Last Updated on March 27, 2020
SoftMaker Office 2018 now also available for Linux, includes modern ribbon user interface
February 7, 2018 – After the successful completion of the public beta test with thousands of testers, the new Office suite SoftMaker Office 2018 is now available for Linux. Users accustomed to the ease of use of a ribbon interface now have a sophisticated Linux-based Office solution. For the first time, SoftMaker Office is available as 64-bit software. Thanks to the native use of the file formats DOCX, XLSX and PPTX, it is seamlessly compatible with Microsoft Office.
In brief:
SoftMaker Office 2018 for Linux has begun shipping today.
- The Windows version has been available since November; a version for the Mac is in beta testing.
- SoftMaker Office 2018 for Linux includes the word processor TextMaker 2018, the spreadsheet application PlanMaker 2018, the presentation application Presentations 2018 and exclusive add-ons for the popular e-mail program Thunderbird.
- Users can work with either ribbons or classic menus and toolbars.
- By using the file formats DOCX, XLSX and PPTX natively, SoftMaker Office 2018 for Linux offers seamless compatibility with Microsoft Office.
- SoftMaker Office 2018 for Linux is available in 32- and 64-bit versions.
SoftMaker Office 2018 for Linux is available as of today. The Office package contains the word processor TextMaker, the spreadsheet application PlanMaker and the presentation application Presentations. The package also includes exclusive add-ons for the popular e-mail program Thunderbird.
Choose between modern ribbons and classic menus
With SoftMaker Office 2018, Linux users now have access to a sophisticated Office suite with a modern ribbon interface for the first time. Users who are familiar with modern Office suites such as Microsoft Office 2016 will quickly find their way around. However, in contrast to Microsoft Office, the classic menus remain accessible in ribbon mode in SoftMaker Office 2018. This makes migration easier for users.
If preferred, users can also continue to use the classic user interface with menus and toolbars. Ribbon users are not the only ones who benefit from the improvements made to the new interface, but also users who continue to rely on the familiar interface. Even when working with toolbars, numerous new control elements ensure an efficient and intuitive workflow.
SoftMaker Office 2018 also offers convenience for file operations by using Gnome’s standard file dialogs.
Seamless compatibility with Microsoft Office
All applications of SoftMaker’s Office suite now work natively with the Microsoft file formats DOCX, XLSX and PPTX. Files can be exchanged directly with Microsoft Office users without prior conversion; importing or exporting is no longer necessary.
Further improvements at a glance
Numerous other innovations and convenience features make SoftMaker Office 2018 for Linux an attractive proposition. A high level of convenience is not only provided by the new user interface, but also by a feature familiar from web browsers: With SoftMaker Office 2018, documents can be displayed in tabs or in separate windows. Users can “undock” tabs as separate document windows or dock them back into the tab bar using drag and drop.
The spreadsheet application PlanMaker 2018 now offers the possibility to mark entire areas of worksheets as “tables.” These make it easier to add new data and enable quick formatting using table styles.
The presentation application Presentations 2018 offers a completely redesigned master page concept. It is now possible to create an arbitrary number of master layouts on which any number of placeholders can be placed. This not only simplifies the creation of professional presentations but also ensures seamless compatibility with Microsoft Office.
Numerous new 2D and 3D animations and slide transitions based on OpenGL make presentations even more attractive.
For professional presentations with two monitors, the new “presenter view” has been integrated: The audience sees the presentation on a monitor or projector, while the presenter controls the presentation using the “cockpit” displayed on a second monitor: It shows the current and next slide – as well as its notes – and provides ways to navigate through the presentation or add annotations and drawings.
Now available as true 64-bit version
For the first time, SoftMaker Office 2018 is available not only as 32-bit software, but also in a 64-bit version. This is particularly beneficial for users of 64-bit Linux systems, as SoftMaker Office 2018 now works on them without additional compatibility libraries.
The installation of updates has been simplified. They can now be obtained automatically from the SoftMaker repository, which the user can set up at the touch of a button.
SoftMaker Office Standard 2018 for Linux is available directly from the manufacturer and in stores for US$/EUR 69.95 (£59.99); SoftMaker Office Professional 2018 is available for US$/EUR 99.95 (£89.99). Current users can upgrade for a discounted price.
A free 30-day trial version can be downloaded from SoftMaker at www.softmaker.com. A beta version for the Mac is also available here.
About SoftMaker
SoftMaker has been developing Office software since its inception in 1987: word processing (TextMaker), spreadsheet (PlanMaker) and presentation software (Presentations). The flagship SoftMaker Office is available for Windows, Linux, Android and soon macOS. The outstanding features of software from SoftMaker are ease-of-use, extremely high compatibility with Microsoft Office and speed. Coupled with competitive pricing, these features offer an unbeatable combination. SoftMaker’s second core strength is high-quality computer fonts. With the two product lines MegaFont NEXT and infiniType, home users as well as professional designers, printers and publishers receive font libraries of the highest quality.
For further information, please contact:
SoftMaker Software GmbH
Jordan Popov
Kronacher Str. 7
90427 Nuremberg, Germany
Phone: +49 911 936 386 35
press@softmaker.com
www.softmaker.com