If you are used to using Windows, you probably have a favorite font.  Even if you use Open Office, you still need to have Microsoft fonts installed so that when you open documents created in Word they will look right.

Also, most web pages are created with Microsoft fonts in mind. So, if you have Microsoft fonts installed, web pages will look the way they were intended to.

To install the fonts make sure you have the multiverse repositories enabled.  To do this, click System -> Administration -> Software Sources.  When the window appears, make sure there is a check mark beside all of the repositories except “Source code”

Once you have done this, type the following code in the terminal to update the available software:

sudo apt-get update

When the update is finished, run the following code to install the Microsoft fonts:

sudo apt-get install cabextract gsfonts-other msttcorefonts t1-xfree86-nonfree ttf-f500 ttf-isabella ttf-larabie-deco ttf-larabie-straight ttf-larabie-uncommon ttf-staypuft ttf-summersby ttf-ubuntu-title ttf-xfree86-nonfree xfonts-artwiz xfonts-intl-european

You may need to restart your computer for all of the fonts to be active.

What is your favorite Microsoft font? Let us know in the comments.

Did you know there is a free alternative to Microsoft Office? If you only need to use an office suite for writing basic documents, spreadsheets and the occasional powerpoint, you don’t need to pay hundreds for Microsoft Office. Here’s a quick look at OpenOffice.

OpenOffice is a multiplatform, multilingual open source office suite. OpenOffice is compatible with many other office suites, including Microsoft Office. This means that you can open Microsoft Office files as well as save Microsoft Office files. If you have a .doc Microsoft file that you need to open at home, you don’t have to worry about compatablity issues because OpenOffice will read and write to that format.

One of my favorite functions of OpenOffice is that it allows you to save files directly to PDF. So if you are writing a document, spreadsheet, or any other office file you have the option to save it as a PDF. As a college student this is great since most professors prefer to have electronic copies in PDF format.

If you dual boot Windows and Linux this program is a must have. I have it installed on both my Windows and Linux partitions so that I can access my files whether I am in Windows or Linux.

To download OpenOffice visit the download page. OpenOffice is available to Windows, Linux and Mac users.

If you need a lightweight document writer, take a look at Abiword which is open source and available for Windows, Linux, and Mac.

Image from http://id.openoffice.org/images/open-office-metro-ad.jpg