[brianF]

Sun Microsystems is to drop its free downloads of StarOffice 5.2 on Wednesday night, as it ramps up promotional efforts around the fee-based StarOffice 6.0, the company said. In the meantime, Sun and Ximian announced a distribution deal bundling StarOffice 6.0 with fee-based Ximian products.


StarOffice
ZDNet Downloads--StarOffice 5.2
Review: StarOffice 6.0
Tech Update: Replacing Office

Sun's maneuvres with StarOffice are being closely watched as open-source software businesses continue to search for ways to boost revenues. Paid, proprietary software is controversial in the open-source world, which is based on the theory that profits can be made on "free" products, but some open-source companies say it is the only way to continue to fund themselves.



Sun said it will stop free downloads of StarOffice 5.2 at midnight on Wednesday night, but will continue selling two packaged versions of the product: $39.95 for StarOffice 5.2 Deluxe and $9.95 for StarOffice 5.2 Slim Kit. StarOffice 6.0 can be bought as a packaged product or a download.

Get it while you can if you want it
http://downloads-zdnet.com.com/3000-...ml?tag=lst-0-1

[jbcalg]

SUn is also charging it's staff $10 for StarOffice - it's an internal charge to the workgroup but still...

and using ANY microsoft product - wihtout explicit approval - on company laptops or PCs (although it's largely a server based co.) remains grounds for summary <strike>execution</strike> dismissal

here's a recent story about SUN's latest move - No Office??

[deuce]

So I take it this was last Wednesday night? Damn. I just tried to get it and it looks as if Sun is going to make me pay for it... although ZDnet still says it's free. Thanks for letting us know Brian. Does anybody have the install file they don't mind sending me?

[Brooks]

http://www.openoffice.org/

It is the open source part of StarOffice. There are a few features that are not present, such as some asian fonts and a few file convertors, and I think the database program is not there (these features are liscensed by SUN for use in StarOffice)

You could try it out and see.

[deuce]

Thanks... I'll check it out.