Free alternative to Microsoft Office - LibreOffice

Do you want Microsoft Office, but don't want to spend $149 to get it?  There are lots of free alternatives out there.  You could use Google Docs (as I explain in my last blog post), but if web-based tools aren't your cup of tea, then you can try out LibreOffice.  LibreOffice is just like the full Microsoft Office suite, except it's free.

Here is a list of LibreOffice applications and their Microsoft Office equivalents:

• Writer - Microsoft Word
• Calc - Microsoft Excel
• Impress - Microsoft PowerPoint
• Draw - Microsoft Visio
• Math - None. It's its own application that you can use to create mathematical, chemical, electrical, and other types of equations.
• Base - Microsoft Access

Here is an article that provides further details on the breakdown between Microsoft Office and LibreOffice.  

Should I use OpenOffice?

Now, you may have also heard of OpenOffice as another alternative to Microsoft Office.  OpenOffice is definitely another viable alternative.  In many ways, LibreOffice and OpenOffice are the same, but I would recommend using LibreOffice.  OpenOffice lags behind in features to LibreOffice. OpenOffice was originally a project of Sun Microsystems, but when Oracle bought Sun Microsystems, 33 developers of OpenOffice left for LibreOffice and last year Oracle gave OpenOffice to the Apache Foundation.  Since then, the Apache Foundation has been playing catch up to LibreOffice.  

Instructor wants a Word, Excel, or PowerPoint document - just use Save As
If you are worried that your instructors won't be able to open up your LibreOffice document, don't worry, there is a solution for that.  You can save your documents, spreadsheets, and presentations in Microsoft Office formats by just clicking Save As and then choosing Word, Excel, or PowerPoint.  Do remember that by default, documents save in LibreOffice format, so most of your instructors won't be able to open the documents unless you save them in a Microsoft Office format.  For example, if you go to turn in a .oxt file, your instructor will probably let you know they can't open it and you can just click File > Save As >  for file type choose Microsoft Office Word and then turn in the .docx file you just created.

Do you have another alternative to Microsoft Office that you use?  If so, please leave a comment with what you use.