It is possible to store files in a cloud drive and access them using OpenOffice, but you’ll need to have the desktop client of Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive or Apple iCloud installed, so you can open your cloud storage like a local computer folder. If online collaboration or native cloud support is a selling point, then you may want to pass on OpenOffice Writer because it includes neither. Many of the advanced features of Microsoft Word are included in OpenOffice Writer as well, so editing complex Word documents won’t be an issue. docx files, and it does a great job of maintaining formatting when importing those types of files. OpenOffice Writer has its own document format, but it also supports. It will definitely feel familiar to Office 2003 users, with the added perk of still receiving updates and security patches, which is important for a business software suite. It has a classic interface that, while it can look a bit cluttered, mimics the menus that Microsoft tossed out when Office 2007 was released. If you hate Microsoft Word because of the invention of the ribbon, then Apache’s OpenOffice Writer is the 2003 throwback you want.

It’s a great collaboration tool that stands out among word processors.Īdvanced users may find the features lacking–it really is a bare-bones word processor. If you share a document with another Google user, both of you can be in the document at the same time, see the other user’s cursor position, watch what they’re typing, and chat to each other as well. One of its best features for business users is real-time collaboration.

docx formats, so you shouldn’t have any problems importing and editing those. Google Docs also supports Microsoft Word’s. Since everything is saved in Google’s cloud, you don’t need to worry about losing your work–Docs autosaves after every single keystroke, so in the event of a crash you should be able to pick up right where you left off, down to the letter. If you want the basic features of Microsoft Word, you don’t need to look any further than Google Docs–it does all your basic word processing needs, and it is tightly integrated with Google Drive and other products. Google Docs, which is easily the most popular Microsoft Word alternative on this list, is free to everyone with a Google account.

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