I use Microsoft’s Office suite, of course. I suppose just about anyone with a job uses it some times. However, at home I’ve more or less switched. Sure, you are thinking, another Open Office convert.

Well I do use Open Office sometimes, but I find that lately I’m not using it as much as I used to. Instead I’m using the online (and free) version of ThinkFree (http://online.thinkfree.com).

This suite is amazing. It runs in your browser and includes Office-compatible word processing, spreadsheet, and presentations. You get 1GB of online storage for your stuff OR you can load and store files locally. You can print, export to PDF, and even publish your documents to the Web in a selected number of ways.

Thinkfree recently underwent a facelift with some great new features, although it is now a little more confusing to get started. The key is to use “Power Edit” and not “Quick Edit” if you want to see the full features.

This works so well, you sometimes forget you aren’t using Office. And since it runs in your browser you can use it almost anywhere. I put documents in my online folder and work on them at home or at work (or while on the road). You can share your documents or keep them private. The only problem I’ve had is that at the office, the firewall keeps the online loading from working right. No problem. I just download the file, edit it from the downloaded copy, and upload it again. Of course, once I download the copy, I can work on it in Office if I want to, but I find I’m just as happy to use ThinkFree.

Try it!