Once upon a time, a bunch of software geeks looked at the latest offerings from Microsoft, Apple and other companies, and sniggered.
We could do a better job than that, they thought. And with the advent of the internet, they arguably did, creating a large collection of open source software.
The basic principle of open source software is that programmers are permitted to modify and improve a piece of software, such as a word processor, an internet browser, or an operating system. The result is available for anyone to download and use free.
Most of the computer programs you now regularly use have free, open-source competitors. A 2008 international study by the Standish Group found that open source software has saved consumers $60 billion annually worldwide. Why not save some money yourself?
Following is a list of open source software you can try.
For a word processor, and to make spreadsheets and presentations, try Open Office (www.openoffice.org), which replaces such programs as Microsoft’s Word, Excel and Power Point.
To surf the internet, replace Safari or Internet Explorer with Mozilla Firefox (www.mozilla.com/firefox).
For email, try Thunderbird (www.mozillamessaging.com/thunderbird), which replaces Mac or Windows Mail or Outlook Express.
To modify photos and images, try Gimp (www.gimp.org).
If you want to completely replace Windows or Mac OS, you can try Linux (www.linux.org). While Linux will run on Macs and PCs, many programs that are linked to Microsoft and Apple will not work with the Linux operating system. You’ll have to download another free software patch to enable Linux to run these programs.
There are many other open source software programs out there, so if you don’t like the programs listed above, search the internet and find others to try.
Many of us get used to certain programs, and don’t want to relearn our way around another similar program. However most open source software is designed to look very similar to the existing programs we know and love. It doesn’t take long to get used to open source versions.
Once you’ve made the transition, you no longer need to worry about paying lots of money for software packages and upgrades. Most open source software programs download their upgrades automatically.
If you are thinking of buying or upgrading some software, such as a word processor, photo editor or email program, try an open source version. You may find you like it, and it will save you money.
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