SoftMaker Office
{{Short description|Proprietary office software}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}}
{{Infobox software
| name = SoftMaker Office
| logo = SoftMaker Office NX - Logo.png
| logo size = 250px
| logo title = Logo of the subscription office package SoftMaker Office NX
| screenshot =
| caption = Logo of the subscription office package SoftMaker Office NX
| collapsible =
| author = SoftMaker
| developer =
| released = {{Start date and age|1994}}{{cite web |url=http://www.consortiuminfo.org/standardsblog/article.php?story=2006070509040463 |title=The Emerging ODF Environment, Part IV: Spotlight on SoftMaker Office 2006 |author=Andy Updegrove |date=5 July 2006 |access-date=28 March 2010}}{{cite web |url=http://www.softmaker.de/planmake.htm |title=Infos zu PlanMaker 97 |date=3 June 1997 |access-date=28 March 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19970603185443/http://www.softmaker.de/planmake.htm |archive-date=3 June 1997}}
| discontinued =
| latest release version = {{wikidata|property|preferred|references|edit|Q1289689|P348|P548=Q2804309}}
| latest release date = {{wikidata|qualifier|preferred|single|Q1289689|P348|P548=Q2804309|P577}}
| latest preview version = {{wikidata|property|preferred|references|edit|Q1289689|P348|P548=Q51930650}}
| latest preview date = {{wikidata|qualifier|preferred|single|Q1289689|P348|P548=Q51930650|P577}}
| programming language =
| operating system = Windows 7 or later, macOS 10.14 or later, Linux, Android 5.0 or later, iOS 14
Previously: Pocket PCs, Windows CE, Windows Mobile, Qtopia
| platform =
| size =
| language =
| genre =
| license = Proprietary (commercial)
| website = {{URL|https://www.softmaker.com/}}
}}
{{Infobox software
| name = SoftMaker FreeOffice
| logo = FreeOffice - Logo (2024).png
| logo size = 250px
| logo title = Logo of the free office package SoftMaker FreeOffice
| screenshot =
| caption =
| collapsible =
| author = SoftMaker
| developer =
| released = {{Start date and age|1994}}{{cite web |url=http://www.consortiuminfo.org/standardsblog/article.php?story=2006070509040463 |title=The Emerging ODF Environment, Part IV: Spotlight on SoftMaker Office 2006 |author=Andy Updegrove |date=5 July 2006 |access-date=28 March 2010}}{{cite web |url=http://www.softmaker.de/planmake.htm |title=Infos zu PlanMaker 97 |date=3 June 1997 |access-date=28 March 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19970603185443/http://www.softmaker.de/planmake.htm |archive-date=3 June 1997}}
| discontinued =
| latest release version = {{wikidata|property|preferred|references|edit|Q56323884|P348|P548=Q2804309}}
| latest release date = {{wikidata|qualifier|preferred|single|Q56323884|P348|P548=Q2804309|P577}}
| latest preview version = {{wikidata|property|preferred|references|edit|Q56323884|P348|P548=Q51930650}}
| latest preview date = {{wikidata|qualifier|preferred|single|Q56323884|P348|P548=Q51930650|P577}}
| programming language =
| operating system = Windows 7 or later, macOS 10.12 or later, Linux, Android 5.0 or later, iOS 14
| platform =
| size =
| language =
| genre =
| license = Proprietary (freeware/registerware)
| website = {{URL|https://www.freeoffice.com/}}
}}
SoftMaker Office is an office suite which aims for compatibility with Microsoft Office. It is available as a one-time purchase, as well as a subscription. A freeware version with a slightly reduced feature set is released under the name SoftMaker FreeOffice.{{cite web |url=http://www.softmaker.com/newsletter/2011-05-22-e.htm |title=SoftMaker Office 2008 now available for free |date=22 May 2011 |access-date=24 May 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110526175052/http://www.softmaker.com/newsletter/2011-05-22-e.htm |archive-date=26 May 2011 }}
It is developed since 1987 by the German company SoftMaker Software.{{Cite web |last=Lindner |first=Mirko |date=15 November 2012 |title=SoftMaker Office 2012 |url=http://www.pro-linux.de/artikel/2/1599/softmaker-office-2012.html |access-date=20 November 2012 |publisher=Pro-Linux.de |language=German}}
Components
File:TextMaker.png|link=TextMaker|TextMaker
(word processor)
File:PlanMaker.png|link=PlanMaker|PlanMaker
(spreadsheet)
File:Presentations.png|link=SoftMaker Presentations|Presentations
(presentation graphics)
File:BasicMaker.png|BasicMaker
(VBA-like macros, Windows only)
The versions Professional (purchase) and NX Universal (subscription) include:
- Support for Windows Group Policy
- ePUB export,
- Zotero integration
- Text summary and enhancement with ChatGPT (only subscription)
- Translations of whole documents with DeepL (only subscription)
Functionality
SoftMaker Office has similar functionality to other office suites such as Microsoft Office or LibreOffice, and can also run from USB flash drives. Multi-language spell-checking, hyphenation and thesaurus is supported, and it has an integrated translation-dictionary for English, German, French, Italian, and Spanish. For German the Duden spell and grammar checker and dictionaries are included in the Professional version.
It can read and write file formats of Microsoft Office, OpenDocument (word processor only),{{cite news |last1=Brors |first1=Dieter |title=Das Linux-Office-Duell |url=https://www.heise.de/select/ct/2018/14/1530580548252725 |access-date=5 May 2019 |work=c't |issue=14 |publisher=Heise Magazine |date=2018 |page=110 |language=de}} RTF and HTML. Support for the OpenDocument spreadsheet (ODS) format was added in the Anniversary update released for SoftMaker Office 2018.{{cite web |title=SoftMaker Office 2018 – Anniversary Update |url=https://www.softmaker.com/en/blog/softmaker-office-2018-anniversary-update |website=softmaker.com |publisher=SoftMaker |access-date=5 May 2019 |date=10 April 2019 |archive-date=5 May 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190505223102/https://www.softmaker.com/en/blog/softmaker-office-2018-anniversary-update |url-status=dead }} It can export to PDF and ePUB.
The user interface utilized Ribbons similar to Microsoft Office, and there is an option to use old-school menus instead. A dark mode is available. Documents can be opened as tabs in a single window, to allow easy switching between multiple documents.
SoftMaker Office is also available for Android and iOS for both smartphones and tablets. It includes TextMaker, PlanMaker, and Presentations. These apps offer the full feature set of a desktop office suite with word processing, spreadsheets and presentation graphics on mobile devices.
FlexiPDF
File:FlexiPDF - Logo (2024).png
The PDF editor FlexiPDF was first released in 2016. It has been described as a "text virtuoso" in the German press.{{Cite web |last=Trinkwalder |first=Andrea |last2=Hilgefort |first2=Ulrich |date=2019-05-20 |title=FlexiPDF Pro: PDF editor with powerful editing functions |url=https://www.heise.de/tests/FlexiPDF-Pro-PDF-Editor-mit-starken-Bearbeitungs-Funktionen-4419741.html |access-date=2021-05-05 |website=c't |language=de}} Other functions include:
- Creation of PDF forms
- Text recognition for scanned pages
- PDF/A generation for archiving
- Cryptographic PDF signing
- Comparison of two PDF files
- Translation of entire pages with DeepL while retaining the layout
Fonts
SoftMaker offers collections of TrueType fonts, web fonts and OpenType PS fonts. It is also licensing them for redistribution with other software.{{Cite web |title=SoftMaker fonts and webfonts |url=https://www.softmaker.com/en/products/fonts |access-date=2023-11-15 |website=www.softmaker.com}}
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.softmaker.com/en SoftMaker Software]
- [https://www.freeoffice.com/en SoftMaker FreeOffice] (official site with info & downloads)
- [https://alternative2office.org/softmaker-office/ SoftMaker Office 2024] (North America distributor)
{{Office suites}}
Category:Android (operating system) software
Category:Office suites for Linux
Category:Office suites for Windows