Ability Office is an office suite for Microsoft Windows published by Ability Plus Software. An alpha version of Ability Office for Linux has been developed but work has stalled on this version.

Ability Office is a low-cost (although not free like the similarly-featured OpenOffice.org unless you get the beta) alternative to Microsoft Office and WordPerfect Office. Version 4 of Ability Office offers Office 2003 look and an expanded number of applications.

Ability Office is popular with OEM system builders in the United Kingdom. Ability Office provides more features than Microsoft Works at a similar OEM price.

Ability Office VERSION 5 was released in June 2008. It supports Microsoft Office and other popular file formats, for import and export of files - so users can easily share files with users of Microsoft Office. Ability USA had made the following products available for the North American Market at its site:

Ability Office 5 Home Edition (Retail $69.95)

Ability Office 5 Business Edition (Retail $89.95)

Ability Office 5 Graphics Edition (Retail $49.95)

On 1 October, 2006, it was announced that the UK supermarket, Tesco, would distribute its own-brand budget software packages in a deal with Formjet, Ability Software's exclusive distributor. As an office software was included, a rebranded version Ability Office, was made and it retails under £20 GBP. It is called Tesco Complete Office.

Version 4

The latest version of Ability Office is version 4, released in 2004.

Features of version 4:

• A similar interface as seen in Microsoft Office 2003, although the user can choose to revert back the older interface (Office 2000) or the Windows XP interface seen in applications such as Microsoft Office 2002.
• AutoSpell in Write, a function that automatically highlights incorrect spellings as you type them and when the user right clicks over the incorrect word, a list of suggested correct spellings are shown. This functionality is also seen in Microsoft Word.

The following modules are included:

• Write - A word processor similar to Microsoft Word.
• Spreadsheet - A spreadsheet equivalent to Microsoft Excel.
• Database - A relational database manager in the category of Microsoft Access
• Photopaint - A bitmap graphics editor.
• Presentation - A new module in Version 4 similar to Microsoft PowerPoint.
• Photoalbum - A photo application.

Release History

Product	First Released	Most Recent Update
Ability Office version 4	2004	June 2006
Ability Office 2002	2002	Dec 2003
Ability Office 2000	2000	March 2001
Ability Office 98	1998	Nov 1999
Ability for Windows 1.5	1995	Sept 1996
Ability Plus 3.0	1995	June 1997
Ability Plus 2.0	1992	Jan 1997
Ability Plus 1.0	1987	April 1991
Ability 1.2	1985	July 1987
Product	First Released	Most Recent Update

See also

• List of office suites
• Comparison of office suites

References

External links

• Ability Office
• Ability Plus Software