|
|
Brand: Sun Microsystems EAN: 0614647643195 Label: Sun Microsystems Manufacturer: Sun Microsystems Platform: Linux, Windows 98, Windows 2000, Windows Me, Windows XP, Sun Solaris, Windows 95 Publisher: Sun Microsystems Release Date: May 15, 2002 Studio: Sun Microsystems Editorial Review: Amazon.com Review: The StarOffice integrated suite has been quietly growing in popularity since Sun Microsystems bought Star Division, its original German authors, a few years back. The latest version, StarOffice 6, is now one of the best software bargains in the western world. The single CD in the StarOffice box installs on Windows, Solaris, and Unix/Linux. Also in there is a good, fat manual, which goes a long way toward explaining StarOffice functions. Each StarOffice 6 program launches in a standalone window; gone is the StarOffice Desktop, a separate, Works-like interface on which earlier versions used to run. The word processor in StarOffice, Writer, looks much like its main rivals, Word, WordPerfect, and Word Pro. It supports most of the same heavyweight functions, too, such as outlining, frames, columns, and tables. Table functions include merge, split, and distribution, and cells can be made to expand as you type or stay fixed. Writer's tools include a spell checker, thesaurus, and auto correction of common typing errors. Longer document functions are also supported, with footnotes and endnotes, cross-referencing, indexing, and table of contents. Writer defaults to a print-layout view of the page, so you can see all elements as you create them, which provides a lot of scope for desktop publishing and even Web page design. All StarOffice programs now use XML as their default file format, so most documents will display directly in Web browsers. Sun realizes it must maintain compatibility with Microsoft, though, and Writer, like the other modules, opens documents from its Office equivalents. Writer is fully graphical and includes image import and integrated graphics and charting. One of the key ways of adding images to your Writer documents is from the Gallery, a suite-wide clipboard that comes with masses of clip art. You can drag and drop any item from the gallery to a Writer page and, just as easily, drag items from your page to store in the Gallery for use in other documents or modules. The StarOffice spreadsheet, Calc, is a capable program, though not quite on par with Excel, 1-2-3, or Quattro Pro. As you would expect, you can enter numbers, text, and formulas into the cells and set up relationships between them to conduct all kinds of calculations. Calc supports over 350 different functions, including esoteric ones like number base conversion and complex numbers. The program follows the industry conventions for entering and manipulating numbers, which makes it very easy to use. The charting feature is well-engineered, with a selection of color schemes that can be applied with minimum effort. A basic chart can be constructed with just a couple of mouse clicks, once you've selected your target cells. Of all the graphics programs in the major integrated suites, StarOffice Draw is far and away the most impressive. As well as being a useful addition to other programs, it can be opened as a separate application in its own right. The core tools for drawing lines, rectangles, and ellipses are there as you'd expect, but more unusual are those for bezier curves, polygons, connectors, arrows, and 3-D objects. Draw is just as capable with photo images as it is at constructing drawings. Import an image and you can adjust its brightness, transparency, and gamma level, as well as apply a range of different filters. While not as comprehensive as a dedicated graphics package, it's exceptionally well-equipped for part of an integrated suite. Draw's functions are also available in StarOffice Impress, the presentation graphics program. Although this means you can easily incorporate graphic elements into your slides, the program itself is comparatively basic. You're offered the key slide, outline, notes, and handout views for putting together an electronic slide show, but the lackluster designs and lack of coordinated color schemes mean eye-catching presentations are harder to achieve. The database section of StarOffice 6, Adabas, differs from the other programs in that it is integrated into several programs and is not a standalone application. Pick Tools or Data Sources in Writer or Calc and you can import a data file, such as an address list, into the database program and access it from the other applications. This is ideal for mail shots and makes viewing and manipulating addresses very easy. With different data, this program can be used for many other lists of information. Overall, StarOffice 6 is a versatile, well-equipped, integrated suite, a rival for the other main players but at an exceptionally attractive price. --Simon Williams. Amazon.com Product Description: StarOffice is an affordable office productivity suite that runs on multiple operating systems, including the Solaris Operating Environment, Microsoft Windows, and Linux. This office suite has a simple, easy-to-use interface and contains full-featured applications with word processing, spreadsheet, presentation, graphics, and database capabilities. StarOffice is also fully compatible with other office suites, including Microsoft Office. With the StarOffice suite you get tools for word processing, developing spreadsheets, making presentations, creating graphics, editing photos, publishing to the Web, and using data from relational databases. All StarOffice applications are integrated, which means they share the same basic menu commands, toolbars, and function keys, so you can get your work done faster. In addition, StarOffice Draw, the included graphics application, lets you add diagrams and graphics to StarOffice documents with a wide variety of drawing tools and templates. In this latest version StarOffice software improves on the best Microsoft Office import and export filters available today. StarOffice 6.0 supports editable Microsoft Office OLE objects, auto shapes, frames, charts, and form controls. The StarOffice 6.0 release also integrates e-mail, including Netscape Messenger and Address Book, to send documents as e-mails directly from StarOffice modules. It also offers new levels of encryption to password-protect text documents and spreadsheets. Average Rating:
 Rating:  - For cheap computer users onlyThere are some people that would rather save money than anything else. My friend John would love this software so I plan to send it to him. He doesn't want to spend money so bad he would endure something like this software. I tried it just to see if it could offer any competition to the overpriced Microsoft Office Suites. It can't begin to challenge MS Office or Corel WordPerfect Office. The reasons are as follows: 1. The applications are not user friendly. 2. It functions far ... Read More Rating:  - staroffice rocks but there are some issuesEverything works great with staroffice and openoffice software. Opening and saving MS documents is a breeze as long there are not VB/VB script controls associated with them (most of my documents don't). I have this installed on Redhat linux 9.0 and Win98. I am glad that they got rid of Staroffice desktop manager. For a product at this price the features are great but I will continue to spend more money on MS products for the following reasons. 1. Whenever I saved a document, our ceiling fan ... Read More Rating: - Just use MS Office and be doneThe functionality of this software product leaves a lot to be desired. You can purchase MS Office and have the complete package and be very pleased. The Star Office is full of bugs, slow and the user interface is ugly. Rating: - eeeewwww!Sorry I ever tried this software. Trying to save money. Doesn't have anywhere the function or ability of MICROSOFT products, difficult and frustrating to use. I am selling my version now... I will happily pay the price for something that WORKS. Rating: - StarOffice 6.0: Inexpensive, Efficient and User FriendlyThis program is easy to install, easy to use and is backed up by a great support staff at Sun. I was able to adapt my PowerPoint and Excel programs seamlessly into StarOffice 6.0. The book that comes with the software is very well written to get you off to a fast start. The software can be used as a single user or for an office staff where each logs onto a server. The StarOffice 6.0 Office Suite Companion text book (by Haugland & Jones) can be purchased together, with the Suite, to round out your office ... Read More |
