Open Office Adapted For Use Via The Web

Happen to be a fan of free open source software? How ‘bout Open Office? Pretty useful suite of software, right? Indeed.

But what if you’re equally enthralled by things Web-based? You like what Zoho’s got. You may admire what Google has done thus far. Wouldn’t it be nice to have the best of both worlds? Open source software for use online?

Enter, Ulteo. A company that adheres strongly to the basic mantra stipulated by Torvalds and Tux, Ulteo has exercised its mastery with ultra-communistic code to deliver Open Office the way the Web 2.0-lovin’ generation can appreciate. No downloads necessary – apart from one either of Firefox or Internet Explorer. Just fire up that desktop or laptop, get yourself a nice-sized tube to connect to, and wala, you’re soon punching out documents the way the best of Web technology allows you to do.

Of course, there are a few things you should be aware of before you venture down this alternative road. First, speed. Or lack thereof.

You’re likely well aware that Open Office, as it’s stood since its inception, has pretty much been solely reliant on the specifications of one’s systemic hardware. The speed of a disk drive. The quantity of RAM installed. The efficiency of a CPU. With Web-based software, however, most of those things matter a good deal less than has been the case for many years prior. Rather, the grandeur of an Internet connection is the crux of the new performance paradigm resultant from the emergence and popularization of cloud-based software.

So if you’re on a basic DSL line, you may well be in for a grim reality check when attempting a test Ulteo’s new Open Office solution. It won’t be pleasant. You’ll need to meet sizable downstream and upstream parameters in order to really enjoy what Ulteo’s giving you.

Also, you’re almost certain to run into a hiccup or two when giving the fresh adaptation a try. Web software releases, especially brand spankin’ new ones, are never without their bugs and quirks. Heck, holes are still being found quite regularly in the standard Open Office suite being proffered to the public. I expect it’ll be some time before we see Ulteo deliver something wholly watertight for Web lovers’ enjoyment.

But alas, a start’s a start. And if we may say so ourselves, Ulteo seems off to a strong one.

(Note: You’ll need to create an account with Ulteo. Doing so is free of cost.)