StarOffice originated as an office suite for Linux, was acquired by Sun Microsystems and ported to other platforms including Microsoft Windows. Sun later released the code base as Open Source Software and initiated the OpenOffice.org Project, which has carriage of code base development. The StarOffice splash screen states, "This product is based on the OpenOffice.org project"

The code base is used for StarOffice, the commercial product, and OpenOffice.org (00o), which is free software. StarOffice is designed for users who need access to support; on the other hand OpenOffice.org was — and still is — strongly supported by forums and other free online resources, which are also available to StarOffice users.

StarOffice 8 has three versions: a Standard Edition (S08se), an Enterprise Edition, and StarSuite. Also available is a Software Development Kit (SDK), which appears to be free to registered users of the standard edition and is included with the enterprise edition. The standard edition is available on CD ($US99), and for download from various sites — $US70 for a registration key that entitles users to "three support incidents during the first 60 days from date of purchase", thereafter a fee-per-call (and per e-mail) is charged. A search of Web sites and phone calls to a few local retailers suggest that the CD is not available from Australian sources. For Windows users the download is 270 Megabytes. There is no hard-copy manual with SO8se, but the built-in help is quite good for online documentation. Windows system requirements are modest and the program will run under Win98 through to WinXP.

The Enterprise Edition comes in a box with printed manual, and has extra features such as Macro Migration (enables conversion of Visual Basic macros to StarOffice macros) and Document Analysis (which appears to enable assessment of migration issues in respect of complex Microsoft documents, especially those that make heavy use of macros). The enterprise edition also includes the Java Desktop System Configuration Manager, which enables system managers to control policy and user settings across a network.

StarOffice Standard Edition

A new database module (SBase) has been developed for SO8se; the engine — also included with 00o2 — is HSQLDB (open source, Java based), which appears to have high SQL-compliance. A Web search for HSQLDB will turn up several sites with detailed information. A 'wizard' interface helps novices — and even more experienced users — to set up and use a database. HSQLDB enables users to open Microsoft Access files; that is an important feature, especially in the light of new techniques for the integration of Excel and Access (also applicable to Calc/Sbase) described in Michael Schmalz: Integrating Excel and Access, O'Reilly, ISBN 0-596-009793-9).

As in the previous versions of StarOffice and OpenOffice.org, file sizes are dramatically smaller than those created by equivalent Microsoft Office. It does not just save disk space, it also reduces the chance of file corruption. StarOffice/OpenOffice is known for its ability to open and repair Microsoft Office files that Office itself can't open.

The spreadsheet module, Calc, now enables 65536 rows and 65536 columns, which — I understand — is equivalent to the current Excel matrix. There has been significant revision of Calc including better handling of Excel formulas, and improved conditional array calculation. Lotus 1-2-3 spreadsheets can also be imported into S08.

The presentation module, Impress, has been greatly improved, bringing it into line with PowerPoint for those who want all-singing-all-dancing presentations.

Support for languages that don't use Latin, or Latin-like, characters is still a moveable feast in SO8se. It is a topic that deserves further detailed discussion; user bases in Australia for Asian languages, especially Japanese and Chinese, cannot be brushed off as marginal.

StarOffice is a serious alternative to Microsoft Office; it is much cheaper, more efficient in my opinion, and can take on the look of whichever operating system on which it runs. Anyone who has been using 'office suite' applications for word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, databases, and so on, should have no difficulty in picking up StarOffice.