OpenOffice has released version 3 of its eponymous open-source alternative to Microsoft Office, which includes a native version for Mac OS X.

According to Insanely Great Mac, the software includes:

• ODF 1.2 Support
• Microsoft Office 2007 Import Filters
• Solver component which allows solving optimization problems
• Support for displaying custom error bars and regression equations
• Improved Crop Feature in Draw and Impress

The software is only available for Macs with Intel processors. There are projects for converting OpenOffice for PowerPC, but an official version was not included in this 3.0.0 release.

OpenOffice's site was running very slowly this morning due to overwhelming demand for the new software, but the official download link is here. There are mirrors available, and this one seemed to work for me. For Mac users, the file to download includes MacOSXIntel_AQUA_install in the name.

The download is 163MB.

Sun has released a beta for StarOffice 9, which brings native Mac support to Sun's commercial version of the OpenOffice suite of applications (finally bringing to fruition Sun's joining the Mac porting team back in 2007). The new version is a regular Aqua application and no longer requires X11. In addition, it integrates with "the address book and other system tools" including Spotlight, and allows importing the new XML-based Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac file formats (.docx, .xlsx etc.).

StarOffice9 is Intel-only and requires OS X 10.4+. The beta expires on August 17. It is a free download from Sun Microsystems (registration required). The regular price of StarOffice 8 is $69.95.

[via MacNN]

If you've been cursing the big price tag and lack of VBA support in Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac, OpenOffice.org is coming to your rescue. Last September, the OpenOffice.org dev team announced that they would be porting the suite to run natively on the Mac. Previous versions ran under the X11 environment, which not only hogged resources, but didn't have the Aqua look and feel we all love.

OpenOffice.org 3.0 is still beta, but a quick test-drive of the application showed that it is almost ready for prime time. OOo is a full-featured office suite, complete with word processor (Writer), spreadsheet (Calc), presentation package (Impress), drawing app (Draw), as well as database tools (Base) that are sadly lacking in other office suites.

The feature set of OpenOffice.org 3 is impressive:

• Imports Microsoft Office binary (.doc, .ppt, .xls) and Office 2007/Office 2008 for Mac (.docx, .xlsx, .pptx) files
• A solver component for solving optimization problems, something lacking in Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac
• Spreadsheet workbook sharing
• Display of multiple Writer pages while editing
• MS Office-like comments in Writer
• Limited VBA macro support -- which is still better than no support
• Extensibility with Mozilla Thunderbird and Lightning, Sun Wiki Publisher and Report Builder

The price of OpenOffice.org 3 is, as always, free! If you're up to test-driving beta ware that may not necessarily be as stable or fast as your other office suite(s), click here to be transported to the beta site.

Our Weblogs, Inc. buddies at Download Squad bring us this news: OpenOffice is going to be able to run natively on the Mac in 2008.

The OpenOffice suite is getting pretty impressive-- while Writer, Impress, and Calc might not be necessary when you have Pages, Keynote, and Numbers around, OpenOffice's Math, Draw, and Base will probably be welcome additions to a few Macs out there. And don't underestimate compatibility-- back when I had to use a PC at work, OpenOffice was a constant tool, and using the same program at work and home has its advantages for people who are forced to co-OS.

If you can't wait another year, there is still an alpha version available of the native port, and you might be waiting even longer than 2008 anyway-- we were promised a native port a year ago that apparently never showed up in full form. And don't forget about NeoOffice, either-- it's a very nice branch of the OpenOffice code that already natively runs on the Mac. Why wait for OpenOffice to get in gear when those folks have been punching out a native app for a long time now?

Fans of OpenOffice, the open source alternative to MS Office, rejoice! Sun, the company that puts the dot in .com, has just announced that they are joining the OpenOffice Mac porting project. What does this mean? It means that the chances of a Aqua version of OpenOffice materializing has just gone way up. Jim Parkinson even suggests that Sun might port StarOffice (which is the version of OpenOffice that Sun distributes itself) to OS X.

Thanks, Mark.

Delayed or not, the next version of Microsoft Office for Mac can't come soon enough for those who have little choice but to stick with Office in corporate environments. Although we have enjoyed reasonable (but still far from perfect) compatibility with our Windows Office brethren for some time now, that all changes with Office 2007 for Windows, which uses a file format incompatible with Mac Office by default. Out of the box, Office 2007 saves documents in "Microsoft Office Open XML." The saved file formats are docx for Word, xlsx for Excel and pptx for PowerPoint.

The good news is that Novell has promised that it will release code for OpenOffice that will support the new file format, but it'll be at least another month or two before that's a viable option for end users, and there are still many corporate users who will be stuck since many of them don't have the option to use or install OpenOffice. Also, just because Novell releases the code to the open-source community, it doesn't mean it will actually get integrated into the OpenOffice suite, although it's a good bet.

Windows users with Office 2003 will, of course, be able to download a compatibility pack that will let them open Office 2007 files, but Mac users are being left in the cold, probably for months, while the Mac Business Unit at Microsoft takes their time in making a similar solution available to Mac users.

I know the comment section will now be flooded with comments about how Mac users should ditch Office completely and use OpenOffice, NeoOffice, ThinkFree, iWork or a host of other Office alternatives, and that's fine and dandy for many people. I encourage people who have the choice to explore other options on their personal or work computers that aren't completely locked down, to do so, with gusto. But the fact remains that the majority of corporate IT departments don't see it that way and since many of them still resent having to support Macs to begin with, these compatibility issues just make matters worse for Mac users in those environments and it makes it that much harder for them to do their jobs.

No, you aren't hallucinating: Macworld UK is reporting that a truly native version of OpenOffice (not the java-powered NeoOffice port) will be shipping next month. OpenOffice's journey to running on Mac OS X in a native format has been a rollercoaster ride over the years, with a post on their site in January of '05 basically nixing a native port altogether.

However, the stars have realigned and the port will see light of day after all. If you need visual proof, one of OO's developers posted some native screenshots on his blog. As far as when we can get our hands on a non-X11 OpenOffice package, we're tossing our chips in with Macworld UK's that we'll most likely see this release at September's OOoCon. Stay tuned.

Pay attention, open source addicts, as this one is for you. The new beta of NeoOffice 2.0 is ready for download. NeoOffice, for those of you wondering, is an open-source office suite (including word processing, spreadsheet, presentation and drawing apps) that's based on the OpenOffice project. Go grab your copy and check out the aqua goodness. The current NeoOffice beta requires Mac OS 10.3 or later, 384MB of RAM and 400MB of free disk space.

[Via MacDailyNews]

NeoOffice, everyone's favorite implementation of OpenOffice in java, has released a v.2 beta of their suite with a new and improved Aqua-friendly interface. This new version is based on a recent version of OpenOffice (2.0.3), which includes apps for word processing, databases, spreadsheets, drawing and presenting. NeoOffice, however, offers advantages over running OpenOffice on Mac OS X because it doesn't need the X11 Unix environment to run. Moreover, NeoOffice can integrate with the Finder and Mail, which was probably one of the winning attributes that warranted the 'Aqua' addition to the name.

The Early Access Program is, in my opinion, a really cool and clever way to bring in some money for the project's hard work (after all, this entire project is made up of volunteers, and somebody's gotta pay the bills). From now until the 14th of August, users can download a copy of 2.0 Aqua for a mere $25. From August 15th through 29th, the price drops to $10. After that, it goes back to free like it's always been. NeoOffice is also selling Early Access subscriptions for $60, which will offer (what else) early access privileges throughout the course of NeoOffice 2.x releases.

I personally haven't tried a copy yet (I already - unfortunately - sunk money into Office 2004), but I'm willing to bet with some of the java benchmarks we've seen on Intel Macs, this suite will run pretty well if you have Intel inside. This sounds like a good a case as any to grab a copy early and help support a great project.

[via MacNN]

One of our recurring points of discussion here at TUAW seems to revolve around the age old question: If not M$ Office, then what?. Well, Matthew Russell over at MacDevCenter has put together a pretty good answer to that question with What Is NeoOffice/J (and Can It Replace MS Office): "NeoOffice/J is the long-awaited Mac-friendly version of OpenOffice. This open source project provides Mac users with most of the functionality of Microsoft Office, but for free. Is NeoOffice robust enough to serve as your only office suite in a Microsoft-dominated world? Matthew Russell explores. Plus, an in-depth interview with its lead developer, Patrick Luby."

It's a rather thorough 2-page introduction to this Microsoft Office alternative followed by a 3 page interview with Patrick Luby, NeoOffice's Lead Developer. I especially like the list near the end of page 2 noting why someone who already owns Office should take a look at NeoOffice/J. The best answer in the list: "When Microsoft products crash, it reminds you of the days when you used Windows."