Probably the most used piece of software on a computer, behind the web browser, is the word processor. We use them for work tasks from reports to resumes, and for more personal things like letters and shopping lists. And one huge barrier to using a non-windows operating system such as Linux, is the lack of Microsoft Office.
Those who use Wine to run Windows applications know you can have your cake and eat it too. Sometimes, a native application is preferable for speed and ease of use with a Linux system. Linux has Open Office.org, a full office suite that rivals Microsoft Office. That's all good for writing those letters and quick lists, but can Open Office hold a candle to MS Office's functionality when it comes to that seemingly universal file format -- the .doc?
This is a two-part series that will look at compatible features in the two rival word processors. This first part will examine the basics such as font styles, and headers/footers. The second will look at advanced uses like tables, and file meta data.
