Free Spreadsheet Program to use instead of M$Excel

ixus_123

Hi, I'm new to the site & have just downloaded the budget spreadsheet from this site.

zipped moneysavingexpert excel spreadsheet (right click, save as)

The page that links the spreadsheet assumes everyone has to settle with excel on MS Windows. It's not worth an occasional spreadsheet user forking out big bucks for a program they will seldom use but there is a free alternative.

Open Office is free and about a 70mb download. It's a complete office suite offering spreadsheet, wordprocessing, & powerpoint type app. It can handle most MS formats very well.

It works on Windows & Linux & Mac os X (through X11 / Fink).
you can get it here:
http://www.openoffice.org

There is another program called GNUmeric which, while not available just fer for Windows, is promised soon
Watch this space

Tony_H_3

Because of the nature of the MSE Excel Budgetsheet it will not work in any other spreadsheet package ..o0(I know as i've tried). So as an alternative the spreadsheet has been converted into an online version Click Here

It's feasible that in the future the budgetsheet will be made available to other packages.

HTH
Tony H

ixus_123

Really? What version did you try it with?

I hope it will at least work with gnumeric as I don't have any office apps on Windows

Tony_H_3

Star Office, which is effectively branded Open Office. I appreciate what you are saying about the costs of Excel and OO is a perfect substitute for someone whom infrequently uses office applications. OO is very powerful in it's own right and is obviously excellent value for money (free) but the bottom line is that it is NOT fully compatible with MS Office except when designing using the simpliest of features.

ixus_123

Agreed.

I just tried it with gnumeric & it works almost fine. All sheets work bar the menu sheet which, as far as I can tell, just links to the other sheets?