OpenOffice.org 3.0 Beta Released

By Josh | May 7, 2008

OpenOffice.org has released their beta for version 3.0. The most important feature seems to be the support for Microsoft Office 2007 files. Of course there are other improvements, like being able to run on Mac OS X without the need for X11. There are also new icons. One new feature that you’ll notice is the new start center, which allows you to choose what it is that you want to do.

I’m in the process of downloading it right now for Ubuntu, so I have yet to test it out. You can read the whole feature list, or take a look at the release notes. I’m listing the feature list below, but you’ll have to take a look at their feature list page for more information.

New Core Features
1.1 Mac OS X Support
1.2 ODF 1.2 support
1.3 Microsoft Office 2007 Import Filters
1.4 Solver
1.5 Chart Enhancements
1.6 Improved Crop Feature in Draw and Impress
1.7 Spreadsheet Collaboration Through Workbook Sharing
1.8 1024 Columns Per Calc Sheet (Instead of 256)
1.9 Display of Multiple Writer Pages While Editing
1.10 Improved Notes Feature in Writer
1.11 New, Fresh-Looking Icons
1.12 Start Center
Core Features Introduced With Minor Releases Since OpenOffice.org 2.0
2.1 PDF/A Support
2.2 New Chart Component
2.3 VBA Support
2.4 Programmability Enhancements
2.5 Transformation of CSV Data Inside Cells into Columns within Calc
2.6 Language Selector in Writer Toolbar
2.7 Maximum Page Size Enlarged for Draw (300cm x 300cm)
2.8 Enhanced PDF Export
2.9 Multiple Monitor Support in Impress
2.10 Miscellaneous Features
Features Released as Extensions and Complimentary Tools
3.1 OpenOffice.org Extension Repository
3.2 Calendar and Email Client (Mozilla Thunderbird and Lightning)
3.3 Presentation Minimizer Extension
3.4 Report Builder Extension
3.5 Wiki Publisher Extension
3.6 Available Soon: PDF Import Extension
3.7 Available Soon: Presenter Console Extension