Next General Meeting:
MS Office Suite—Free and Viable Alternatives
Date:Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Location: Danbury Hospital Auditorium,
24 Hospital Ave, Danbury, doors open at 6:30 p.m.

Preview by Annette van Ommeren

As almost any computer user knows, software to create digital 'office' type documents is virtually essential in today's world.

We need to handle word processing, manage emails, maintain spread sheets, create effective presentations, to name just a few of the tasks we might do regularly. For the PC user, who better to provide the tools than Microsoft? The MS Office Suite is indeed a formidable collection of software. They 'wrote the book' and convinced the majority of us that it is quite indispensible. Although we love to complain about MS Office and it's little idiosyncrasies, for many it has become an essential addition to their computers.

But is it our only and best option?

MS Office showed us what we need, but do we need MS Office? This "one size fits all" program suite may not always fit each of our unique requirements. It is pricy, and has its drawbacks—such as the proprietary file formats that can cause file-sharing incompatibility problems. However, for every successful Microsoft tool, there are alternative programs that take on the challenge to give the software giant a run for its money. They strive to offer something similar, cheaper (or free) and for some users—better.

With this in mind, our own software guru Jim Scheef will take the stage at the next DACS general meeting on April 6th to show us some realistic alternatives to MS Office.

Jim will consider the pros and cons of using free online applications such as ThinkFree, Google Docs and Zoho. These do not require any software to be installed on one's hard drive, and have the advantage that they can be accessed from any computer with an Internet connection. Live demonstrations will highlight several features and show us how they compare to MS Office.

If you are considering defecting from the MS Office software suite, whether that decisions is based on price, features or just principle, be sure to come to this highly informative presentation so you can make an educated decision. Invite your friends, colleagues, and neighbors, and anyone who might be wondering if it is a realistic option to distance themselves from the software giant.

Danbury Area Computer Society (DACS) is a registered nonprofit and has been serving the region since 1990. Members receive an award-winning newsletter, members-only workshops and events, and access to volunteer phone support.

As a reminder, our General Meetings are free and open to the public so invite anyone you know who would be interested in this topic.

DACS meetings are held at the Danbury Hospital auditorium. (Click here for directions.) Activities begin at 6:30 p.m. with registration and casual networking. The meeting starts at 7:00 p.m. with a question and answer period (Ask DACS), followed by announcements and a short break. The featured evening presentation begins at 8:00.

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