Computer manufacturers and software publishers make such a song and dance about the exciting multimedia aspects of their products that it's quite easy to overlook one of the main reasons for buying a computer: creating and sharing documents. Anyone who uses their computer to type letters, design documents, run household accounts or manage contacts, calendars and other important information is almost certainly going to need a set of applications known collectively as an office suite.

And by far the best-known product of this type is Microsoft Office.lndeed, Office is so popular and useful that we've dedicated a large portion of this special issue of Computeractive to it, with features, insights and Workshops covering the most important areas of the software. But before 'Ye get down to the nitty gritty, let's find out more about Office itself-what it is and what are the alternatives.