Our Review:

AbiWord uses the traditional word processing GUI layout. The program touts being open source and cross platform similar to MS Word. The goal of the program is to function on multiple platforms. To that credit, most other word processors are Windows platform only.

The download and install process for AbiWord is easy and comes complete with six different install types: typical, full, full with file associations, minimal, full plus downloads, as well as a custom install where the user can pick and choose between which functions and features to add or remove from the installation. In under thirty seconds the program is installed and runs upon completion.

At first look, there is very little that appears to make this program unique, aside from being cross-platform. I did manage to find the Extra toolbar. This toolbar adds buttons I typically miss in a word processor; lining, super/sub scripts, paragraph spacing, line spacing, and head/footer buttons. Another feature I like is being able to change the ruler measurement from inches to point, centimeter, or pica using the preference menu. AbiWord has a dictionary and a reference section, but no thesaurus.

Sharing documents is possible with the integration of AbiCollab Web service. This feature is especially welcome for scenarios such as remote collaboration.

The latest release 3.0.2 of AbiWord is unfortunately made available for Linux users only and no longer supports the Windows platform, but you still can find older versions for Windows from third party websites such as MajorGeeks from the Get It link above and a portable version from PortableApps here.