Corel WordPerfect Office X3 is a “cheaper alternative to Microsoft”

Corel WordPerfect Office X3 is a “cheaper alternative to Microsoft”
TORONTO - Corel Corporation has unveiled the new Corel WordPerfect Office X3 package on Tuesday. The company stressed that the suite was a "cheaper" alternative to Microsoft's Office software package.

The revamped suite boasts of features that allow the import and export of documents, files and spreadsheets to Adobe's Portable Document Format (PDF). The software has enhanced support for multilingual characters and is also equipped with a new interface.

"With Corel WordPerfect Office X3, Corel has created a powerful solution that enables users to create, edit, and re-use their content, particularly through its new ability to import, edit and export PDF, as well as its exceptional Microsoft Office compatibility," Richard Carriere, a general manager at Corel Corp said in a statement.

"Now customers can choose a feature-rich office suite that supports today's most widely-used open and proprietary file formats, backed by Corel's outstanding customer support, for up to 60% less than the cost of Microsoft Office."

Out of the X3's three flagship applications, WordPerfect is by far the best feature. It allows users to edit documents that are in the PDF version and offers easy editing for people who have to work with long texts. The addition of the Yahoo toolbar means that users can launch Web searches from within WordPerfect.

A terrific security feature is the in-built ability to strip hidden metadata from within documents. Four editions of the X3 have been made available by Corel. These include the Corel WordPerfect Office X3 - Standard Edition, which retails for f $159.99; WordPerfect Office X3 - Home Edition, which retails for $79.99; Corel WordPerfect Office X3 - Student and Teacher Edition for $99.99 and the Corel WordPerfect Office X3 - Professional Edition at $259.99.

The Student and Teacher edition has been specially created for use in academics and allows it to be installed in three computers at the same time. All in all the X3 offers a perfect opportunity for those wanting to upgrade their Office suite, but Microsoft users might want to wait to see what Redmond's Office 12 has to offer before upgrading.