OpenOffice.org Tips and Tricks Part I

Using the free and open-source productivity suite OpenOffice.org can be a godsend for those that don't want to hand over more money to Microsoft. Its word processor, spreadsheet, presentation, and database applications almost mirror that of the MS Office suite. However as you may have already noticed, there are some differences between the two. If you have been a regular MS Office user, the lack of some features and minor differences in OpenOffice.org and converting between the two formats can become quite bothersome. Just don't give up yet.

This tutorial series will take you through some tips and tricks on migrating from MS Office to OpenOffice.org 2.4. You'll see how to replicate some of the functionality and features that are lacking in OpenOffice.org. Soon you'll be more comfortable using OpenOffice.org for just about all your desktop publishing needs.

Adding More Templates

After browsing through OpenOffice.org's templates, you'll see there are basically none. Its few presentation templates for Impress and Writer's label and business card wizards don't come close to all the templates offered in MS Office for letters, calendars, resumes, a variety of presentations, spreadsheet solutions, and other projects. However, you don't have to start your OpenOffice.org documents from scratch; you can download more templates.

Professional Template Pack I and II by Sun Microsystems are just two of the many add-ons or extensions you can download from the OpenOffice.org Extensions site. You may also want to use the Calendar Template extension to create calendars. After you download the files, open OpenOffice.org and click Tools -- Extension Manager. Then to install an extension, click the Add button, select the file, and click Open. Now your Templates and Documents window will be populated with an assortment of templates. To open this window, click File -- New -- Templates and Documents