I'm upgrading my laptop to another with Win7. But, I may loose my Office suite and that includes things like Outlook, Word, Publisher, Excel, etc. It will have Works 9, but I haven't used Works in 15 years. What do you think of the Adobe online stuff? Are there other ideas/options? Would you suggest going back to Outlook Express or switching to Thunderbird or something else for email?

... lots of upgrading going on, eh cass ?
t.

I have moved office 2003 to each new computer both desk and two laptops with new windows and now at XP and it works without any problems.
Bebop

Another option you may want to consider is "Open Office" by Sun Microsystems. It is free and fairly compatable with most Microsoft Office files. Over 100,000,000 downloads to date. OpenOffice.org

Regards,

Dennis Almond
aka..TwoNuts

[This message has been edited by TwoNuts (edited 03-17-2010).]

If you don't need to share a lot of data with others, this is the way to go..

But if you use a lot of data created by others on OFfice 2007 machines, i'd stll go for Office 2007.

If you only use Word, you might try the google online version which works like a dream too.

With Sun Microsystems 'Open Office' you can save files in virtually any format you would like. That way you can assure that any recipient will be able to view the file in the way you intended. While I own and use Office 2003, 2007 and Open Office, I must admit I am getting tired of the constant upgrade cost associated with Microsoft products. I use Excel professionally for my day to day proposals. Open Office seems to handle all the formulas very well and allows me to create and edit and save as .XLS or any other spreadsheet type. It truly is remarkable to have an office suite that works very well and is truly free. While I use spreadsheet software predominantly, Open Office has most every other program application that Microsoft Office has. If you can use MS Office, you can certainly use and understand Open Office. www.openoffice.org

Open office is good, and for most users’ needs will be fine, however its control interface is similar to Office 2003, so ease of use is not as good as it could be. (The ribbon used in Office 2007 takes ease of use to a whole new level)
Be aware that not all Open office documents transfer to MS Office (Even if saved in office format) seamlessly, so check first to make sure it comes out as expected.
NOTE: Office 2010 should also be available as a basic free version for those that don’t need the power of the full programs. (The basics will also be available to use online)

Win 7 does not come with an email program in most parts of the world due to completion rules, (Outlook express is dead) however you can download the free Windows Live mail which includes calendars and other features, and can import all your Outlook Express accounts and emails.

Thunderbird I have always found to very clunky, so is not for me, however you may like to try the Opera browser which comes with an email program built in. (I still prefer IE8 with Google Chrome as backup)
Hope this helps

Bill

Thanks for all the advice, everyone. I'm sure others here have also found your opinions helpful. I do have the OpenOffice software installed on my present laptop, but have never used it. I think I'll give it a try while I wait for my new PC.

I convinced a few of the companies I work with to switch to open office. Some of the staff didn't even notice that it's not Microsoft office, it works seemlessly. If you are going to send spreadsheets and documents to Microsoft Office users just be sure to save in the correct format though.