“Contrary to popular opinion, Microsoft does not have a
monopoly on office applications. There is a small yet loyal
following for alternatives-notably, Corel’s WordPerfect Office.
While past editions may not have stacked up against Microsoft, the
2000 Windows edition does more than stack up: It surpasses Office
in several key areas, while holding its own in others.”
“For those seeking alternative office applications to cut costs,
your search should start with Corel. While you may not initially
save as much as a switch to StarOffice would allow, you could save
$50 a seat with Corel, and hidden upgrade costs will be lower than
with StarOffice.”
“One of these hidden costs is compatibility. You don’t want to
switch to a competitor unless your present Office documents can be
painlessly converted to the new application. WordPerfect 9 is
compatible with Word 97, and it easily opened previous files I had
stored in that format. Quattro Pro 9-a venerable spreadsheet
application-easily opened my existing Excel 97 spreadsheets, as
well as Office 98 files from my Macintosh.”