Microsoft’s Office products tend to be a bit much for the average user. With five different versions and prices that range from $149 to well over $500 depending on which product is purchased, and if it’s an upgrade or not.For the Microsoft lovers in the crowd, there is undeniable proof that most of these Office versions are loaded with junk that the average user just doesn’t need or use. I’d go so far as to say “In my experience, the average BUSINESS user doesn’t need most the options in MS Office.” Even most power users I know don’t need most the options in MS Office.One of the biggest issues people have had with Open Office in the past is the perceived incompatibilities that are now a thing of the past. Of course Microsoft is doing it’s darn best to “fix” that problem.But for the few brave (or cheap) there are alternatives. Appletell talks about iWork and in addition to the large price difference, talks about the lack of virusii in the iWork.Another option, and one that I’ve expounded upon and recommended for quite some time is Neo Office. Based on the Open Office code and ported natively to OS X even it has a ton of features that the average user doesn’t need. But at the price of free, and 99% compatibility with Microsoft Office it’s hard to beat. While Neo Office was forked from Open Office quite some time ago, they are still only in beta support for OS X, so it’s best to remain with Neo Office for quite some time still.

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