Archive notice: This article was originally published on May 8, 2008. Links and embedded videos are preserved as part of the historical record.
The OpenOffice developers launched the public beta phase for version 3.0. The new release runs natively on Mac OS X for the first time, imports Microsoft Office 2007 OOXML files and supports the forthcoming ODF 1.2 format. A new Start Center provides one-click access to key functions.
Calc supports larger spreadsheets, while Writer can display multiple document pages at once. The beta also adds improved notes, collaboration tools for spreadsheets, more intuitive image cropping in Impress and Draw, and new icons.
The native Mac OS X version no longer requires an X11 server and integrates with the Aqua interface. Versions were also available for Windows, Linux and Solaris. The final OpenOffice 3.0 release was expected in September 2008.
