Both open source suites offer a tool called "Base" that's similar to Microsoft Access, a tool called Draw similar to Microsoft Visio, and an equation editor called Math, while Microsoft Office includes the desktop publishing application Publisher, but for the purposes of this article we’ll look at the word processing, spreadsheet, and presentation tools.īefore we look at specific features of the competing suites, it may be helpful to take a step back and compare the philosophical differences between the three packages and how they might affect how you purchase and use the suites.Ĭommercially licensed software like Microsoft Office is developed by a single vendor - sales help fund product-testing and development, marketing and sales, and salaries and shareholder dividends. In contrast, open source software is developed collaboratively, often by volunteers, and distributed freely for anyone to use, redistribute, adapt, or improve the code. The open source philosophy is not just limited to software and often attracts loyal adherents who believe that information should be shared. The flip side is that some consumers are more comfortable with a for-profit model that, they feel, rewards ingenuity and innovation. If you have deep a conviction in either direction, it's unlikely we will change your mind. For the rest of you, each model has tangible advantages and disadvantages that we'll look at in closer detail.įirst, the cost.
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