If you haven't heard, the new beta release for OpenOffice.org 2.0 is now available for download.

It's more integrated than the 1.x version, with numerous bug fixes. The download is about 80 mB or so, so you'll need broadband to get it, or ask a friend to download it for you.

Looks promising, OOo 1.x was already good enough for most users. 2.0 features better Word .doc import and support, including more complex table and image type layouts. Officially, this is version 1.9.79, which is a nice numbering scheme as far as I'm concerned.

After installing, I tried opening a fairly complex nested table Word document, opened perfectly.

I'd say MS is in trouble here, that's my first impression. And of course, no need to spend that $300+ on Adobe Acrobat so you can make PDF files, that feature is included. Why do I want to start laughing?

Keep this in mind too, OOo 1, while based on the earlier Star Office suite, really was a 1.0 type product in many ways, and it showed. Version two has had a large amount of corporate level feedback, and so can be expected to satisfy that market much more.

With this type of quality, the arguments for needing to using MS Office grow slimmer. How many secretaries after all really need or use some of Office's advanced features? How many do you use?

The only ones I use are some simple macro things, which with a small effort could probably be ported over to OOo 2.

OpenOffice 2 also uses the OASIS file format as its default, that file format can't be read by version 1, except for an upcoming 1.1.5 patched version. OASIS is the new universal [except of course for MS Word] format, KWord will also use it. That's an xml based format, but a truly open one, unlike the MS Word XP/2003 version, only available on the corporate professional Office edition. MS is fighing a losing battle here, I don't care what they say, software isn't worth what they are charging for it, as they also know. Both Office and Windows run around 30-50% profit margins, which means they cost too much.
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