Wednesday, May 14, 2008

10 Alternatives for Microsoft Word on Windows

How many times have you felt that is MS Word the only word processor that I have for Windows. Well can't blame you because most of the times me too have felt the same. So i browsed and browsed and browsed till i can browse no more and have come up with list of 10 alternative. I am sure you will love it.

  1. OpenOffice.org Writer: This is arguably the most commonly used alternative to Microsoft Word. OpenOffice is a complete suite of applications similar to those found in the Microsoft Office suite; Writer is the word processing program in that suite. It is very similar in style to Word and also has functions that allow it to create and edit web pages as well as to export PDF files. The functionality of this program is comparable to Word and its eighteen-year history points to the viability of this product as a true Word alternative. The best part about it is that it's free. Notably, this product can also be used with Linux and with Mac OS X computers that have the X Window System installed on them.
  2. KWord: Although it's fallen out of popularity in recent years due to the proliferation of word processing programs, KWord has historically been a fairly well-established alternative to Microsoft Word. It is based on frames which means that it's convenient for moving and editing large amounts of text as well as for incorporating images into documents. It is designed to be easy-to-use and flexible enough to meet the needs of a diverse group of people (from student to professional).
  3. Microsoft Works: This is the Microsoft Word alternative that most people are familiar with as it comes on many computers as a standard free version of Microsoft Word. It has a lot of the same basic functions but also has some flaws and isn't considered a favoured alternative by most people. For the person who only needs to write basic documents that don't need to be widely shared, it can be a useful program.
  4. StarWriter: This affordable software allows users to have all of the same basic features as Microsoft Word without having to actually use Word. It's great for people who are seeking an alternative primarily on the principle of a dislike of Microsoft or a desire to see this word processing giant face more competition. It is compatible with Word so that collaboration with others who use Word isn't made difficult by using this program. This software is also commonly used by Linux users.
  5. TechDigm Office: This application suite includes a word processing program which is comparable to StarWriter and can be easily used as an alternative-but-compatible Word program.
  6. AbilityWrite: Yet another alternative that is similar to StarWriter and TechDigm is AbilityWrite, the word processing program that is part of the Ability Office application suite. The benefit here is that Ability Office comes in five different versions which each include AbilityWrite along with different combinations of other programs (such as a spreadsheet program) which means you can pick and choose what you need in an application suite.
  7. Atlantis: Take a look at the home page of this Microsoft Word alternative and you'll see that it looks a little messy. That's deterred a lot of people from taking a test run of this product even though it's available for a free 30-day trial before purchase is required. Those who have tried it, though, say that it's an easy-to-use alternative to Microsoft Word which has many of the advanced features that Word users enjoy at a lower cost than what Word typically runs.
  8. Evermore Integrated Office: This is a useful but complicated alternative to Microsoft Word due to the fact that it's more than just a word processing program. Instead of opening up separate programs (for example, Word and Excel), you open everything up in one place. That makes it a great alternative for people who are seeking a really streamlined system but not so great for those people who are just going to want a word processor without all of the extras.
  9. yWriter: This is a niche word processing program designed specifically for writers who are working on novels or other book-length works. It has features which make it great for these long works include organizational methods that make it easy to move chapters around and tools that allow you to track your progress on the work. It can be used on its own or file can be saved as .rtf files and opened with other word processing programs.
  10. Nota Bene: This is another niche word processing program but this one is designed for academics and researchers. It has specific academic functions such as automatic bibliography and citation assistance. It also has advanced search functions that allow users to find their own quotes and documents using a search engine style method of searching. It's pricey software ($100+ depending on the version you want) but those who regularly write academic papers that need to be in tip top form may find that the cost is worth it.

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