OT: (maybe): [computerworld.com]: "Free and cheap software that outdoes the big guys"

[Mike Schwartz]

The link to the article:
    http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9069738&source=NLT_PRN&nlid=2941
Here are some "sample" juicy quotes:
  << "
AbiWord

What would Microsoft Word look like if you stripped it of all the
buttons, features, and gimmicks you've never used, and if you kicked
out the obnoxious menus that forced their way into the 2007 edition
like rowdy wedding guests?

Such a stripped-down Word would remind many longtime users of the
simpler, faster, easier Word of yesteryear. Instead of merely yearning
for the old days, however, you can download a free copy of AbiWord, a
Gnu open-source word processor that behaves much like a time capsule
for Microsoft Word at its prime. Regardless of whether the unsung
programmers who've developed AbiWord intentionally set out to
resurrect an older, better word processor, that's what they've done
[...]
" >>

<< "
Gnumeric

You'll find absolutely nothing fancy, colorful, exciting, or gee-whiz
about the open-source spreadsheet Gnumeric.

But do you believe that a thesaurus is essential to crunching numbers?
Microsoft's Excel has a thesaurus. Gnumeric doesn't. How about
translating from one language to another? You can do so in Excel. You
can't in Gnumeric. Do you need to calculate the modified Besseli
function in (x)? Excel lets you. Gnumeric...oh, hold it...Gnumeric
will, too. In fact, when you get down to the more obscure spreadsheet
operations that I, and possibly you, have never heard of before,
Gnumeric can be as esoteric as the best of spreadsheets.

The important thing is whether Gnumeric gives the right answers.
Frankly, I'm no judge when it comes to financial derivatives, Monte
Carlo simulations, linear and nonlinear equations, or, for that
matter, balancing my checkbook. Gnumeric's developers had math whizzes
in to check the program out, and this application got the same answers
as the high-priced spreadsheet did, only faster.

I do give credit to Excel for its fancier and more colorful graphs and
charts, no mean consideration if you hope to get approval for your new
project by wowing the board with drop-dead graphics instead of merely
dead numbers. For pure number-wrangling ability, however, Gnumeric
makes installing Excel unnecessary.

Download Gnumeric (Free) [link to
"http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/file/fid,70236-order,1-page,1/description.html"]
" >>
(sent in by:)
-- 
Mike Schwartz
Glendale AZ
schwartz at acm.org