Most of you probably don't know what open-sourcing is. It's where lots of programmers and computer geeks make programs, openly revealing the source code to promote collaboration and improvement, simply because they believe information and products should be free and open to everyone (and also because many of them hate Microsoft, which charges hundreds of dollars for its closed-source software).
OpenOffice.org has had a free downloadable software called OpenOffice.org 1.0 for some time now. It is basically a non-brandname copycat of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, as well as a few other less-popular programs. But even though it's non-brandname and doesn't cost $100 or more, Writer is basically the same thing as Word, is completely compatible with Word documents, and even supposedly contains extra features (I cannot confirm this with specific details because some of the features that I thought "extra" are actually already on the latest version of Word, which I do not own).
So, what's the point?
OpenOffice.org has just released version 2.0. I'm not sure all what this means, but when software goes to a new number, it's basically a full and complete upgrade (as opposed to going from 1.0 to 1.1, which might just fix a few bugs or add a couple components).
What interests me is the timing. Microsoft has promised to fully upgrade its Office Suite along with its new operating system Vista, due next year. You might expect OpenOffice to wait for this to come out to see what the new software has to offer, so they can copy it and make it available for free.
Instead, they have come up with things by themselves, offering new and upgraded features without waiting to see what Microsoft will offer. This shows confidence and a desire to beat Microsoft to the punch. In fact, if 2.0 contains some truly new and useful features (I have yet to download it with my feeble dial-up connection), Microsoft may end up being the one incorporating some of OpenOffice's features! There's irony for you!
Microsoft still does not fear competition from OpenOffice, largely because most people have still never heard of it. But what appeals to me is the same quality without the hundred-dollar price tag. By deciding to release a new version before Microsoft releases theirs, OpenOffice is proving that they are not just providing a free copycat of expensive products. They are taking open-sourcing to a new paradigm by taking an initiatve of their own.
Edmond the Hun
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