How can I change from Microsoft Works?

[wizadora]

Our PC is set up with Microsoft Works word processing software, which we don't particularly like using. My husband has just bought our daughter a laptop which also has Microosft Works. What are the alternative software packages to Microsoft Works - and how would we go about changing it over? Is it just a case of buying a CD-ROM and having it installed?

wizadora

[Skids]

Microsoft Office has far better programs. Buy the CD and install it.

[wizadora]

Thanks, Skids, for your prompt response and your recommendation. wizadora

[Buenchico]

Better still, ditch Microsoft altogether. Many individuals and organisations (including several police forces and local councils) have switched to Open Office. It's better than anything by Microsoft (but then, what isn't?). It's also totally compatible with documents created with Microsoft programs - and, best of all, it's free:
http://www.openoffice.org/

Chris

[stevie21]

Chris, you probably do know that it's not "totally compatible", especially with anything involving lots of macros.

Either way, I'd also recommend Open Office.

[fo3nix]

I third the OpenOffice recommendation.

It's free software (meaning free as in freedom, not just price) too, so you can happily share it with your friends and family if you find it useful. You can't do that with Microsoft Office.

It also does stuff that Microsoft Office doesn't do: saving presentations to flash files, saving .pdf files, etc.

As stevie says though, if you have a complex document with lots of macros of other things in it, it's not 100% compatible (95% perhaps); but this is fairly unusual. It's happily opened everything I've ever pointed at it, and if you're used to Works then your docuements won't be too complex anyway so you'll have no problems.