Want to write, calculate, or create presentations without Microsoft watching over your shoulder? You can do that with LibreOffice, a free, open-source office suite. It includes tools for word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, and even drawing.

What is LibreOffice?

LibreOffice (libreoffice.org) is an open-source software suite developed and maintained by a global community. The project’s goal is to provide everyone with access to powerful, open, and free office software.

Similar to Microsoft Office, LibreOffice includes:

• Writer for word processing
• Calc for spreadsheets
• Impress for presentations
• Draw for drawing
• Base for databases
• Math for editing formulas
• A diagram editor

Here are a few key features of LibreOffice:

• It’s free and open-source.
• It’s available in 110 languages.
• It comes pre-installed with most Linux distributions.
• It’s also available for Windows and macOS.
• It’s compatible with Microsoft Office.
• It supports various file formats, including Open Document Format, MS Office formats, and PDFs.

A Few Words About My Background

I used to be a die-hard Microsoft Office fan. Ever since I wrote my first college paper in 1992 using Microsoft Word for Windows 1.1, Microsoft Office applications have been my trusted companions. Especially in my consulting career, I couldn’t imagine working without Word, PowerPoint, and Excel.

However, after the Edward Snowden revelations made it clear that Microsoft was generously collecting user data across all its products (allegedly for product improvement ) and possibly sharing it with the NSA, I had a change of heart.

Now, I use the LibreOffice suite and don’t miss a thing. And when I do run into a hiccup, I smile because I know:

• I’m not paying any license fees.
• I don’t have to check security settings after every update to prevent data from being sent to the Microsoft cloud.
• I can work privately and with peace of mind.

Libre Office Project, https://de.libreoffice.org/ 27.08.2024

BSI, Telemetrie in Windows. 03.05.2024

The Guardian, Microsoft handed the NSA access to encrypted messages, 03.05.2024

The cover image was generated with the help of AI.