Sun Microsystems yesterday released the first beta of OpenOffice.org 3 for Windows and Mac.

The open source rival to Microsoft Office now natively supports Mac OS X without the need to install the X11 module to run the suite first. The beta also includes full Vista and partial VBA support.

Sun will be hoping to lure customers away from Microsoft's software by bigging up features that enable migration from MS Office.

OpenOffice.org 3.0 will support the upcoming OpenDocument Format (ODF) 1.2 standard, and can also open files created with Microsoft’s Office 2007 and Office 2008 for Mac OS X.

Features built into the release include a "Start Centre", new icons, and a zoom control in the status bar. There are also tweaks to Writer, Chart, and Calc.

Sun plans to release OpenOffice.org 3.0 in September this year. The software is available from this page (http://marketing.openoffice.org/3.0/announcementbeta.html). ®

Related stories

Microsoft dishes up Mac Office converters (25 June 2008)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/06/25/office_2004_mac_converters/
EC takes own sweet time backing Microsoft ODF move (22 May 2008)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/05/22/ec_probes_microsoft_odf_support/
Microsoft to ODF, PDF - let's get it on together (21 May 2008)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/05/21/microsoft_office_pdf_odf/
Becta asks EC to probe Microsoft school deals (13 May 2008)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/05/13/becta_microsoft_ec_complaint/
Office 2007 SP1 goes automatic for the people (9 May 2008)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/05/09/office_2007_sp1_automatic_update/
OpenOffice update released (28 March 2008)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/03/28/openoffice_update_two_four/
OpenOffice builds extensions for v2.3 (20 September 2007)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/09/20/openoffice_org_unveils_new_version_trumpeting_extensions/
IBM hopes open office is Symphony to your key-tapping fingers (19 September 2007)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/09/19/ibm_office_symphony_open_source/
IBM signs-in to OpenOffice.org (11 September 2007)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/09/11/openoffice_ibm/
Google and Sun tag team MS Office (15 August 2007)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/08/15/google_pack_offers_free_staroffice/