OpenOffice.org is computer software that provides a complete office productivity suite for free. It works with all common computer systems, including Windows, Mac OSX, Linux, Solaris, etc. It provides a word processor, spreadsheet, database, presentation and graphics program, all in one integrated suite.

This complete office suite makes a good, and free, replacement for the expensive Microsoft Office Suite. It can read and write files in formats of common office suites, like Microsoft Office, WordPerfect, etc., but most people will want to use the international open standard formats it supports to save their data files.

With all these capabilities, features and compatibilities (and the fact that Microsoft Office is so expensive), Open Office is well suited for use at home, by students and professors, by businesses, by non-profit organiztions, churches, and even governments.

Writer is the word processor in OpenOffice.org, comparable to MS Word. It is packed with powerful features, yet still easy to use, making it suitable for everything from a complete book or Ph.D. dissertation, to a quick sign or memo. It has advanced features like AutoFormat, AutoComplete and AutoCorrect. It supports Indexing, Tables of Contents, Bibliographical References and the ability to include Tables, Illustrations and other objects.

Calc is the spreadsheet (competitive with MS Excel), which is also intuitive and easy to use. Use it to crunch numbers, mine for data, or tabulate data. Sophisticated features include Natural language formulas, an Intelligent Sum Button, Advanced DataPilot technology, and a comprehensive range of advanced spreadsheet functions. Customize styles and formatting, and use the Scenario Manager to investigate the possibilities.

Impress is the Open Office tool for creating multimedia presentations, similar to Powerpoint. It helps you get your message across with effective presentations, which you can share in PDF, HTML or FLASH. Use high-impact drawing tools, animation, 2D/3D clip art and special effects to make your presentation stand out.

Draw is the name of the program used to draw, sketch, diagram and create other graphics. It allows for manipulation of graphics objects, such as rotating in 2 or 3 dimensions. Plus you can create photorealistic images with Draw's sophisticated rendering capabilities. Plus you can quickly create impressive flow charts, network diagrams, organization charts and other similar diagrams using Smart connectors.

The database data program is called Base, and can be used to do many of the activities Microsoft Access is used for. Use it to seamlessly manipulate database data using the built-in HSQL database engine. You can create and modify queries, tables, reports and forms. Use SQL Views for beginners, intermediate, and advanced users or use the Wizards or Design Views.

At this time OpenOffice.org 3 is available, and it is better than ever. Also, active development continues, so we can look forward to more features and updated versions.