Learn what your options are instead of shelling out $200+ for Microsoft’s productivity sofware.Someone asked me the other day where they could “download” Microsoft Office.

I looked in my Gmail and saw that this friend had asked me 3 times in 4 years about getting Microsoft Office and I knew it was time to do a show!

1. Cost - Open Office and Google Docs
2. Basic functionality – Tie
3. Advanced functionality – Microsoft Office and Open Office
4. Look of the application – Microsoft Office
5. Support from developers – Open Office
6. Sharing files with others – Google Docs
7. Offline access – Tie
8. Formatting, print preview – Microsoft Office
9. Revision control – Google Docs
10. Installation - Google Docs
11. Updates - Google Docs
12. PDF creation – Open Office and Google Docs
13. USB flash drive, portable version – Open Office and Google Docs (via FoxGLove)
14. Compatibility for file extensions – Open Office and Google Docs
15. Compatibility across operation systems, Windows, Mac Linux – Open Office and Google Docs

Scores

Microsoft Office – 5
Open Office – 9
Google Docs – 11

Summary

Most people have basic wordprocessing and spreadsheet needs.  Creating resumes and sending letters…managing lists of people or simple financials is the extent of of most people do inside of a productivity suite.

Many people are used to using Microsoft Office.  It will go the way of Lotus 123, Star Office and the dinosaur.  People are spending hundreds of dollars on a software program because it’s “what they know”.  I ask to you explore your options because it’s easier than you think.

Microsoft “open sourced” their support a long time ago

By this, I mean…when was the last time you actually called Microsoft and got help from someone?  Most people call the company who sold them the computer or take it to an independent when something goes wrong

Chat Items

ustreamer-3102 : Velma: I can tell you now Oprah and Steve Harvey almost made me forget you today.  It good that you started late.  Don’t go up against Oprah in the eastern time zone. Start after 5p.m.

ustreamer-3102 : Velma: What is comparable to Excel in Open Office or Google?

ustreamer-22562 : MCHammer (276,689 followers)

ustreamer-14357 : simonesdad2009. The picture looks good.  You are working with a monsterous bandwidth.  My dream is is huge bandwidth for everyone, everwhere.  Europe and Asia are light years ahead of us.

ustreamer-3102 : The quality is improved since last week when I started viewing your show.  Your hands don’t look like a ghost (cloud) when you move them. They actually are clearly hands now.  What did you do?

ustreamer-14357 : 29.97 fps is broadcast quality…fyi

Ideas from the show

What was up with the live video quality at for the Kevin Pollack Chat Show?  I feel much BETTER  about my lifestream broadcast now.  I did want to see LeVar Burton’s segment but my ears were hurting from the horrible audio.

I list all the Google Services I have used

It’s a bad idea to lie in front of an audience that you were able to connect with MC Hammer on Twitter.

Contest Question: What year and month was Google Docs released?

Answer: October 2006