In an ideal world, you could create a file in Microsoft Office on your desktop computer, put it on your Pocket PC, edit and format it on the road, and then send it back to the office, with content and all formatting still intact.

Unfortunately, it does not work that way. Microsoft's Office Mobile is, after all these years, still not able to reliably open Microsoft Office files without massive data loss – all functions and formatting that it does not know, are silently stripped and thrown away. After Office Mobile touched them, many files share only a distant resemblance with their older versions.

Enter SoftMaker Office 2008 for Pocket PCs. This full-featured office suite lets you open, edit, and save any Microsoft Word, Excel, or PowerPoint file on your Pocket PC. Directly and without conversion, retaining all the formatting, functions, and contents of your Office files.

SoftMaker Office 2008 comes with the following applications:

- Word processor: TextMaker 2008
- Spreadsheet: PlanMaker 2008
- Presentation graphics: SoftMaker Presentations 2008

TextMaker 2008:

Since TextMaker made its debut on the Pocket PC in 2003, it has earned itself an excellent reputation: There is no alternative to TextMaker if you need professional word processing on the Pocket PC, and there is no other mobile word processor that opens and writes Word documents as accurately as TextMaker.

The 2008 version improves on its predecessor TextMaker 2006 yet again. It adds many important new features:

- NEW: Create PDF files directly with TextMaker – optionally with font embedding and even as fillable forms
- NEW: Print directly from TextMaker – on a wide range of printers by using "Jetcet Print" or, without any additional software, directly to Bluetooth-capable PostScript printers
- NEW: Reading and writing of Microsoft Word files has been improved yet again.
- NEW: You can now save documents in the OpenDocument format, making it easy to exchange files with OpenOffice.org.
- NEW: Apply borders or shadings to whole pages, change the vertical alignment of whole pages
- NEW: Copy stylesheets between documents using the new built-in stylesheet manager.
- NEW: Objects and graphics can now be anchored to tables. This does not only improve import of Word files but also offers additional layout options.
- NEW: Toolbar with built-in word counter
- NEW: Menus and dialogs are now also available in Dutch, Italian, and Bulgarian
... and many more improvements!

PlanMaker 2008:

PlanMaker is the only spreadsheet for the Pocket PC that offers the userfriendliness and capabilities of professional desktop spreadsheet packages like Microsoft Excel. A huge number of calculation functions, Excel-compatible charting, AutoShapes, drawings etc. – no other spreadsheet does that on the Pocket PC!

Probably the most valuable feature: PlanMaker reads and writes all Excel files seamlessly. If you need to reliably read and write Excel files on the Pocket PC, you can always count on PlanMaker.

PlanMaker 2008 builds upon its predecessor PlanMaker 2006 and offers important new functions:

- NEW: Create PDF files directly with PlanMaker
- NEW: Print directly from PlanMaker – on a wide range of printers by using "Jetcet Print" or, without any additional software, directly to Bluetooth-capable PostScript printers
- NEW: New automatic functions such as AutoSum and AutoProduct help you fill out worksheets more quickly.
- NEW: QuickInfos give useful hints about formulas right when you create or edit them.
- NEW: PlanMaker 2008 now comes with more than 330 calculation functions.
- NEW: Menus and dialogs are now also available in Dutch, Italian, and Bulgarian
... and many more improvements!

SoftMaker Presentations 2008

SoftMaker Presentations 2008 lets you edit PowerPoint files on the Pocket PC without file conversion and without loss of quality.

All elements of PowerPoint files are preserved, among others:

- all types of formatting
- all slide transitions and animations
- all slide designs and color schemes
- all graphics, drawings, and backgrounds
- all notes and comments

... simply everything that could be in a PowerPoint file!
But highest compatibility is not the only advantage of SoftMaker Presentations: It offers the complete feature set of a desktop presentations program. You can create, edit, and manage slides, insert and edit all types of drawings, graphics, and tables ... even apply all animations and transitions that you know from PowerPoint, etc. etc.

Numerous ready-made design templates make it easy for you to effortlessly create elegant presentations. If you you don't like a chosen design, simply switch to another template or create your own one – with slide masters, placeholders, color schemes, and all the other features that you know from professional presentation programs.

Limitations:

· 30-day trial

What's new in this release:

· SoftMaker Office 2008:
·
· NEW: PowerPoint-compatible presentation graphics program SoftMaker Presentations
· NEW: PDF export from all applications in SoftMaker Office
· NEW: Printing from all applications (comes with a copy of JETCET Print for Windows Mobile 5 and 6)
· NEW: Menus and dialogs are now also available in Dutch, Italian, and Bulgarian
·
· TextMaker 2008:
·
· NEW: Reading and writing of Microsoft Word files improved yet again
· NEW: Supports reading and writing of OpenDocument files
· NEW: Built-in style manager lets you transfer paragraph and character styles between documents.
· NEW: Objects and pictures can now be anchored to tables.
· NEW: Toolbar with word counter
· ... and many other new features
·
· PlanMaker 2008:
·
· NEW: Now with more than 330 calculation functions
· NEW: New automatic functions such as AutoSum and AutoProduct help you build calculations fast.
· NEW: QuickInfos tell you a function's parameters without you having to scour the manual for them.
· ... and many other new features

Requirements:

· Pocket PC 2000, Pocket PC 2002, Pocket PC 2003, Pocket PC 2003 SE, Windows Mobile 5, Windows Mobile 6
· StrongARM or Xscale processor
· 64 MByte RAM
· Installation on a memory card is recommended