office tools
Linux applications have come a long way and office tools for Linux users are plentiful. While personal preference plays a large role in selecting applications that best suit an individual’s style, these are ten of the best office tools that deserve consideration by any Linux user.
1. Open Office
Open Office is the best known of the office suites and comes installed by default in several flavors of Linux. It is relatively rich in features and includes a word processor, spreadsheet application, presentation software, a database application and a graphics editor. OpenOffice is free and its interface should be reasonably familiar to anyone conversant with the Microsoft Office suite. Best of all, it allows for importing and exporting of files in familiar formats, so it will not leave the user isolated from people using one of the “mainstream” applications sold by Microsoft or Adobe.
2. GNUmeric
Finding a replacement for Excel can be daunting, but GNUmeric is a worthy candidate. Its interface is simple and clean and it gets along well with spreadsheets created in Excel. Like many of its competitors, it tends to lose some formatting when going from format to format, and the user needs to look closely before leaping in, especially if linking to an external database is important. Again, this is a free application.
3. Base
For database functionality, few of the Linux options can compete with the application built into OpenOffice, called “Base.” It lacks the ability to handle files created in Microsoft Access, but it is probably the best of a limited bunch despite this flaw.
4. Impress
Among presentation applications, Impress, another component of OpenOffice, is a worthy PowerPoint replacement. It offers seamless import of .ppt files and enough features to give PowerPoint a run for its money. As an alternative, SoftMaker Presentations offers fewer features and is not free, but its simplicity and ease of use make it a possibility for users who do not create complicated presentations.
5. Evolution
The first is Evolution, related to the GNOME Linux distribution. Anyone who has used Outlook will be at home with Evolution from the start. It offers easy set-up and configuration, IMAP support and a host of plug-ins that can be installed, enabled and disabled to suit various needs.
6. Kontact
The other option is Kontact, which is related to the KDE distribution. It is another full suite of tools, with email, contacts, calendars and the like, and adds popup notes, syncing, time tracking and notebooks to its arsenal. Kontact provides support for a range of groupware servers, including Exchange.
7. Scribus
For desktop publishing along the lines provided by Microsoft Publisher, the best option is Scribus. Despite its simple interface, Scribus offers color management, color separation, opacity and layering on a par with Publisher or Adobe Acrobat, and Scribus does it without the high cost. In addition, it can export in a wide variety of image formats and .pdf, so that work can be shared with people who do not have Scribus installed.
8. GIMP
Should Scribus turn out to be a bit underpowered for image editing, GIMP is probably the answer. Widely regarded as the best replacement for Adobe Photoshop, GIMP supports an enormous range of file types with an interface that can be extensively customized to suit the user. It offers broad hardware support, plug-ins and various photo tools. Perhaps best of all, GIMP is cross-platform and can be installed in Windows and OS X as well as in any variety of Linux.
9. GnuCash
Another cross-platform application that serves an entirely different purpose is GnuCash. GnuCash is an accounting package that can work for individuals and for small business. It makes use of a double-entry bookkeeping system that can manage stock, bond and mutual fund accounts and it handles invoices, customers, vendors and accounts payable and receivable.
10. KMyMoney
In a similar vein, KMyMoney is not quite as powerful as GnuCash, but it stands out for its simplicity. For an office that does not have sophisticated accounting needs, KMyMoney is a user-friendly application that does much more to ge
t the user up and running, using wizards to painlessly guide the process.
Finally, Linux offers a number of good choices for project management. One worth trying is Planner, part of the Gnome suite. Planner allocates resources, assigns them to tasks and enables tracking of time and cost across the project. The availability of a Windows installer for Planner only adds to its appeal.
Today’s post was contributed by John who works at Office Kitten, one of the leaders in the supply of office equipment for businesses in the UK.
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