Microsoft Office Word Viewer

 

In case you are one of the users who doesn't have Microsoft Office installed but still wishes to open files created by the suite and developed what's being called Microsoft Office Word Viewer, a very simple solution designed to do just that: open Word documents.
We should probably mention from the very beginning that this application is not by any means an Office replacement, it's just a simple way to view Word documents on the go. There are no editing tools, just a few viewing options and that's all.
The application installs and runs in a minute and it basically comes down to double-clicking one of the supported formats or using the built-in open tool to view a document.
Microsoft Office Word Viewer works with DOCX documents, but also with TXT, DOC, WPS, XML, RTF and DOCM, so you may use the app with all documents on your computer.
There are just a few Options available and mostly concern the view and print tools, allowing you to choose print and web layout settings, formatting marks and printing configuration.
The application works on very low resources but you should keep in mind that you may need some additional software to be able to open documents created with the newest versions of Microsoft Office.
As a conclusion, Microsoft Office Word Viewer is a great tool if you want to open Office docs on the fly. It is compatible with many formats and addresses both advanced and less experienced users, so it may very well be one of the top choices in its software category.

Libre Office

 

When it comes to office suites, Microsoft Office and OpenOffice are among the most popular ones due to their numerous functions and intuitive interfaces. However, since LibreOffice was developed from a fork of OpenOffice, it also regains its features and ease of use, so LibreOffice gradually becomes just as famous.
The application comes with several components especially created to help users process their text documents, spreadsheets, presentations, drawings, databases and formulas. This software solution also supports the default formats of Microsoft Office, so one can easily open and edit PowerPoint, Word or Excel files.
LibreOffice Writer provides users with a wide range of options, including common ones (such as font formatting, text alignment and line spacing) as well as more specialized ones, like synonyms and thesaurus (provided the required dictionary files have been previously downloaded).
LibreOffice Calc is the component that can be accessed whenever users want to organize their data in tables according to the number of rows and columns they need. This tool supports several types of functions that can come in handy for creating formulas and performing complex calculations.
LibreOffice Impress is the utility that can be of use for designing and customizing presentations and slideshows, while also supporting charts, diagrams, text messages and multimedia backgrounds. Each of the projects supports animation effects, slide transitions and font editing, so the result is bound to match the user’s expectations.
LibreOffice Draw allows users to create both simple and intricate designs that can be exported to common graphic formats, then integrated into other projects. The generated drawings can include tables, charts or formulas previously created within LibreOffice apps.
Users can access LibreOffice Base when they want to explore the contents of their database files or connect to external multi-user database engines (such as MySQL, MS Access, Adabas D or PostgreSQL). In addition, this tool features built-in native-support drivers for the engines it supports.
Overall, LibreOffice includes a lot of the tools users need on a daily basis to complete their tasks – and considering it comes with an open-source license, one can enjoy the application’s functions both at home and at work.

Foxit Reader

 

PDF files are widely used for their high compression and increased quality when it comes to containing images, forms or formatted texts. And since Windows does not provide native support for this format, a specialized application is required to access their contents, such as Foxit Reader.
Specifically designed to work with PDF files in the easiest way ever, Foxit Reader is an intuitive application that serves its purpose pretty well: it opens PDFs instantly without bothering the user too much and, at the same time, offering them some very interesting goodies.
When installing Foxit Reader, users have the possibility of disabling the shell extensions that would integrate the software's functions within Windows Explorer. The Trust Manager feature is another useful one, since this safe reading mode does not allow the opening of links and websites directly from a PDF file, while also preventing JavaScripts codes.
Foxit Reader has quite an eye-candy interface but those who want to customize it can easily resort to applying a skin and go for another color scheme. Though packed with numerous buttons and menus, the UI does not seem crowded, leaving plenty of room for viewing any PDF file, rotating or zooming it, as well as easily sharing it on Facebook .
Unlike basic PDF viewers, Foxit Reader allows users to read the file's comments, preview each layer and attachment, as well as verify or validate the signatures. It also supports text-to-speech, meaning that it can read aloud a selected page or the entire document.
Furthermore, documents can be viewed as text-only files, thus stripping all the images or objects and accessing only the actual text, with no distractions. A full-screen mode is also within reach, when users want to focus on their files.
To sum it up, Foxit Reader is a great app for PDF management, and since it comes with a free license and works on every single Windows version out there, everyone can take it for a spin and decide if it is a keeper on their PC.

Nitro PDF Reader

 

Nitro PDF Reader is an application that allows you to view and edit PDF files in a user-friendly environment.
During installation, Nitro PDF Reader offers to set up a plugin for your web browsers, one that enables you to directly view PDF documents without having to download them (as it usually happens with other PDF readers).
The interface of the tool is simple and intuitive. You can open a PDF document by using the file browser or the "drag and drop" method.
So, you can view file properties, create digital IDs, save text as a flattened PDF, as well as print it or email it as a PDF attachment.
But you can also zoom in and out, use a hand tool to move easily, fit the page, rotate the view and use a selection tool for graphics, text and snapshots.
In addition, you can add notes and markup text (highlight, crossout, underline), type text and stamp a copy of your handwritten signature on the page.
Furthermore, you can convert several formats (including DOC, DOCX, HTML, TXT, BMP, JPG and WMF) to PDFs or text documents, extract images from PDF files, work with forms, use the undo, redo and search functions, customize the user interface, and more.
The software takes up a moderate-to-high amount of system resources, includes a comprehensive help file for beginners and didn't freeze, crash or pop up errors during our tests. Also, it has a very good response time.

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PDF Creator

 

PDF Creator is a simple-to-use program that allows you to create PDF files from any application that includes a printing function. It can be easily handled, even by first-time users.
In order to access this app's features, all you have to do is run the 'Print' function within any tool that supports it.
So, all you have to do is specify an output directory and filename, in order to proceed with the conversion procedure. In addition, you can make the app open the file or to send the file as an email attachment when the task is done.
Skilled users are free to fiddle with some advanced settings. For instance, you can edit PDF metadata (e.g. title, subject, author), encrypt the PDF file by password-protecting it, and set permissions (e.g. allow annotations and top quality printing).
But you can also select the page size, PDF quality, rotation style and degree, apply a text watermark and customize properties (e.g. font, color, style, size, rotation), merge multiple PDFs, as well as configure display settings regarding the zoom level, page layout and page mode. Plus, you can hide the toolbar, menu bar and PDF title.
The PDF conversion program needs a low-to-moderate amount of CPU and system memory, has a good response time and quickly finishes a task. No error dialogs have been displayed throughout our tests and PDF Creator did not freeze or crash. The output files have a good quality regarding graphics, images and the text layout.

Babylon

 

The Babylon application allows you to optimize your searching for unknown data. Clicking on any term from any desktop application brings you results from Babylon's extensive database of language dictionaries, glossaries and conversion tools. With Babylon's Writing Aid tools you can easily find the exact word you need, ensure correct usage and paste it directly into your documents.

PowerPoint Viewer 2007

PowerPoint Viewer 2007 lets you view full-featured presentations created in PowerPoint 97 and later versions. This viewer also supports opening password-protected Microsoft PowerPoint presentations. You can view and print presentations, but you cannot edit them in the PowerPoint Viewer 2007.

PowerPoint Viewer 2007 is free software you can use to view your presentations from Microsoft PowerPoint 97 and beyond without opening the program. It's a quick and convenient way to view PowerPoint files on your computer.
There isn't much to be said about the interface, since there is almost nothing there: as soon as you open the program, it opens a window to select the file you want to view. It's just like viewing a presentation in Microsoft PowerPoint except you can't alter or edit anything. You can print the presentations, which is a bonus. PowerPoint Viewer 2007 ran smoothly and without problems. It even displayed presentations from newer versions of Microsoft PowerPoint without noticeable problems.
Installing and uninstalling this software was clean and quick. It didn't add any icons or extra installations to our computer. We recommend it to anyone who needs to view or show PowerPoint files quickly.

Apache Open Office

 

OpenOffice is a full-featured office suite that comes as a more affordable alternative to the popular Microsoft Office. OpenOffice brings alternative solutions for each major tool bundled into Microsoft's very own suite, which means that you can switch to this application even if you are a fan of MS Word, Excel, Power Point or Access.
OpenOffice has them all, obviously under a different name, but boasting almost the same powerful functions as Microsoft's software package. The installer allows you to select which components you wish to drop on your computer; OpenOffice allows you to install only the things you need, so checking twice before clicking them is highly recommended.
Using OpenOffice is quite easy after you get used to the menus and the places functions are located. Sure, it might be a bit overwhelming for first-time users, but it's only the way such a complex application may interact with its users.
'Writer' is a part of the suite designed as a direct replacement for Microsoft Word. It comes with spell checking, it allows you to insert tables, pictures, files or graphs into new documents, change formatting, build macros, switch to another language or even install extensions from the same rich interface.
OpenOffice 'Calc', Excel's equivalent, has everything you need, be it spreadsheet functions, filters, forms, charts and drawings. OpenOffice 'Impress' component, on the other hand, challenges PowerPoint and relies on a wide assortment of built-in animations and effects to make your presentations more appealing.

Evernote

 

Evernote allow you to capture information in any environment using whatever device or platform you find most convenient, and makes this information accessible and searchable at any time, from anywhere. Use Evernote to jot notes, create to-do lists, clip entire Web pages, manage passwords, and record audio. Everything added to Evernote is automatically synchronized across platforms and devices and made searchable. Evernote will even recognize printed or handwritten text in photos and images.

Adobe Reader XI

 

Adobe Reader lets you read and print from any system any document created as an Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) file, with its original appearance preserved. PDF files are compact and can be shared, viewed, navigated, and printed exactly as the author intended by anyone with Adobe Reader.
Reader X's familiar interface opens with a quick-start file manager from which we could open a recent file or log in to an existing Adobe Online account. We clicked Open and browsed to a folder full of PDFs we use for testing. Reader rendered each document with high detail and faithful color reproduction. Clicking the Sign icon on Reader's toolbar let us digitally sign documents by adding text or attaching a signature via a wizard. We could also Print our document or e-mail it as an attachment or via Adobe SendNow. We could highlight text, add Sticky Notes, take a Snapshot, and attach Comments.