your future? Linux advocates push for widespread deployment of Linux
on desktop computers, but sometimes forget the realities of life:
Like it or not, electronic document exchange today is based on
Microsoft Word (.doc) and Excel (.xls) files.
This is where Linux still falls short: Some Linux word processors,
spreadsheet packages, and office suites read and write these formats,
but none have yet achieved flawless file conversion.
German software vendor SoftMaker wants to change all that: TextMaker
for Linux, their new flagship word processor, is the first component
of SoftMaker’s MS Office-compatible office suite for Linux, Windows,
and Pocket PCs.
The major design goals for TextMaker were: Make it fast and compact.
Make it easy-to-use. And make it Microsoft Word-compatible.
The result: TextMaker for Linux. A word processor that launches
lightning-fast, needs little memory, does not require complicated
setup and has the full feature set of a modern high-end word
processor. A word processor that reads and writes Microsoft Word
6/95/97/2000/XP files without losing formatting or content.
The final beta of TextMaker for Linux is now available as a free
download from SoftMaker’s web site at http://www.softmaker.com
This new beta fixes all known bugs, has improved font and
printer handling and can generate PDF (Adobe Acrobat) files on
the fly.
The release package will retail for US$49.95 (EUR 59.95).
TextMaker is the first component of SoftMaker Office
anywhere, an office suite for Windows, Windows CE, and
Linux which also features a Microsoft Excel-compatible
spreadsheet, a database package, and a PIM/groupware combo.
SoftMaker Office anywhere will be available in “regular”
desktop and mobile editions as well as a client/server
edition running over the LAN or Internet.
Link: softmaker.com
