IBM Releases Lotus Symphony Software at No Charge Discussion

IBM today announced Lotus Symphony, a suite of free software tools for creating and sharing documents, spreadsheets and presentations. Starting today users can download this office software for any purpose whether it's academic, business or personal.

Read the full content of this Article: IBM Releases Lotus Symphony Software at No Charge

 

Thanks for the info.

Although it looks less advanced than MS Office, one cannot complain if it's free

 

This is excellent news. Looks like MS timed their "ultimate steal" bit to head IBM off at the pass.

 

Bottom line, it's another in a batch of pretty good free Office immitations. This, Google Apps and Open Office make for some pretty good options.

 

Worth to give it a go, isn't?

 

This should help get ODF into the workplace. Employers seem more likely to trust IBM than 'freeware'.

Good news all round.

 

That's true. Open Office, don't get me wrong, is absolutely wonderful, however, it's distributed by a faceless company called Sun whatanut? (maybe they've done some commercial projects, so I don't know) And IBM is much more recognized than them, so it should work. I'm going to try this out.

 

Do you remember many years ago when Lotus 123, WordPerfect and Netscape are sooo popular until Microsoft kills everything.

 

Yeah, I think Sun Microsystems does some big name software stuff. I think it's called Java... maybe you've heard of it?

EDIT: Also just noted that the OpenOffice website now says that IBM will be helping with OpenOffice development. Anyone else hear that?

 

Kierkes, I certainly hope you are joking. (it sounds like it, but I just want to confirm...)

Open Office is pretty good, thats what I have been running since my Office 07 Trial expired. This seems to be a nice alternative.

 

According to some articles, the new IBM Symphony is based on OpenOffice.org.
So I'm wondering just how "based on" it it is. Is it just a rebranded O , or are there substantial reasons to choose one over the other?

In other related news, Google launched their "Presentations" -- the Powerpoint-ish part of their online office suite.

 

WAY TO GO IBM
down goes ms office nw yeehah!!!

 

3 way battle between Office 2007, OpenOffice/StarOffice and Lotus Symphony.

Lotus Symphony is competing with OpenOffice/Staroffice in the free market share. Office 2007 has virtually no competition (yet).

 

Actually, Symphony and OpenOffice are one in the same. IBM has joined development of OpenOffice with the community, and Symphony appears to be the first result of it.

 

Lol yeah. I was joking, haha.

 

Yeah, IBM are ending the OOo team 35 programmers.

 

It's nice to see more competition for MS Office. Hopefully all these new office suits out there will pressure Microsoft into either greatly improving their own product and/or reducing the price.

 

well said.