Essential Office

Essential Office is the perfect tool for home users who don’t normally need the advanced features of Office suites and only use it for basic tasks, such as viewing and editing documents and spreadsheets. This application is practically a stripped-down version of a regular office suite, bundling multiple tools (usually deployed as standalone apps) into a single application.

It is worth mentioning from the start that Essential Office ensures full compatibility with regular word documents (.doc/.docx) and Excel spreadsheet files. While not as comprehensive as the Microsoft Office suite, for instance, this application can carry out basic editing operations and is more than enough for regular home users.

Let’s get a closer look at the word processor, the first and probably most used tool in Essential Office. The application displays a working environment that might seem quite familiar, especially since the ribbon-based GUI is preserved.

Basic text editing and formatting options are available. Documents can include pictures and bookmarks, hyperlinks and tables, as well as text boxes, objects and symbols. Creating a table of contents, inserting footnotes, captions and tables of figurines is also possible. The word processor comes with integrated proofing and protection tools, as well as mail merge functionality.

A similar assortment of options is available in the toolbar of the spreadsheet editor. Changing the font, the alignment and the text style is done with a single click. Spreadsheets support tables, charts, pictures, links and symbols and allow you to use formulas to work with cells easier.

Essential Office also features a diagram editor, allowing you to create various 2D diagrams with basic shapes. The integrated PDF viewer is, as its name suggests, a basic tool for opening and previewing documents, while the built-in calendar allows you to schedule recurring appointments and organize the entire calendar.

Essential Office is an all-in-one tool that bundles a text and spreadsheet editor, a calendar and a diagram creator in a single application, serving as a viable alternative to any office suite. Dedicated to home users who usually do not require advanced features, Essential Office can accomplish basic document editing tasks.