The best just got better.  This free public beta is just for your windows machine.  If you have used Pocket Excel or Pocket Word, and wanted a complete version of Excel or Word on pocket pc, then Softmaker is the place to go.  Those of us that have used their Softmaker Office for Pocket PC have enjoyed the high life.   Their versions of Planmaker (Excel) and Textmaker (Word) are like working with the desktop versions.  They make Pocket Excel and Pocket Word seem like toys.  Indeed, Planmaker and Textmaker for the Pocket PC include full formatting, charting, spell checking, and are just a joy to use.  They are fully compatible with Microsoft Office, and Softmaker even has Desktop versions if you don’t have Office.

And why wouldn’t you have MS Office? Well, for one, it starts at $150 and the newest version, with the new ribbon, is convoluted and confusing to use.  Softmaker is looking to compete head to head with Microsoft.  That means that their Windows version should be competitively priced, easy to use and offer features that match or beat those offered by the industry leader. 

Softmaker feels they are up to the challenge with their free, 40mb Beta download.  It includes the following:

SoftMaker Office 2008 for Windows contains:

Word processor: TextMaker 2008
Spreadsheet: PlanMaker 2008
Presentation graphics: SoftMaker Presentations 2008 
BASIC macros: BasicMaker 2008 (a scripting language modeled after BASIC)

Softmaker is going after the heart of MS Office.  Excel, Word, Powerpoint and the Visual Basic Scripting language are all turned on their tales and and thrown like daggers back at the heart of the beast. 

Be a Beta Tester.  Free Download.

Read more at MobilitySite

[tags]office, excel, word, jamm, just another mobile monday[/tags]