No.4
Commercial Software vs. Open Source
As printed in the advisor | 
Additional information
This week we take a look at expensive commercial software vs. open source & freeware. When you buy a new computer it usually comes preinstalled with an operating system, mostly Windows. You might also get other software included, some expires after a certain time others of little use. This leaves you with the expense to buy the software solutions you need and want. The Microsoft Office suite is on of the most sold aftermarket products, easily running you $800.-. Many people just can't afford that or are not committed to spend that much money on a single piece of software. Some turn to piracy (copying the software illegally from somebody else). But there is a legal and simple solution. In this case OpenOffice.org. It includes a word processor with spell check in almost any language, Excel like spreadsheet, PowerPoint like presentation and a simple drawing function as well as a html editor for making simple websites. The software is FREE and is well written and maintained. How is that possible. Where is the catch you might ask. The software is open source. This means the source code of this program, or any other open source application, is free available for every programmer to read and modify. Every modification has to be made publicly available to contribute to the whole project. With thousands of programmers around the world having access to the source code you can be certain the software is spyware and backdoor free. Another application many people use from time to time is a picture editor. Prices range from $20.- to several $1000.-. Adobe Photo Shop is the industry standard in photo editing (2D, Pixel based). Another $800.- application. The Free, open source alternative is “The Gimp”. Like all high end graphic applications, The Gimp looks complicated to use at first. But so does photo shop. It is a good idea to work with some tutorials from the gimp website. All links to the softwares described today and more can be found on our website http://advisor.jls-webdesign.com
Almost all open source software is multi platform. Meaning they are available for Windows, Linux, Mac and sometimes even more systems. Also these softwares are no gimmick. A special version of The Gimp called CinePaint is used by companies like Sony Pictures, ILM, DreamWorks and has produced special effects in movies like Harry Potter, Scooby-Doo, the Fast & the Furious, 2 Fast 2 Furious, The Last Samurai, League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Cats & Dogs, Dr. Dolittle 2, Grinch, Sixth Day, Stuart Little, Planet of the Apes to name just a few. Because CinePaint is based on The Gimp it it also free.
You can get these and other open source programs free on the Internet at the links below.
| Sourceforge.net | The largest collection of free open source software on the Internet. If you look for something special, you might find it here. From Avionics to PVR (Personal Video Recorder, like a Tivo). |
| OpenOffice.org | Very good Word Processor with spell check, Excel like spreadsheet, simple graphic editor, PowerPoint like presentation, formulas, etc. |
| The Gimp | One of the best professional graphic editing tools available. |
| Mozilla | Home of Firefox (a very good Internet Explorer alternative) and Thunderbird (a very good alternative to Outlook Express) and Mozilla suite. Mozilla Calendar a very good calendar and scheduler application. |
| Filzip | A free alternative to Winzip (file compression decompression) |
| CinePaint | Motion Picture editing software. Overkill for home editing. |
| Povray | A high end graphic ray tracer (3D Graphic Software). |
Remember Open Source is most certainly spyware free. Other free software might not.
