Wednesday, February 16, 2005

Open Source - a list of applications

Last post, I turned you on to an article from TechSoup about open source software. I heard from a number of people that, while they love Firefox, they don't want to go all the way to establishing a new Operating System (OS) with Linux. Their question was: "How can I still use Windows and use open source?"

My immediate answer was: You already are. You're using Firefox with a Windows OS. How much did it cost you? Nothing. Same with other windows based applications that are free.

So, yesterday in the email comes the current issue of TechSoup's By the Cup, including an article on all kinds of Open Source Software for Windows. The article talks through the cautions about open source and includes a long list of applications that you might want to consider trying.

I think that this is a great option for many organizations. And, of course, you can download the software, try it, and then if you like it use it on all your computers.

Check it out. Open source is one area where you break the old rule: You get more than you pay for.

If you are still concerned about using free software, you can always make a donation! I do.

Finally, if standard software is still your thing, always buy from TechSoup. It is SOOOOOOO inexpensive. They have tons of good titles, and since they don't always have everything, check back to their website regularly.

Keep an open mind about open source.

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