Best Free Alternative To Microsoft Word?

Anyone personaly recommend a particular application and why it is better than the others?

Thanks in advance.

 

Openoffice is excellent and it's free, although I'm not about to say it's better than MS Office. It is the suite, however, and not just the text editor.

 

If all you need is the word processor, AbiWord is my choice too. It works with Word .doc and .docx files and Word Perfect too. Very capable...

 

I only have experience with MS Word and limited experience with OpenOffice, but there are a couple mentioned (AbiWord is one already suggested.) in this link:

http://www.techsupportalert.com/best-free-office-suite.htm

 

You can find ashampoo office 2008 free if you look around.

 

Open office is very nice.
Do not let the Sun(Java) association put you off of it.

 

When you only need a word processor ==> take HAN's + JRViejo + The kid's advice: Abiword

When you need a suite (word processor, spreadsheet, end user data base, presentation tool) ==> take Watt + SAM advice: OpenOffice

 

openoffice gets my vote.

 

There's also Go-oo, which is based on OpenOffice: http://go-oo.org.

Amongst many things, it allows you to import MS Works files.

 

If you only need a wordprocessor my vote also goes to AbiWord. Even things such as spell checker for selective language is included.

Regards /DonMArtin

 

IF you have fairly constant internet connection than either ZOHO or Google docs can be good alternative.

Advantages: No need backing up,can be accessed anywhere with internet connection, no need for installation on local pc and files can downloaded locally if required.

Disadvantage: Requires internet, not as feature rich as MSoffice or even other free office suites.

 

http://www.jarte.com/

 

Lotus Symphony is free, based on Open Office and has better eye candy (if I remember right from the last time I took a look).

 

so all the same features just diff look?

 

Is this really free? It looks too good to be free

 

OxygenOffice Professional is an "enhanced version" of the excellent Openoffice Suite with a few extra bells and whistles. Open source like its original counterpart and also free but only for 32-bit.

 

Free, yes. Requires registration.
DL process is a bit tedious.
Suggest you lurk about their forum to get a feel of user's issues / feedback.

 

softpedia offers the download without registration http://www.softpedia.com/get/Office-tools/Office-suites/IBM-Lotus-Symphony.shtml

 

Also, this may be of interest (from WIN XP News, published by Sunbelt Software):

Starter version of Office 2010 will be free

"According to reports out this week, Microsoft's next version of Office will come in a free version called Starteer edition, which will be supported by advertising (similarly to Google apps). It will include only Word and Excel and they'll be stripped down incarnations, but for many home and small business users, that's all they need. This is different from Office Web apps, which will also be free and will include PowerPoint and OneNote, but will only work inside a web browser and with an Internet connection. You can read more about both here:
http://www.wxpnews.com/6VVS1J/091013-Free-Office-2010 "

 

sounds pretty useless wen thers so many full featured free products out ther...

 

Lotus Symphony has a Linux version. It will also be ported to Mac OSX. Its biggest drawback is that it does not contain all the programs in Open Office. IBM says its hopes to remedy the shortcoming in version 2.0

 

You can get the same effect by installing all the Open Office extras.