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Definition: application suite


A group of programs sold as a package to solve common problems or execute everyday functions. Although there are suites for graphics and mathematics, the most popular are "office suites." Also known as "productivity suites," they include business programs designed with a uniform user interface, the primary ones being word processing, spreadsheet and presentation graphics. Examples are Microsoft Office (Word, Excel and PowerPoint), Apple's iWork (Pages, Numbers and KeyNote) and Linux-based LibreOffice (Writer, Calc and Impress). All office suites are able to read Microsoft file formats.

Each version has its own mix of apps, and one or more utilities may be included. The individual programs are sometimes available as separate products.

Single Packages Are Appealing
Although no suite may have the best application in each category, the user interface is relatively similar between programs, and the suite covers the basic operations most people use all the time. Microsoft Office is a paid product, while Apple's iWork suite and LibreOffice for Linux are free. See Microsoft Office, iWork, WordPerfect Office, Lotus SmartSuite, StarOffice, LibreOffice, Apache OpenOffice, Google Workspace, WPS Office, Zoho and graphics suite. See also application stack.