Get free software, legally!
Why you should get it.
Open Source software is legally free to have and use. You can literally save thousands of dollars on software and not have to look over your shoulder every time you use it. Software developers who sell their programs are building more and more safeguards to identify illegally obtained software and punish those who are caught using it. Don’t risk it. The fines can bankrupt a business. Even a small home-based business can be a target.
What is it?
Open Source software has been given to the world by the programmers.
They freely give it away in the hopes that someone will find a use for
it but also to foster a greater community of sharing. The programmers
form communities of people who constantly improve the software and help
the end users by creating better, more usable software that doesn’t
crash three times a day (well, mostly).
“Open Source” is a concept
that started in 1998 with making the source code (the program) for
Netscape Navigator open to the public. This enabled other programmers
to take the code and write their own versions of the program.
The
programmers have realized that we are not all able to take this code
and make a program. The majority of computers are either Windows or Mac
based and they have compiled the programs for us.
There are thousands of software projects available.
What does it do?
The
most appropriate ones for business include an Office Suite of programs
that compares to one that sells for hundreds of dollars.This Open Office Suite includes a word processor, spreadsheet, drawing, data base and presentation program. And it’s free!
There are other programs that will:
- help convert your old LP’s and tapes into MP3’s
- teach you another language
- allow you to make your own CD’s
- access your email and surf the Internet
- do accounting
- inventory your DVD collection
- make a home movie
- play games
And thousands more…
Where to get it?
http://www.OpenOffice.org/
http://www.SourceForge.net/
http://www.FreshMeat.net/
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