Go to page: 1 2 3   

Printer Friendly Version

With the release of IBM Lotus Notes 8, IBM took a shot at Microsoft with integrated Word Processor, Spreadsheet and Presentation software. Now, that package of software, known as IBM Lotus Symphony, is available as a stand-alone suite that's available for anyone to download for free.

Yes you read that right, free.

That's the big distinction that IBM Lotus is trying to make with Symphony. Symphony becomes the free alternative that may replace Microsoft Office for many typical end-users. Symphony also integrates very well with Lotus Notes 8, and that integration point is something that I'm sure Lotus is banking on to win new converts.

So, is it good enough to unseat Office? Let's see.

The Interface

When you open Symphony for the first time, you notice one thing off the bat. Only one program opens up, and it lets you create Documents, Presentations and Spreadsheets within that one application. When creating new documents, each one creates a tab at the top of the page. This is an easy and quick way to bounce back and forth between everything you create, very handy for cutting and pasting information.

Lotus Symphony 1.2 Beta for the Mac

Symphony also shares many of the same toolbars and property boxes through all three applications (as well as Lotus Notes 8.) This consistency will be great for Notes 8 users,and it helps keeps things simple for new users as well. And even though Symphony is based on Open Office, you'll find that the overall interface is a little more polished and easy to use than Open Office itself. It should help keep training of new users to a minimum, and let them hit the ground running.

Go to page: 1 2 3   

Printer Friendly Version