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AbiWord

Create documents and other files with the word processor

6.0

104 Votes

  • Category Text
  • Program license Free
  • Version 3.0.5
  • Size 9.86 MB
  • Works under: Windows 2000
  • Program available in English
  • Program by Abisource

AbiWord is a free word processing program and alternative to Microsoft Word and Corel WordPerfect.

If you’ve ever wanted a powerful free word processing program that will handle a variety of tasks that works across a variety of operating systems, AbiWord is worth checking out.

The first thing we love about the program is the fact that it’s multi-platform – this means that you can work and collaborate on Microsoft Windows, iOS computers, Linux, QNX, Solaris and other Unix devices. No other major word processing program can say the same.

The second thing to love about this free word processor is the fact that you can read and write to virtually all text filetypes; share and save Microsoft Word documents, OpenOffice docs, RTFs, LaTeX files and so much more. There are no limits to what file formats you can save, edit, and share with this program.

If you’re looking for advanced features like document layouts, extensible plugin architecture and right-to-left reading orders, look no further. AbiWord is an open source platform backed by thousands of independent developers and users that have translated the program into over 30 languages, extended functionality far beyond that of a simple word processor and so much more.

It’s important to point out that this is a freeware open source project – this means that you shouldn’t expect free enterprise level support if you run into a problem. There are forums that can help you figure out the problem on your own, but if you’re looking for a solution for many computers instead of just one, you might be better off going with something like OpenOffice instead.

Another issue reported by users is that some proprietary formats won’t open correctly in AbiWord – you’ll want to check their website to make sure that the file formats you’re working with are supported by the program before you install.

Aside from that, as long as you’re not working with highly specialized files AbiWord is an excellent free alternative to Microsoft Word! Check below to find a quick list of pros and cons.

Pros

  • Free and Open Source Unlike other programs like Microsoft Word and Corel WordPerfect, AbiWord is 100% free and open source.
  • Easy to Use, Even for First Time Users Compared with other free word processors like OpenOffice AbiWord is amazingly easy to use and learn.
  • Save and Edit to Dozens of File Formats Save, edit, collaborate and share across multiple platforms and operating system with a single program.

Cons

  • Documentation is Incomplete OpenOffice has some of the best technical documentation in the world of open source software… but the same can’t be said for AbiWord. Expect to ask questions in the forums a lot of you run into trouble.
  • Known Scrolling Problems Don’t expect to scroll through your documents with your mouse’s scroll wheel – you’ll have to use your computer’s arrow keys or number pad instead.
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