Applixware and StarOffice

Linux has proved itself to be enormously successful among computer cognoscenti—those who make software and run networks. However, it has proved less successful among ordinary computer users—those who buy software and pay for networks. Whenever I describe Linux to ordinary users, I inevitably receive two reactions:

As much as Linux enthusiasts may deplore this attitude, it is certainly natural. Ordinary users, after all, care little about the technical features of an operating system, and even less about the politics of it. What matters to them is whether they'll be able to use the computer to do their work; and whether we like it or not, the Microsoft Office suite of applications has been established in most workplaces as the standard suite of tools by which work gets done.

Fortunately, two packages will let me change my “No” to a tentative “Yes”. Applixware and StarOffice are two robust, integrated office packages that offer reasonable compatibility with the Microsoft Office suite of tools.

In this review, I'll discuss and give my impressions of each package.

Applixware is manufactured by Applix, Inc., of Westboro, Massachusetts. I used release 4.3, in the version designed for use with Red Hat Linux 5.0. The package comes with the base release of Red Hat 5.0; however, all executables are statically linked and should work with any release of Linux using kernel 2.0 or higher.

Applixware includes the following modules:

The utilities use a common object format, so that objects built with one tool can be integrated into another. For example, a spreadsheet built with Applix Spreadsheets can be integrated into an Applix Words document, or sent as a mail message via Applix OpenMail.

An optional utility, Applix Builder, gives a user lower-level access to the objects built with any of the utilities. The user can integrate these objects with custom code to construct new customized applications.

Finally, the package comes with a printed manual that introduces Applixware and gives the basics of how to work with the package as a whole.

StarOffice is an office package that is manufactured by Star Division GmbH, of Hamburg, Germany. I used release 3.4, in the version bundled with Caldera's OpenLinux. This edition of StarOffice is usable on most Linux systems with kernel 2.0 or later and libc 5.4.4 or later.

StarOffice includes the following modules:

Also included are two daemons:

StarOffice does not come with a printed manual, at least in the edition I tested. Given that Star Division GmbH is a German company, the native language of the package is German; as a result, the documentation and notes are worded a bit oddly at times.