
It also supports older file types such as PPT and XLS. This means that you can not only view but save files in formats such as DOCX, XLSX, and PPTX. The suite itself is fully compatible with all Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint formats. It is developed for both Windows and Linux, and offers a basic version for Android users. The company, SoftMaker, has been developing office software since 1987 and its office suite is their flagship product.įreeOffice is a complete office suite that is free to use for both home and in the workplace. WordPerfect also uses what is known as a 'streaming code architecture', which parallels the syntax of HTML and CSS.If you are looking for a free and easy alternative to Microsoft Office, then FreeOffice is the suite for you. For instance, it can use several function keys, such as Ctrl, Alt, and Shift to issue commands, and that it uses F3 for Help (instead of F1, in Office applications such as Microsoft Word). One of the main distinguishing traits of WordPerfect is its use of function keys that are quite different from what can be usually done in word-processing application (which are mostly based on the Microsoft Word architecture). Although WordPerfect is still maintained by Corel, its current owner, it only has a minimal market share (in what was once a field it dominated), and its only advantage against its prime competitor is that it is available in a wider range of systems than Microsoft Word. WordPerfect was the first word-processing software that has achieved a de facto standard in computing, after which it was displaced by Microsoft Word in the 90s. WordPerfect was first marketed to DOS in 1982, and has since enjoyed immense popularity especially after its feature set was found to be richer and more extensive than the earlier word processor for DOS, WordStar.

WordPerfect, now owned by Corel corporation, first saw the light of day on 1979 for exclusive use at a university, and was later sold commercially under its current name in 1980.

WordPerfect is the predecessor of most word-processing software in the market today, and Microsoft Word owes its existence from the innovations that WordPerfect has contributed to the field.
