A major update to StarOffice/StarSuite has been released. Version 9.1 comes with many new usability improvements especially in the area of graphics rendering, more productivity tools, significant upgrades to StarOffice Base and introduces an Arabic version along with other localization features.

StarOffice can save organizations money by reducing desktop licensing costs, while still maintaining productivity. Share files with Microsoft Office users, including Office 2007 XML files, and work with other formats like PDF, HTML and FLASH. In addition, very little retraining is necessary and many productivity tools are available to make it easier to collaborate on the Web, work with PDF and get updates. Additionally, StarOffice 9 is a native port to the Mac platform.

StarOffice costs US$34.95, which comes with support for three incidents from Sun in the form and indemnification. The binaries are the same as in OpenOffice.org (OOo) so there is no proprietary code in StarOffice and implementation of the OpenDocument Format (ODF). StarOffice is Sun's professional distribution of OOo and comes with:

• Extensions and mail/calendar functionality comes with StarOffice (with OOo each extension has to be downloaded separately)
• Sun warranty and indemnification
• Hot fixes, patches and updates (OOo is full installation)
• Committed timelines
• 3 free warranty support calls (in retail)
• Customization (restrictions apply)

Key Features and Benefits

• Arabic support: User interface, dictionaries in Arabic; Locale settings can now be country-specific.

• Productivity tools: Zoom slider for all applications; Charting features: flexible axes placement, missing data handling; Improved sorting in Calc; Formulas: easier to work with; Automatic notification and installation of updates.

• Major improvements to usability: Easier to work with highlighted text; Quick renaming of Calc worksheets; Overlining now supported; Easier to insert comments from many users in Writer; Outline levels in paragraphs now supported

• Graphics and image handling: Anti-aliasing and dragging graphics with shadow. This makes for clearer graphics and images, plus it is now easier to move, drag and drop graphics and images.

• Localization and Internationalization Enhancements: Blogger (extension); Media Wiki publisher (extension); Workbook sharing in Calc; Support for OpenDocument Format 1.2. With these, StarOffice now can enable complex languages - ones that use right to left, bi-directional P, and more users in different parts of the world can share files with ODF.

• Enhanced Database Functionality: Database Report Builder (extension); Support for Access 2007; Native MySQL Driver.

Supported Platforms

• All SPARC and ultra-SPARC based hardware
• Intel x86 hardware
• JRE 1.4.1 and higher

Supported Operating Systems

• Mac(new) OS X v10.4 (Tiger) or higher
• Microsoft Windows 2000 (Service Pack 2 or higher), XP, or Vista
• Linux Kernel version 2.4 or higher
• Solaris 10 operating system (SPARC or x86 platform) or higher

* Note that the Solaris port is not bundled with StarOffice. To get StarOffice for Solaris, you can download it from the Solaris site or get it with a Solaris media kit (distribution).

Licensing Requirements

StarOffice employs named or specific user-based licensing. A StarOffice RTU license gives a named user license to run StarOffice on up to five of their machines (ie. desktop, laptop, home computer) without having to pay additional licensing fees.

StarOffice 9 offers a subscription licenses which needs to be renewed yearly and includes support and maintenance. If a customer purchases a perpetual license - where there is no renewal needed of StarOffice licenses - support is not included and would need to be purchased separately.

A note on StarSuite

StarSuite is the Asian language localization of StarOffice and comes in Japanese, Korean, Simplified Chinese and Traditional Chinese. StarSuite and StarOffice files are interchangeable and compatible, and the programs are functionally identical. StarSuite includes additional fonts for the East Asian market, and therefore is a slightly larger install.

More Information

New Features in StarOffice 9.1 [...read more...]

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