Recommendations
Favorite picks
Cost-effective solutions
OpenOffice.org provides compatibility and functionality across most all platforms, including Mac OS X, Windows, and Linux. Files can be opened or created and saved in most of the popular formats including the direct ability to save into a PDF. Personal firewalls are now a necessity. Our recommendation on the Windows-platform would be ZoneAlarm. Even the free version (get ready to drill down for it) provides excellent protection, both from the outside and from programs that “want to call home.”