I am not a techie & I use free, open source software
04:10, 22 January 2009
.. Posted in techculture and tech to help.. Link
I hate using pirated software. It's not only unethical and usually illegal, but also, I really know where it comes from and what could be a part of the code.
But I cannot afford to use some of the most famous software out there.
But I also need high-quality, feature-rich tools to do my work efficiently.
But I'm also not a "techie", so I need tools that are oh-so-easy to use.
So, when I finally upgraded to a new computer, I decided to switch to free software as much as possible, both because of my own budget, and because I have advocated for the use of such tools for nonprofit organizations and people living in developing countries -- how can I ask others to do what I'm not willing to do myself? So, for a year now, I've been using such software for all of my activities related to word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, database needs, email, and web browsing. And I've experienced no problems interacting with clients and others in sharing documents -- in fact, no one knows I'm not using, say, Microsoft, unless I tell them.
Free, open source software is software that can be used, modified, copied and redistributed freely, because its authors have decided to give these rights to all users. Quality free, open source software is frequently updated with new features and bug fixes, just as fee-based software is, with an army of passionate developers and testers behind it, all dedicated to making the tool meet all needs. Such software, such as NeoOffice, which is what I use for word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, is not only just as stable as its fee-based counterparts, and not only has most of the features of, say, its Microsoft counterparts, it often has even more features. Some have fewer defects than the industry average.
Evaluate and choose free software the same way you choose fee-based software:
- how long has the software been around?
- how often is the software upgraded?
- how much documentation for the software is provided?
- is there an online forum where users freely post questions and offer support to each other?
- look for reviews of the software (these are very easy to find online). Read many different reviews from many different sources, not just one or two, and not just the "official" review from the software's manufactuer(s).
- beware of unsolicited email offers or web page pop-ups for free software. These are often associated with malicious software, viruses, and scams.
If you are wondering how to get started, I recommend that to do so when it's time to upgrade your office software (word-processing, spreadsheets and presentations). For Mac users, try NeoOffice. For non-Mac users, try OpenOffice.
It's not easy to make the switch from one software to another. Bruce Byfield notes: "When you first switch to a different software, any claims that its better than what you were using probably won't fly." You will be too busy trying to find your favorite features and functions, first believing that they don't exist and then, once you find them, thinking they aren't as good. But being able to use different software than what you have been used to is a learned skill, and will make you a better user of all software. And there's also the reality that some upgrades of your favorite fee-based software are so radically different from what you have been using that it's the same experience as switching to a completely different package -- in other words, there's no getting away from having to continually learn how to use software, even if you choose not to switch to open source.
If you discover that a feature really, truly isn't a part of the free software you are eyeing, remember more words from Bruce Byfield: "features are an arms race in which superiority rarely lasts for more than one version."
