SoftMaker FreeOffice is a suite of applications intended for various types of tasks typically associated with office work. In this regard, the product can help you create documents, spreadsheets, and presentations. Thus, it includes tools for these purposes, which are called TextMaker, PlanMaker, and Presentations. The interfaces of the tools that compose the suite are quite intuitive, even more, if you are already familiar with other similar software. It has two modes, thus you can switch between the classic toolbars and the modern ribbons.
TextMaker supports most of the functions you can find in other text processors. Luckily, you can start a document from not only scratch but a template as well. It allows entering formatted text and inserting various types of objects, like images, tables, and calculations. Likewise, it lets you align paragraphs, use indentations and insert bullets or numbers.
PlanMaker, in turn, is a spreadsheet tool with the same layout that is common to similar software. Therefore, experienced users can start to use it right away without consulting its help documentation. You can insert text and numbers and make various types of calculations, with the support of a long array of arithmetic functions. Similarly, it is possible to insert such objects as images and symbols as well as create graphs and charts to visually present the selected data.
Presentations, which has an obvious name, is used to create slideshows. Again, there is not much to learn before you can use fluently. You can start by inserting and arranging slides, which can be filled with various types of contents, like text captions, symbols, and images. Then, it is a good idea to add some dynamism by inserting transitions between the slides as well as animation effects.
To conclude, let me say that this review is only an overall approximation to the features supported by SoftMaker FreeOffice. It is true that it supports performing all basic office tasks; yet, it is far from being as feature-rich as the leading products of its type. Luckily, it is entirely compatible with Microsoft’s DOCX, PPTX and XLSX formats, so importing and exporting formats is not required. The program has the main advantage of being free for non-commercial purposes. It has two versions: Standard and Professional, which are available at very reasonable prices. Therefore, this is a product that deserves attention, especially if you are running on a low budget.
