14 August 2007

Google Pack now includes StarOffice

Google has added StarOffice to its free software bundle, Sun's rival to the Microsoft Office package.

StarOffice includes word processing, presentations, graphics, database applications, spreadsheets and a catalogue of 3D effects and images.

The bundle, which usually costs users $70, is now being dispensed free of charge by the search engine provider.

In order to install StarOffice, Google recommends using a broadband connection to speed the process up since the file size can be up to 210 megabytes.

According to writer on Googlesystem blog Ionut Alex Chitu: "It will be interesting to see why Google didn't choose to include OpenOffice.org.

"The primary difference between StarOffice and OpenOffice.org being that StarOffice includes some proprietary components like clip-art graphics, fonts, templates and tools for Microsoft Office migration."

This summer Google is set to release a new addition to the Google Docs and Spreadsheets family in the form of online presentation software.

An engineering director for Google commented on the official Google blog: "It just made sense to add presentations to the mix.

"Now students, writers, teachers, organisers and, well, just about everyone who uses a computer can look forward to having real-time, web-based collaboration across even more common business document formats."

The last time Google expanded its application pack was in March when it added Symantec Norton Security Scan, Google Photos Screensaver and PC Tools Spyware Doctor Starter Edition, according to Intelligent Enterprise.

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