FREE SOFTWARE
Why pay hundred$ for an office suite when you can get one for FREE?
Why is this software free? Click here to learn more about Free and Open Source Software.
What do you need?
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I. OpenOffice.org
Office Suite - MSOffice Compatible and ODF compliant
Available for Windows (98 or later), Linux, or Macintosh. Free and Open Source.
Screen shots - click here. Warning: large images
- MSOffice compatible - open and edit MSOffice documents/spreadsheets/presentations
- Save As MSOffice file formats
- Save As PDF (any type of document)
- Word Processor - MSWord compatible
- Spread Sheet - MSExcel compatible
- Presentation Program - MSPowerPoint compatible
- Vector Drawing Program
- Mathematical Formula Editor (uses MathML)
- Envelope and Label Maker
- HTML Editor
- Fax Manager
- Graph Maker
- And More...
II. IBM Lotus Symphony
Another Office Suite - MSOffice Compatible and ODF compliant
Available for Windows (XP or Vista only), and Linux. Free, not Open Source.
- MSOffice compatible - open and edit MSOffice documents/spreadsheets/presentations
- Save As MSOffice file formats
- Save As PDF (any type of document)
- Word Processor - MSWord compatible
- Spread Sheet - MSExcel compatible
- Presentation Program - MSPowerPoint compatible
I've never used it; I can't tell you much.
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Mozilla or FireFox - Secure, Safe web browsing
Available for Windows (98 or later), Linux, or Macintosh. Free and Open Source.
Stop using Microsoft's Internet Explorer - it has too many security problems. That's the advice of more than one major computer security company. Click here, or here, or here for more detail.
Mozilla downloads, screenshots - Click Here - http://www.mozilla.org
FireFox downloads, screenshots - Click Here - http://www.mozilla.org/products/firefox/
Mozilla SeaMonkey - browser, email, newsreader, IRC, address book
- Block popup windows - you'll never see them again
- Kill cookies - but web sites will think you're accepting them!
- Imports all your bookmarks from other browsers (MSIE, Netscape)
- Tabbed browsing - look at more than one web site in the same browser window
- Open other web sites in the background
- Many enhanced security features
- Highly customizable
You also get...
- Messenger, email and newsreader
- Address Book
- ChatZilla, IRC client
- Composer, a WYSIWYG HTML Editor like Dreamweaver (see also NVU, below)
FireFox - a lean, mean, small, fast browser
- Block popup windows - you'll never see them again
- Kill cookies - but web sites will think you're accepting them
- Imports all your bookmarks from other browsers (MSIE, Netscape, Mozilla)
- Tabbed browsing - look at more than one web site in the same browser window
- Open other web sites in the background
- Many enhanced security features
- Highly customizable
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NVU (NewView)
A WYSIWYG* HTML editor, like DreamWeaver - make a web site
Available for Windows (98 or later), Linux, or Macintosh. Free and Open Source. Easily make your own web site - NVU is just like using a word processor. This is a stand-alone version of Mozilla Composer (see above).
http://www.nvu.com* What-You-See-Is-What-You-Get
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AbiWord
Awesome little Word Processor - MSOffice Compatible
Available for Windows (98 or later), Linux, or Macintosh. Free and Open Source.
All you need is a word processor? This is amazing, and small.
- MSOffice compatible
- Open/edit MSWord documents
- Save As MSWord file format
- Tables
- Spell Checker and Thesaurus
- Footnotes and Endnotes
- Headers and Footers
- MailMerge
- Insert clipart or images
- And More...
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IrfanView
Multimedia Player - Pictures, Movies, Music
Available for Windows (98 or later). Free, not Open Source.
Plays/Views just about any file format you can name, such as GIF, JPG, MP3, WMV, AVI, MOV, TIF, BMP, CAM, WMF, RLE, RAS, NLM, PCX, PNG, PSD, PS, EPS, EMF, ICO, IMG, PCD, PSP, SWF, TTF, AIF, OGG, AU, RA, SND, WAV, MID . . . and more
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The GIMP
a free alternative to Adobe Photoshop
Available for Windows (98 or later), Linux, or Macintosh. Free and Open Source.
Photoshop is an excellent program, but it's not cheap. The GNU Image Manipulation Program can do almost anything Photoshop can do, according to its developers. It can open Photoshop files, or you can Save as Photoshop format (*.psd).
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InkScape
a free alternative to CorelDraw or Adobe Illustrator
Available for Linux, Mac OS X and Windows. Free and Open Source.
Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) drawing program.
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Scribus
Desktop Publishing
Available for Linux, Mac OS X, and Windows. Free and Open Source.
For WINDOWS NOTE that you also need Ghostscript version 8.53 or later, which must be installed first.
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DIA
Make Flow and Organizational Charts
Available for Linux and Windows. Free and Open Source.
http://gnome.org/projects/dia/
Screen shots - click here, or here (big image - full-screen).
Note: Dia is part of the Gnome Desktop, which is shipped with many versions of Linux.
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Words
Latin-to-English Dictionary
Available for DOS, Windows (any version), Macintosh OS X, and Linux. Free, not Open Source.
Type in a Latin word, it spits out the definition, and other information. It's rather bare-bones (runs at a command prompt only), but it works like a charm. See the web site for samples, below:
http://users.erols.com/whitaker/words.htm
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Linux - a free Operating System
Free and Open Source.
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What about updates and bug fixes? What about file and printer sharing? |
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What's an Operating System?
or OS for short
An operating system is a program (actually a collection of programs) that tells a computer how to run itself. Like a car without a driver, a computer can't do anything without an operating system. Windows is an operating system, so are DOS, Macintosh OS X, UNIX, and Linux. There are many others.
Why use Linux?
I can give you several good reasons, applicable to any distribution (see below):
Security
- It's hard to break into and take over
- Linux is immune to Windows viruses/worms/trojans
- There are hardly any Linux viruses - and likely never will be many; because of how Linux works, they simply can't do much damage; click here for a detailed explanation, or here to see the list of all seven
Stability
- It's rock stable - runs for months, or years, without a reboot (yes, I have seen this)
Versatility
- Most of the software for Linux is also free
- Most versions come with tons of software
- Most versions can be either a client (workstation), or server, or both (all the software comes with it)
And...
- You can't argue with the price - although some (notably Microsoft) claim it isn't really free; see below
What about technical support? Product updates?
Question: how often have you called Microsoft? IBM? Dell? HP? Compaq?
You see my point. You go to the internet, friends, family, the store. The LAST place you call is corporate headquarters.
Linux is free, and so will be about 95% of any tech support you need. There are plenty of web forums, newsgroups, chat groups, and mailing lists, full of friendly, helpful people. There is a Linux Users Group in Edmonton - click here. You will also find reams of documentation on the web - help files, tutorials, how-tos, you name it. Have a look at The Linux Documentation Project, or The YoLinux Tutorials, or this Guide to Linux for newbies. Google also has a specific page for Linux-related searches: www.google.ca/linux. Search there for "linux for newbies" - I get over 100,000 matches.
As for product updates, all the major distros provide updates on their web sites, also free. Note that you are never obliged to update or upgrade - that's entirely up to you.
With most of the major distros, you can configure your system for automatic updates, or something very similar (a few mouse clicks may be required).
On a related note, there is a recent invention called the "Total Cost of Ownership" argument. It's mostly a marketing ploy in my opinion, and an attempt to brand free software as evil.
In reality, you don't know how much something will cost to own until after you've owned it for some time. How can you predict how much a car will cost you to own? How can you know how often it will need repairs, what it will cost to fix? You can't. Same with software. But think: Linux is free, the updates are free, most of the applications are free, and most of the tech support will likely be free. How can Linux possibly end up costing more?
Read up on it for yourself. Search www.google.ca/linux for "total cost of ownership" to see lots of arguing on both sides. Bear in mind, neither side is what you would call impartial and objective.
Do I have to get rid of Windows? NO!
You can run Linux and Windows on the same computer, no problem.
There are versions of Linux that boot and run entirely off a CD. Your hard drive will not be touched. You can play with Linux all you like, then just reboot to Windows. Click here to read more about one of them, or click here to see a long list of them. I can burn you a copy, if you prefer that. Send me an email.
You can also run both Windows and Linux on the same computer, from the same hard drive. This is called a "dual boot" configuration. When the machine starts up, you are asked what you want to use, Linux or Windows. For more info, click here, or search www.google.ca/linux for "dual boot". You probably don't want to try this on your own unless you are a bit of a geek. I'd be happy to help you out. Send me an email.
What about sharing files and printers with Windows machines?
No problem.
Linux and Windows file and printer sharing is done with a suite called Samba. All newer versions of Linux (that I've seen) install Samba by default. Printers may be connected to either Linux or Windows machines, it doesn't matter. You can also use Samba to mimic a Windows Domain Controller - other computers on the network won't know the difference.
You may have to consult someone with networking experience (like me) to tweak the configuration in order to get everything working. This is not due to any shortcomings of Samba or Linux. This is due to the nature of computer networks. They can be fussy, finicky, and difficult to configure.
For more about Samba, try http://www.samba.org, or see my tutorials, here.
What computer hardware is required?
Newer hardware is preferable for most distributions, but Linux is very forgiving about hardware. Some versions of Linux are specifically designed to run on old hardware. Some basic guidelines:
For a box that just works (it may be too slow for some):
- Intel Pentium 500Mhz CPU or equivalent
- 512Mb RAM (memory)
- 20Gb hard drive
- network card or modem (if you want a network connection)
- mouse, keyboard
- CD/DVD drive (at least to install)
For half-decent performance (at least it shouldn't drive you mad):
- Intel Pentium 1Ghz CPU or equivalent
- 1Gb RAM (memory)
- 20Gb hard drive
- network card or modem (if you want a network connection)
- mouse, keyboard
- CD/DVD drive (at least to install)
OK, if Linux is so great, why doesn't everyone use it?
Good question. There are several good answers.
- Many people have never heard of it. Since nobody really owns Linux, there is no central body doing promotions and advertising to spread the word.
- It's widely perceived as being a) hard to install (not true), b) hard to configure (not true), and c) hard to use (not true). Linux is no harder to install, configure, and use, than (for example) Windows. It's just different.
- People are suspicious because it doesn't cost anything - don't you get what you pay for? Not in this case. Linux is made, maintained, and supported by people who love what they do: working with computers. The bottom line is functionality, not profitability - not that there's anything wrong with making a profit, but that's not what Linux is about.
- People are afraid there will be nowhere to get help if they have problems. See What about technical support?, above. While we're on the topic, think about this: how many times have you called Microsoft? IBM? Dell? HP? Compaq?
What Linux is NOT - be realistic
There is no such thing as perfect software. Linux is not perfect. It will not solve all your problems. It can screw up and do odd things (but not nearly as often, in my experience, as that other operating system).
- It can be broken into and compromised - but it's not easy
- Security problems, exploits, and bugs are always being discovered, as with any OS, but the Linux community is very quick (at least as quick as anyone else, if not faster) to spread the word and provide fixes - for free, of course
- At present there are few games for Linux compared to Windows - but that is changing, slowly
- It's not harder to use than Windows, it's different, and it will take time to get used to - a few days, a few weeks - depends how much you use it
- Linux developers, working out of the goodness of their hearts, try to keep up to date, but sometimes they fall behind. Many of them don't get paid a cent. When that brand-new, kick-ass video card comes out, it will ship with Windows drivers; but you may have to wait months before there are Linux drivers
- A lot of the documentation suffers from the perfectly-clear-if-you-already-know-it syndrome, but that is true of the Windows world too; if you can't understand one tutorial on a particular topic, try another; you have plenty to choose from
There are so many different kinds of Linux. Which one should I get?
They are called "distributions", and yes, there are lots. I would suggest you try Ubuntu or Mandriva (Mandrake) or Fedora first. They are probably the easiest to install (but I haven't tried them all), and the most user-friendly. If you've ever installed Windows, you won't have any trouble installing Linux. I can make the disks for you, if you like. Send me an email.
Where can I get Linux?
Try here first, the Live CD List:
Or go to one of the main sites (above). What you will download is a big file (or several) with a long name that ends in .iso or .ISO, such as:
MandrakeLinux-10.0-official-i586-CD1.iso
MandrakeLinux-10.0-official-i586-CD2.iso
MandrakeLinux-10.0-official-i586-CD3.iso
which you then burn to CD. Don't be surprised if the files are 600Mb+, and they may take 2 hours to download (each) if you have a slow connection.
Then, you can probably just double-click on the iso file name, and your burner software will know what to do from there. If it doesn't, you'll have to look into how your burner handles ISO files. Time to read the documentation.
The CD, or Disk 1 for mutli-disk sets, is probably bootable, regardless of the distribution.
All the distributions also have web sites, naturally, such as www.mandriva.com, or www.redhat.com, likewise CentOS, SuSE, Knoppix, Peanut, Slackware, Debian, Gentoo, YellowDog, TurboLinux, Lycoris . . .
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FreeBSD - another free operating system
Based on BSD Unix. Tough as a truck, performs like a sports car.
Free and Open Source
Not suitable for the technologically timid, this is an industrial-strength, bullet-proof operating system. Great for servers. It's not easy to install or configure. Once it's up and running, you're fine, but you have to get to that point first. Uses the same GUI(s) as Linux: Gnome, KDE, et al. Most Linux apps will also run on it.
Apart from that, much of the stuff about Linux (above) also applies to FreeBSD. Lots of software (mostly free), secure, stable, reliable. Few games. Runs on any old hardware (486 or better, 16M RAM), but newer is preferable. It can be a no-frills and purely functional server if you wish, or a perfectly good workstation, with browser, email, office suite, etc.
Learn more:
Go to http://www.freebsd.org
Back to TopOpenBSD - yet another free operating system
Based on BSD Unix. Imagine a tank crossed with a Ferarri.
Free and Open Source.
Harder to install and configure than FreeBSD. Industrial-strength and armour-plated, security is the main goal of the development team. I have little experience with it, to be honest. It's not pretty, and it's not supposed to be. It's no-frills and functional.
Learn more:
Go to http://www.openbsd.org
Back to TopFree and Open Source Software
It's all about Choice.
Free does not just refer to pricing - it also means freedom. Not all free software is open source. That's neither good nor bad.
Free Software means, of course, you don't have to pay for it. You can copy it, distribute it, and promote it. Most developers will gladly accept donations. This type of software is still closed source, which means only the developers have access to the source code. An example of this type of software is IrfanView, above.
Open Source Software (OSS) means the software is free (as above), but also, anyone has the freedom to access the source code. It is, obviously, impossible to hide any nasty code in such software - trojans, back doors, programs that "phone home", etc. Anyone can examine the source code, change it, add new features, remove things they don't need, etc. You can even make copies and sell it, if you wish. But, you are obliged make all modifications available to the world at large, under the terms of the licensing agreement, the GPL (below). Any OSS developer will also gladly accept donations. But that is your choice.
The GPL - GNU General Public License. This is the license covering open source software. To read more about it, click here.
Needless to say, certain companies who sell proprietary, closed source software loathe, despise, and fear Linux and the GPL, because it threatens their profit margins. But let's be fair - I'd be mad if something threatened to lower my income. If Linux and GPL software die off (they are flourishing right now), well, that's the way the market goes. If Microsoft and others lose huge market shares to Linux and GPL software (they're not right now), well, that's the way the market goes. Only time will tell.
Don't get me wrong here - I am not saying proprietary software is evil, or that companies shouldn't be allowed to make profits. I am saying nothing of the sort. I AM saying you have choices. That's all.
Back to TopNo, I don't get paid to promote this stuff. No one does.
Copyright © Michael Ward 1999 - 2010
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