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Sun Microsystems has missed the original target date for its release of StarOffice 8, according to its Web site. Sun originally scheduled a July release for the next version of StarOffice, its productivity software suite that competes with Microsoft's Office System, according to information published on its site. But the release is not yet available, and a U.S.-based Sun spokesman Tuesday declined to reveal when it will be released.
'Sun's open-sourcing of StarOffice Suite is the single largest open-source software. Today's announcement of the GPLing of Star Office goes a long way toward.
However, an article published Friday in the U.K. Claimed that Sun plans to make StarOffice 8 available on Sept. 12 at one of its quarterly launches. The report was based on comments made by Simon Schouten, the U.K.
Desktop sales manager for Sun. Stay up to date with. Get. According to Sun's spokesman, Schouten's remarks were inappropriate because he is not in a position to comment or have information about the release of StarOffice 8. However, the spokesman would not go so far as to say that Schouten's remarks were inaccurate.
In February, Sun previewed a beta release of StarOffice 8 at the Linuxworld Conference & Expo in Boston. StarOffice is based on the open-source productivity suite OpenOffice, the most stable version of which, OpenOffice 1.1.4, is currently available on the group's Web site, www.openoffice.org. A beta version of the next full version of the suite, 2.0, also is available on the site. Sun has made a big deal out of its customers switching from Microsoft Office to StarOffice, particularly outside of the U.S. But those tables were turned recently when the Central Scotland Police decided to remove StarOffice from about 400 PCs and install Office instead, citing lower maintenance costs and the need to interoperate more smoothly with other departments running Windows.
According to Sun's Web site, the vendor will address cross-platform compatibility issues with Microsoft applications in StarOffice 8. The next version of the suite will feature better usability, enhanced manageability and more compatibility with Microsoft Office, according to Sun.
The Good Imports and exports files from Microsoft Office; new mail-merge and database wizards, improved interface and Adobe PDF-export tool; friendly for Linux and Solaris users. The Bad Some Microsoft Office file imports are imperfect; no Macintosh version; lacks an e-mail client. The Bottom Line StarOffice 8 is an impressive upgrade of Sun Microsystems' bargain productivity suite. It's a good buy for small and large businesses, but users needing an e-mail program and a photo editor should consider Corel WordPerfect Office 12 Small Business Edition. Visit for details. StarOffice 8 Sun Microsystems StarOffice 8 is a solid productivity suite that costs a fraction of the price of its main competitor,.
StarOffice includes the Writer word processor, the Calc spreadsheet maker, the Draw graphics tool, the Base database, and the Impress slide-show application. Like its free and open-source relation OpenOffice 2, StarOffice 8 has plenty of enhancements: new mail-merge and database wizards, better import and export filters for Microsoft Office files, and an Adobe PDF-export tool that now supports hyperlinks, tables of contents, and other essentials. You'll also see a revamped interface, particularly in the Impress presentation program. What's missing? StarOffice 8 lacks a contacts manager, an e-mail program, and a photo editor, all of which provides. And while StarOffice runs on a variety of operating systems, including Linux, Solaris, and Windows, it eschews Macintosh-surprising, given the suite's cross-platform philosophy.
But the package price of $100 on CD or $70 via download makes StarOffice 8 a good buy for both small and large businesses. For a single-user system, StarOffice is a breeze to install.
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The simple process took us 10 minutes on our test Windows XP PC. The program is no disk hog, either. It demands just 250MB to 400MB of hard disk space, depending on which components you include.
StarOffice 8 has improved its setup routine for enterprise users. It now automatically adopts the default language for your system, and IT managers can use administration tools for Linux, Solaris, and Windows to load StarOffice on networked desktops. It's polite, too: it doesn't make itself the default program for opening Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, and Word files unless you check the appropriate boxes during setup. Each of the five main programs in StarOffice 8-Writer, Calc, Impress, Base, and Draw-bears more than a passing resemblance to its counterpart in. Luckily, the interface enhancements to StarOffice are significant.
Writer, for instance, has a cleaner toolbar-and-menu layout than in. The clunky Load URL window is gone, and many icons formerly stacked in a left-side column, such as Spellcheck and Find, have moved to the main toolbar. Microsoft Word devotees won't have a problem making the switch to Writer.