OpenOffice.org 3.0 has at last hit the shelves – but is it a viable alternative to Microsoft Word?

Well, the answer is yes. OpenOffice.org 3.0 reveals itself as a very decent competitor: it's light on resources, easy to use and offers full compatibility with standard document formats – including the latest .docx, .xlsx, .pptx and so on from the Microsoft Office suite.

OpenOffice.org includes six different apps that enable you to work with text documents, spreadsheets, presentations, databases, vector-based graphics and mathematical formulas, respectively. All six apps are easily accessible from a launcher (the Start Centre) with freshly designed icons, as well as from the Quickstarter icon in the System Tray.

OpenOffice.org's applications met our expectations in every regard: they're easy to use (especially if you're used to working with Microsoft Office) and feature all the necessary tools to create complete documents, spreadsheets, presentations, databases and more. What’s more, there is a great selection of OpenOffice templates, which means that getting started will never be a problem. The program is also thoroughly documented.

We particularly liked the wizard-style interface in OpenOffice Impress (similar to PowerPoint), which enables you to create presentations in no time. But the best thing about OpenOffice.org is probably the possibility to improve and customize your suite with new templates and extensions, downloadable directly from the developer's site.

OpenOffice.org made a great impression. It's a very decent alternative to other suites and can be easily customized with new extensions. Definitely worth a try!