Microsoft’s Excel vs OpenOffice’s Calc – Proprietary or Open Source?
In this day and age, when it comes to selecting software, a greater range of options are available than ever before. Take browsers for example. Think Internet Explorer (I can hear the laughter from here!), Safari, Firefox, Chrome, or Opera. But they aren’t the only options. Ever heard of SeaMonkey? Konqueror? Amaya? How about Flock?
My point is that these days your needs should be carefully considered when choosing an option, as opposed to picking the first thing that you find. Though two programs might have a very similar purpose, they can differ vastly in the attributes and efficiencies that they offer each user. One such difference between programs is that of Microsoft’s(MS) Excel and OpenOffice.org’s (OOo) Calc.
As Microsoft continues to be a market leader in regards to software, Excel is still far more commonly used than Calc in homes, schools, and businesses. Most users have spent their entire computing-life with it, and as such have become very familiar with it. As humans, we tend to stick with what is more comfortable to us, and so many people have the impression that adopting Calc would be ‘stepping out of their comfort zone’, despite the fact that it is actually very easy to use and integrates very well with Excel.
In terms of features the two products are very similar. Some of the more useful features shared by both options include the ability to create add-ons, which allows the user (with some minor programming knowledge) to construct a function based on their needs; the data-protection functionality, which allows the user to lock in as particular cell or an entire group of cells to prevent alterations or data loss; macros, which allow the user to perform several functions with a simple keystroke; and the ability to export spreadsheets to .pdf format, with the user being able to select the level of compression they wish for objects such as images, to help cut down the amount of space used.
However, there are a few key differences in features. One such feature, exclusive to OOo, is the relative addressing of sheets, which allows the user to use the dollar sign to specify that a sheet is absolute. This is useful because it allows the user to replicate a reference into any cell of any sheet, without having to retype the reference. There are a number of minor differences too, such as the default number format. In Excel, cells are set to the “Number” category in the “General” format, which rounds a figure to two decimal places (i.e. Entering 14.4567 gives 14.46), while Calc cells are set to the “General” format, which treats the number exactly how it is entered (i.e. Entering 14.4567 gives 14.4567).
For many of us, cost is one of the biggest factors in deciding which option to choose. Excel can cost a business as much as $260 per user, which can be an expensive option if it is to be used by a small business or for personal use. On the other hand, OOo gives you the choice of downloading Calc for free, or purchasing a copy on CD from a local distributor (which in NZ is either Linux Shop or OpenOffice.org NZ) for a small fee, leaving OOo as a much more appealing choice for your wallet.
When it comes to looks, Excel versions from 2007 onwards have a much nicer aesthetic, with smooth curves and soft colours that are pleasing to the eye. Calc, on the other hand, looks very similar to Excel 2003, in that it tends to have a more rigid look about it, designed more in terms of performance than appeal. Layout-wise, Excel and Calc take a different approach, with Excel using tabs to divide its menu items based on function, while Calc uses the more traditional toolbar format to divide functions into categories.
The last point I’m going to consider is updates. MS tends to update its range of software in large jumps (Office 2003, Office 2007, Office 2010), somewhat forcing the user to upgrade, while OOo is more inclined to update their software in smaller chunks, allowing the user to choose when they would like to upgrade to the latest version of OOo. The latest version of OOo currently available is 3.2.1
So there you are, that’s just a brief overview of some differences between Excel and Calc – two programs with the same basic purpose but many different attributes. Which is better? I’ll leave that for you to decide.