.openoffice.org):Writer, a full-featured word processor; Draw, a simple art program; Calc, for spreadsheets; Impress, for presentations; and Base for database work.When I compare what you get, one certainly gets less with Open Office than I get with Office 2007. My install of Office 2007 is huge and so full of features that I still have not even launched a third of them yet. It reminds me a bit of Works, the "Office Lite" version that Microsoft sells for less than $100 and manufacturers often toss in with consumer PCs. (I still think Microsoft will start giving away Works sometime in 2008.)Here is where I think Open Office makes sense.If you have a home PC and need a word processor and a spreadsheet once in a while then Open Office is an obvious download for you. There is no cost and you can either grab it online or get it on CD for a modest fee.If you're a college student, the decision is murky. Most colleges offer the "real" Microsoft Office (either the full version or an academic version) at greatly discounted pricing. If that is the case, it may make sense to check with the college bookstore and see if the real thing is for sale. In the meantime, download Open Office because there is no harm in having it on the computer. (Most professors want assignments in Microsoft's DOC format, which Open Office supports.)If you run a small business, then Open Office probably makes sense if everyone uses it. It certainly has the functionality most small businesses would need except highly advanced accounting functions. (You can buy your auditor Excel.)Large companies will have this decision made for them by their IT department.Some companies have moved to Open Office, or a commercial version, like Star Office from Sun, which comes with some support options. However, Microsoft Office remains the king of the enterprise and business world because Microsoft is excellent at bundling licensing options along with Windows so Office is there to stay for many offices.What's interesting to come is online office suites and whether they will gain widespread acceptance. That will mean no installed software at all, which surely is the wave of the future.James Derk is owner of CyberDads, a computer repair service and tech columnist for Scripps Howard News Service. His e-mail address is jim(at)cyberdads.com