LibreOffice is a comprehensive and free suite of business applications. In addition to text documents, spreadsheet, and presentations, LibreOffice is capable of creating and managing drawings, databases, and formulae.
Although I cannot claim to have used LibreOffice as extensively as one who uses it as a complete substitute for commercial products, my impressions of it are highly favorable. The interface may not be quite as slick as I've become accustomed to with modern Mac software, but the integration of basic image creation and database manipulation seems like the perfect complement of this software to me. Back in the days of Appleworks, bundling basic graphical software with text software was a no-brainer - how is it that no basic Mac application today is capable of permitting a freeform squiggle? Databases, perhaps, aren't quite as useful to the average user, but the programmer in me rejoices at having an alternative to spreadsheets, one with the logic of a database built in rather than slapped on top.
LibreOffice is highly flexible and, what's more, appears to run faster than the free or commerical alternatives. I can't recommend enough that you give it a try and see if it suits your needs before spending hard-earned cash on the latest-and-maybe-not-greatest version of the industry standard.
Sam's Protip: If interface aesthetics are really that important to you, take a look at NeoOffice. It's designed specifically for the Mac, although the latest version is no longer available for free.
Pros
- Provides alternatives to necessary digital functions at an unbeatable price
- Well suited to personal use
- Just as powerful as, if not more than, Microsoft Office
Cons
- Less sophisticated look to presentations
- Templates need to be downloaded manually from the website
Can this program be used to write a book?
To my mind, it has an urgly interface compared to MS office.
Responding to one person's comment, Who cares how ugly the interface is? The actual software is very elegant and complete and it's free. I just dumped the MS suite for LibreOffice and I couldn't be happier.
Use it for daily private and company work. Full replacement of MS Office.