OxygenOffice Professional

Enhanced OpenOffice suite with extra templates, clipart, and productivity tools.

Overview

OxygenOffice Professional is a free office suite for Windows, offering an enriched experience based on the established OpenOffice platform. With added templates, clipart, fonts, and select functionality improvements, it targets users seeking a more versatile and creative environment for personal or professional document creation.

Core Features

All six key OpenOffice applications are bundled: Writer (word processing), Calc (spreadsheets), Impress (presentations), Draw (vector graphics), Base (databases), and Math (equation editing). The suite extends upon the familiar interface by adding an impressive assortment of pre-designed materials, streamlining common tasks for both novice and advanced users.

Expanded Templates and Media

One of the standout additions in OxygenOffice Professional is its elevated collection of templates and cliparts. Ten distinct categories are available, including business, education, and presentations. Each category subdivides into dozens of templates—ranging from business letters and invoices to lesson plans and personal calendars—empowering users to quickly produce visually engaging documents without starting from scratch. The integrated clipart gallery adds another layer of creative possibility, supporting users’ needs for graphical enhancements.

Functional Improvements

This release goes beyond aesthetic additions. OxygenOffice Professional integrates several functional enhancements over the default OpenOffice, such as:

• Experimental support for running VBA (Visual Basic for Applications) macros in Calc, catering to users transitioning from Microsoft Excel environments.
• Improved HTML export in Calc, making web-based publishing more reliable.
• Multiple monitor support in Impress, valuable for professional presentations.
• Enhanced Access database support in Base, easing integration with Microsoft database files.
• Performance improvements and security fixes, contributing to a smoother and safer experience.
• Updated color palettes for more modern document styling.

User Interface and Experience

Despite the functional upgrades, OxygenOffice Professional retains the familiar OpenOffice interface. Users accustomed to OpenOffice will adapt quickly, but those seeking a more modern or distinct graphical look may find this aspect unchanged. The additional templates and visual resources are prominent, but the core layout and usability remain largely the same as the base suite.

Compatibility and Accessibility

Documents created in OxygenOffice Professional remain compatible with most popular file formats, including Microsoft Office documents (DOC, XLS, PPT, and their modern XML versions). This ensures hassle-free collaboration and sharing with users of other office suites.

Final Verdict

OxygenOffice Professional is a compelling option for users who appreciate the stability and features of OpenOffice but desire more creative starting points and select feature enhancements. While improvements to the graphical user interface would have further set it apart, the additional templates, clipart, and performance tweaks provide meaningful value, especially for users frequently producing business or educational documents.