StarOffice 8 Beta Set To Debut
Sun Monday said that the newest edition of its alternative to Microsoft Office, StarOffice 8, will be available for downloading in a beta version on Thursday.
Source: TechWebStarOffice, which shares a code base with the open-source OpenOffice application suite, will feature enhanced compatibility with Microsoft Office, including importation of password-protected documents and a database module much more like Microsoft's own Access.
The beta will be available for several weeks, and will be replaced by a final version of the for-fee StarOffice 8 by mid-2005, Sun said.
In other StarOffice news, Sun has also announced that it will discontinue StarOffice 6, the version prior to the current stable release of v. 7, March 5.
The open-source companion to StarOffice 8, OpenOffice 2, is currently in beta and available for from the Web, with the final of that suite scheduled to ship in April or May.
StarOffice 8 can be downloaded starting Thursday from the Sun Web site.
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