Putting office suites to the test
Interfaces
Any application that offers an interface for Microsoft Office, OpenOffice, and LibreOffice can also accommodate SoftMaker Office documents. If the templates provided by a third-party provider include macros or scripts, SoftMaker Office typically does not have an answer – even if the templates are in a supported file format – because of incompatibilities between the various dialects of Basic.
WPS Office
Largely unknown in the Western world, WPS Office [4] comes from China and was created by Kingsoft. The Linux version of this office program, which was developed for cross-platform sharing, has officially enjoyed alpha status for several years, and the developers constantly maintain and develop it.
Several releases back, the developers started to focus on bugfixes and are no longer implementing new features, meaning that the suite is now extremely stable and works reliably. Alpha version 21, which is currently available, focuses primarily on completed localizations of the software package. Like SoftMaker Office, WPS Office includes a word processor called Writer, and the self-explanatory Spreadsheets and Presentation modules.
The Chinese office program is available for Linux in the current Intel 32- and 64-bit architectures in the form of DEB and RPM files for package management systems [14]. Additionally, the creators offer a portable tar.xz
archive that can run on almost any Linux system. Although the pre-compiled DEB and RPM packages take up roughly 78MB, the portable version weighs in at 150MB.
Appearance
Compared with the other three subjects in the test, WPS Office has a radically different appearance, with a different operating concept. It resembles a modern web browser, in that the software opens a separate tab for different documents.
On the home screen, WPS Office displays a graphical template view, from which you can choose pre-made templates. This view, known as Docer Online Templates, downloads template views in a context-sensitive way from the Internet, depending on the program module used (Figure 8). If you want to use a template or view it in more detail, it is displayed in an overlay window when clicked. If you so want, you can have WPS download the formatting templates by clicking on the Download button at the bottom right of the preview window.
If you want to open an empty window without formatting templates, click on the New blank document button in the top right of the program window. The blank document then appears in a new tab.
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
TUXEDO Computers Unveils Linux Laptop Featuring AMD Ryzen CPU
This latest release is the first laptop to include the new CPU from Ryzen and Linux preinstalled.
-
XZ Gets the All-Clear
The back door xz vulnerability has been officially reverted for Fedora 40 and versions 38 and 39 were never affected.
-
Canonical Collaborates with Qualcomm on New Venture
This new joint effort is geared toward bringing Ubuntu and Ubuntu Core to Qualcomm-powered devices.
-
Kodi 21.0 Open-Source Entertainment Hub Released
After a year of development, the award-winning Kodi cross-platform, media center software is now available with many new additions and improvements.
-
Linux Usage Increases in Two Key Areas
If market share is your thing, you'll be happy to know that Linux is on the rise in two areas that, if they keep climbing, could have serious meaning for Linux's future.
-
Vulnerability Discovered in xz Libraries
An urgent alert for Fedora 40 has been posted and users should pay attention.
-
Canonical Bumps LTS Support to 12 years
If you're worried that your Ubuntu LTS release won't be supported long enough to last, Canonical has a surprise for you in the form of 12 years of security coverage.
-
Fedora 40 Beta Released Soon
With the official release of Fedora 40 coming in April, it's almost time to download the beta and see what's new.
-
New Pentesting Distribution to Compete with Kali Linux
SnoopGod is now available for your testing needs
-
Juno Computers Launches Another Linux Laptop
If you're looking for a powerhouse laptop that runs Ubuntu, the Juno Computers Neptune 17 v6 should be on your radar.