Santa Clara (CA) – Sun today released a new version of its StarOffice 9 package, based on the as OpenOffice.org 3.0 binaries. The software comes with updated new versions of word processor, presentation, spreadsheet, database and drawing applications and includes native support for Mac OS X for the first time. Pricing starts at $25.

StarOffice 9 now includes Mozilla's Thunderbird email client and Lightning extension for calendaring and includes, according to Sun, “many extensions that make it easier to perform common tasks such as editing PDF files, creating reports, blogging, and publishing wikis.”

Besides new functionality, which includes, for example, multiple page editing in Writer, an optimization Solver tool and 1024 columns in Calc, native table support in Impress, and effective handling of poster-size graphics in Draw, one of the most significant new feature is built-in support for Microsoft Office OOXML files, in addition to the existing ODF integration. There is also an updated look with a new start center and new icons. Apple users get, for the first time, a native Mac OS X StarOffice, which is also promised to look and perform much better on Apple systems than previous versions.

StarOffice 9 is completely open sourced, with the same binaries as OpenOffice.org 3.0. StarOffice 9 and its Asian version StarSuite 9 are available for $25 per license in volume licensing deals. Consumers can purchase the software for $34.95.

Quite nice price, one i would gladly pay....

Nov 17, 2008 14:38     

Quite nice price, one i would gladly pay.
Vitor report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +1

Why Pay If You Are a Consumer?

Nov 17, 2008 16:10     

OpenOffice is free and as stated above StarOffice is the same thing just targeted toward commercial installation.
mykhailjw report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +1

Nice new features, but native SVG import support? Pending since 2001.

Nov 17, 2008 20:49     

Top outstanding issue, opened in 2001: http://qa.openoffice.org/iz_votes.html I'm glad to pay if they support built-in SVG import. How else do we get cross platform vector graphics?
Erwin Coumans report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +0

StarOffice for OS/2?

Nov 18, 2008 07:42     

I use StarOffice 5.1 for OS/2. It would be neat if there was a version of S.O.9 for OS/2 and eComStation. http://www.ecomstation.com I will try the Win version on my Win pc and on ReactOS once I have assembled another computer. http://www.reactos.org
TomLeeM/BigWarpGuy report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +0