New SuSE Linux Boasts MS Office Compatibility

Linux vendor SuSE  has released software that enables Linux desktop users to run Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT)  Office programs. The company’s Linux Office Desktop 8.1 can run such applications as Word, Excel and PowerPoint, and also includes StarOffice 6.0, a Linux alternative to Microsoft Office. “We find that people who have worked in Excel for years have built up a certain amount of macros” and do not want to lose them, SuSE vice president Joseph Eckert told NewsFactor. He added that Desktop 8.1 allows users to run Microsoft Office applications with “the stability and security of a Linux platform.”

According to SuSE, even users with no technical experience can install Desktop 8.1 to run alongside Windows. A partitioning tool included with the software, called Acronis OS Selector, “allows you to resize Windows XP  or 2000 Professional partitions rapidly without losing data,” according to the company.

Source : Newsfactor.com