Both programs offer intuitive interfaces and menus that generally follow Microsoft conventions. As a result, the programs are immediately intuitive to those who are already familiar with their Microsoft counterparts. TextMaker and PlanMaker also work together so you can call one program from the other and share data, as well as merge information from the spreadsheet into the word processor to print labels or personalized letters.
The hardware requirements to run Ashampoo Office are relatively low, making it possible to effectively run the program on older and slower computer systems. For this reason, if you've been delaying your next Windows operating system upgrade, you may want to look to Ashampoo before one of the latest Microsoft Office releases. According to the publisher, Ashampoo Office can run on systems equipped with the ancient Windows 95 OS, as well as Linux, FreeBSD, and Pocket PC.
You can open and save Word documents in TextMaker and Excel documents in PlanMaker, which is a necessity in a Microsoft computing world. While TextMaker and PlanMaker readily open, edit, and save files in standard Office formats, some complex formatting, particularly in text documents, can yield some abnormalities when transferred between Word and TextMaker.
Basic Computing
Overall, if all you do with your word processor is write letters and reports, TextMaker is a good, low-cost alternative to Microsoft Word. But if your documents contain specific and complicated formatting, it's probably better to stay with Word and Microsoft Office.
Accountants and scientific types who rely on high-end statistical and other Excel features should stick with what they already know and use. But if you're managing a database of contacts or performing basic number crunching and charting, PlanMaker 2006 can adequately perform the math, adding-up to an Excel alternative.
You can try out Ashampoo Office for free for 30 days so you can't go wrong. And if you decide to run with Ashampoo, the office suite may be purchased for a reasonable $69.99.
Pros: Relatively low cost, easy to use, competent word processing and spreadsheet applications
Cons: Lacks high level features and tools of its Microsoft counterparts, some complex formatting can cause inconsistencies during file transfers, limits itself to a word processor and spreadsheet (no database, presentation, or other apps)
