Sun details StarOffice 6
David Worthington, BetaNews, special to eWEEK
August 30, 2001 4:56 PM ET
This week at LinuxWorld, Sun Microsystems Inc. is demonstrating the latest incarnation of its popular StarOffice Suite several weeks after placing a teaser on its Web site to gauge public interest. While details have not yet publicly emerged, BetaNews was able to catch up with Sun to get the scoop on Version 6.0.
After a long wait, localized versions featuring support for Asian languages have finally materialized -- something Sun hopes will lead to worldwide acceptance. Overall, the focus of this release will be centered on ease of use rather than adding an overabundance of new features. Performance, compatibility and the introduction of XML (Extensible Markup Language) as the suite's default file format are among several areas that have received attention by developers.
Set for a public beta in early October and release some time in the first quarter of 2002, StarOffice has undergone numerous changes since Version 5.2. Sun has made good on it promise to target key areas cited by user feedback and has opted to remove the much maligned integrated desktop.
In addition, performance has been enhanced through componentization. The entire suite will not load when users simply wish to perform a routine task -- leading to quicker load times and a lower utilization of system resources. According to Sun, an assortment of bugs and code optimizations were taken on by the open-source community -- contributing to the overall quality of the product.
In an effort to make StarOffice more intuitive and easy to use, Sun bolstered usability through extras such as templates; clip art; buttons and icons modeled to be consistent with industry norms; pivot tables; and revamped dialog boxes. Due to the feedback provided by focus groups, help has also been reworked.
A Sun representative said the suite will be similar in appearance to Office 2000. Some of the templates include business plans, and others are designed with educators in mind. With convenience in mind, charting tools have also been integrated into all StarOffice components.
As always, popular formats such as binary and files saved with Microsoft Office are supported. However, Sun is banking on XML to provide universal compatibility to its product while side-stepping proprietary formats. With XML, the recipient of a file will not be required to have StarOffice installed to view it.
Not only will XML provide for smaller file sizes, it also opens the door to interactivity. Once technology progresses, users will be able to edit files through a Web browser. Continuing its push toward the Web applications, Sun is banking on Sun One Webtop to bring its productivity suite to the masses. As far as Sun is concerned, the adoption of XML, combined with its open-source business model, is laying the groundwork for the future.
Rather than solely target enterprise customers for a complete conversion from Microsoft Office, Sun is turning toward educators, small businesses, governments, end users and enterprises with mixed platforms to provide its niche. Sun concedes that many corporations have included Microsoft Office into their infrastructure, investing significant sums of money into developing custom middleware.
Given that fact, the company is eyeing tight school budgets and is touting StarOffice as a solution that can support all commonly accepted file formats while eliminating the steep price tag. The same pitch is being offered to small-business owners, particularly startups that are seeking viable desktop software.
Sun claims that openings are also present in government and corporation environments where mixed platforms are commonly used -- offering up StarOffice as an economic method to achieve interoperability. It also sees itself as a secondary vendor to replace aging government information systems.
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