Word Processing Features:  

Ability Office’s word processer, appropriately titled Write, has most of the standard features we expect on a modern program. Writing term papers, letters and other typical documents is a breeze thanks to grammar and spell check. Write’s autocorrect function ensures that you don’t waste time manually fixing typos.

Additional Software:  

In addition to Write, Ability Office includes Spreadsheet, Presentation, Photopaint and Draw. The software closely resembles Microsoft Office 2003 versions of the same programs.

We found Ability’s one-click PDF creation to be one of its most valuable utilities. Ability Office’s PDF converter is easy to use and eliminates the possibility of file format confusion.

For small business owners or users on a sizable network, ASI offers a more beefed up version of Ability Office Home—the business edition. Ability Office Business is exactly the same as the home edition reviewed here but includes a Microsoft Access compatible database manager.

Compatibility:  

The Ability Office suite, as a standalone set of tools, is effective and easy to use. Sadly however, it suffers from some critical file format compatibility issues. Ability Office only supports Microsoft Office files from the 2003 version of the suite. Microsoft Office 2007 documents and spreadsheets will not correctly open or convert in Ability Office. Keep in mind that OpenOffice file formats are not supported on Ability Office either.

Graphics-oriented users will still want to consider Ability Office. Photo editing and image creation won’t be plagued by formatting problems because Ability Photopaint fully supports Photoshop files.

User Support:  

ASI makes acquiring Ability Office Home very easy. You have the option of purchasing the software on a CD-ROM, as a download or on a USB thumb drive. Given the program’s small size, many users will probably want to run it directly from the flash drive.

ASI’s support for Ability Office isn’t as exhaustive as it is with larger firms, but they do offer FAQs, user guides and a support forum on their site. ASI personally responds to support issues using an email-based support form as well.

Ability Home Office has a heavy emphasis on graphic design and photo editing. If you’re an amateur photographer or graphic artist, Ability’s graphic tools are sure to have some appeal. Despite Ability Office’s all-around reliability, the problem of file format compatibility weakens an otherwise solid productivity suite. With no support for Microsoft Office 2007 file formats, Ability Office will only be of use to users that don’t need to edit DOCX and XLSX.

Read our reviews of Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007, Corel Home Office and StarOffice for an in-depth look at our top home office software selections.

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