I swapped Microsoft 365 for a stack of free tools and, after a few months, discovered that my daily productivity didn't collapse — it simply changed shape. The move cut a recurring subscription, kept collaboration intact for most use cases, and exposed exactly which Office features I actually...
Collabora Productivity has shipped a new, standalone desktop edition of its open‑source office suite that brings the same clean, tabbed interface used in Collabora Online to Windows, macOS and Linux — designed to run entirely on the device without a cloud dependency. The release introduces a...
Fast, frictionless spreadsheet editing without signing up is no longer a niche convenience — it’s a practical workflow for quick data collection, one‑off tasks, classroom exercises, and privacy‑minded collaboration. The five no‑login spreadsheet apps below let you create, edit, and share sheets...
A surprising pattern is emerging as the Windows 10 end‑of‑support deadline approaches: publicly available telemetry and independent trackers show measurable growth in Linux desktop usage, while community projects, vendors, and security firms are actively encouraging migration — but the evidence...
desktop market share
e-waste
hardware e-waste
kde endof10
libreoffice
linux
linux gaming
linux mint
migration tools
open source desktop
proton
refurbishment
steam deck
steamos
windows 10 end of life
windows 10 esu
windows 11 upgrade
zorin os
The desktop war over what happens to millions of older Windows PCs after October’s Windows 10 end‑of‑support deadline has produced a surprising — if predictable — pattern: rather than switching en masse to Linux, many owners of unsupported machines appear to be following the route Microsoft and...
e-waste
end-of-10
extended security updates
gaming
gpu
hardware refresh
kde endof10
libreoffice
linux
linux growth
market trends
migration
opensuse
restart project
sustainability
tpm-2-0
uefi secure boot
windows 10 end of support
windows 11 requirements
zorin os
Open‑source software today offers Windows users a practical way to reclaim control, improve privacy, and boost productivity — and ZDNET’s compact roundup of “10 open‑source apps I recommend every Windows user try — for free” is a useful starting kit that does exactly that.
Background
ZDNET’s...
autohotkey
backup
bitwarden
duplicati
encryption
file conversion
flow launcher
franz
libreoffice
local ai
nextcloud
ollama
open source
privacy
productivity
self-hosting
windows
yazb
Racing to meet a design deadline with zero budget is a familiar panic for creators, and the NewsBreak piece that went viral — claiming easy, legal ways to “get Windows & Photoshop for free” — captured that desperation with click-ready simplicity. The reality is messier: there are legitimate...
KMSPico’s promise — “free activation” for Windows and Office — is as old as it is controversial: a small, automated utility that imitates Microsoft’s Key Management Service (KMS) to flip product activation status from unlicensed to “genuine.” The guide published by Kahawatungu that circulated in...
Windows power users have long known the best tools often live outside the commercial software ecosystem, but a recent MakeUseOf roundup highlighting “unbelievably” polished open‑source Windows apps crystallizes just how far free software has come: the list assembles utilities that replace or...
LibreOffice 25.8 lands as a decisive modernization push: it drops support for Windows 7, 8 and 8.1, moves away from 32‑bit Windows builds, and packs tangible performance and security upgrades — including PDF 2.0 export with modern AES‑256 encryption and a suite of memory and rendering...
LibreOffice’s blunt charge that Microsoft is using an “artificially complex” Office XML schema as a deliberate lock‑in tool landed like a splash of cold water—and the splash matters because it exposes how fragile interoperability, user choice, and long‑term digital access really are in a world...
archival
digital sovereignty
document formats
file format
governance
interoperability
libreoffice
migration
odf
ooxml
open document format
open standards
openformats
policy
procurement
tpm 2.0
vendor lock-in
windows 11
xml schema
Linuxfx is the most convincing Windows‑like Linux distribution I’ve seen: it ships a Windows‑style desktop, ships on an Ubuntu 24.04.2 LTS base with a modern kernel, bundles Steam/Heroic and Wine, and aims to make moving off Windows painless for users worried about the October 2025 Windows 10...
android subsystem
gaming
kde plasma
libreoffice
linuxfx
migration
openoffice
play store
power tools
productivity
proton
steam
ubuntu 24.04
waydroid
windows 10 eol
windowslike
wine
Accessing a robust office suite is more essential than ever, and the landscape for Microsoft Office in 2025 has never been more complex or competitive. While the brand enjoys undeniable dominance, the question many users face is not just about which suite to use, but how to access these powerful...
A surge of concern ricocheted across the open-source software community last week when Mike Kaganski, a prominent LibreOffice developer, found himself locked out of his Microsoft account for seven frustrating days. This event, echoing recent reports of arbitrary account lockouts affecting...
When unboxing a brand-new laptop, many users encounter an all-too-familiar prompt: the invitation to sign up for Microsoft 365 to unlock Microsoft Word, along with the rest of Microsoft’s flagship productivity suite. While Microsoft 365 brings a wealth of advanced features and cloud...
Here’s a summary and analysis of "I’ve had it with Microsoft" by Paris Marx, as seen on Disconnect:
Main Points:
Price hikes and AI funding: Paris Marx criticizes Microsoft for significantly raising prices on existing Microsoft 365 customers to fund its investments in generative AI. For...
ai funding
ai hype
consumer trust
corporate deception
digital pricing
generative ai
libreoffice
market manipulation
microsoft
microsoft 365
online services
onlyoffice
open source
price hike
subscription plans
tech backlash
tech controversy
tech ethics
tech market abuse
user frustration
When you unbox a new laptop and find that Microsoft Word is conspicuously absent, it’s a moment that gives pause—especially for users who’ve depended on Microsoft’s productivity suite for years. With Microsoft 365 now the default route to Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and more, many are left asking...
cloud-based editing
collaboration tools
cross-platform
document compatibility
document editing
free office apps
google docs
libreoffice
local office software
microsoft office
microsoft word
office suite
office suite comparison
open source
open source office
productivity tools
windows productivity
word online
word processor
wps office
Microsoft and LibreOffice have long been locked in a quiet, ongoing struggle for dominance in the world of office productivity software, but recent statements from the LibreOffice camp have thrust this rivalry—and its implications—back into the spotlight. At the heart of the issue lies the...
data accessibility
digital sovereignty
document compatibility
document interoperability
file compatibility
file format complexity
file format lock-in
legal compliance
libreoffice
market dominance
microsoft office
odf
office file formats
ooxml
open document format
open source
open standards
productivity
software standards
xml standards
Denmark’s decision to shift its Ministry for Digital Affairs from Microsoft’s proprietary stack to LibreOffice and Linux marks a pivotal moment in the European public sector’s approach to digital sovereignty, IT budget management, and the quest for vendor independence. While the battle between...
cloud solutions
cost savings
denmark
digital sovereignty
digital transformation
eu technology strategy
european digital policy
government
it infrastructure
libreoffice
linux
migration
open source
open source adoption
privacy
public administration
public sector
tech regulation
vendor independence
Denmark's Ministry of Digital Affairs is embarking on a significant transition from Microsoft Office to the open-source suite LibreOffice, marking a pivotal step toward enhancing the nation's digital sovereignty. This move reflects a broader European trend where governments are reevaluating...
cost savings
cybersecurity
denmark
digital infrastructure
digital policy
digital sovereignty
digital transformation
european governments
government
government software
it modernization
it support
libreoffice
microsoft alternatives
open source
public sector
software migration
tech resilience
tech transition