OpenOffice.org vs. Google Apps

I blogged way last summer about Microsoft Office type replacements (see May & June, 2007 posts). Back then we discussed ThinkFree and Google Apps. Now I have a reason to really look at OpenOffice.org. I just ordered the extremely small and sweet Asus EEE computer and it comes loaded with OpenOffice.org. I’m very happy to be ‘forced’ to use both Linux and OpenOffice software! Now Microsoft still has a place in my life - on my business laptop!

Version 2.4 was released just last week and offers many enhancements to make working in the OpenOffice.org environment more robust and well, more Microsoft-y! You can read the release notes here: Reading through them, it seems that if you are a pretty experienced Office user (as I am), then you may think to yourself, “well, that’s nice that they’ve added a page down feature from within the print preview menu, but I think I’d expect that”. I’m not trying to belittle the enhancements - I’m sure my perspective would be different without my Microsoft background.

Since OpenOffice.org has been around for about 20 years now, there is an extensive and comprehensive help section complete with forums and user manuals. If you’re a group, you can even talk to them about coming to train your people.

Thinking of some differences between Google and Openoffice:

• Google apps is on-line - Openoffice isn’t. Advantage OpenOffice! (footnote:Google just announced they will have a way for users to download and work on documents offline. Only for docs - not the other apps)


• There’s a lag time when opening docs on-line vs. on your hard drive. Advantage OpenOffice


• Google docs are great for uploading and sharing in real time with someone else - not OpenOffice. Advantage Google Apps


• Google docs are available to you anywhere you have an internet connection. Not so for OpenOffice (unless you have off-site storage)

Suite Features:

OpenOffice Google Apps

Writer Docs

Calc Spreadsheet

Impress Presenter

Draw (drawings, flowcharts, etc.)

Base (database program)

There are so many comparisons that could be made. It comes down to what it is YOU need. If you don’t collaborate, you probably don’t need Google Apps. If you have some old computers around and would like to be able to do some word processing or calculating, OpenOffice.org would be perfect for that. OpenOffice also has a couple more packages than Google. However, neither of them have calendaring/email built right in and all in the same place.

I’ll post more after I get my EEE computer!