I have recently installed Suse Linux 9.0, which I am upgrading to v9.1. I would like to reduce my dependence on Microsoft but, at the moment, my major problem is ‘With What?’. As a complete Linux novice – I still work with the instruction manual in my left hand, as I type with my right – I find that, far from having to search long and hard to find anything, I am overwhelmed with the sheer volume of Linux applications now available. Without sound advice, it is clear that I could make some expensive mistakes, while trying to find the ‘right’ packages.

My main purpose is to obtain a Linux-based alternative to Microsoft Office. Even something less sophisticated would be acceptable but I do not want to sacrifice MS’s ease of use. I use Access, Word and Excel extensively and am about to install Borland C++. In the latter case, I am aware that Borland has released the core elements of its C++ compiler free of charge, the penalty of using which appears to be command line compiling and linking. I am old enough to remember Borland’s answer to Microsoft’s ‘C’. The former’s IDE alone made MS’s v6 ‘C’ look like something from the Stone Age. I would never want to return to using the latter, or anything like it. On the other hand, despite its shortcomings Access allows complex commercial applications to be developed quickly, without having to be an SQL guru. to Has anyone got any advice, or suggestions?

You have OpenOffice.org suite. It is similar to MS office suite. Has word, similar to MS Word. has Impress, similar to PowerPoint and also has an Excel alternative called C/Kalc

You can also get Gambas, which is a clone of Visual Basic.

The Open Office suite of programs will provide alternatives for most of the programs in ms Office. oowriter for word processing, oocalc for spread sheets, Impress for presentations.
Evolution is not that unsimilar to Outlook. You could also double click on the calendar icon on the taskbar to check out Kontact.

You might consider using latex to prepare your printed documents. There would be a learning curve, but the layout would be professional, and you would concentrate on the logical structure of the content, rather than the graphical layout. A program called 'kile' is an IDE environment for latex.

Someone else would have to suggest a program similar to Access.

The Linux Format Magazine (July 2004) has a program called 'Kexi' on its DVD. The description they have for it is 'KDE app to potentially act as a replacement for Access'

You can learn about it and download it here.

Kexi Screen Shots