More and more people are using open source software, but what does open source mean? Open source means that the code for the software or the software itself is completely free and anyone is welcome to use it.
Free doesn’t typically mean free anymore – it means you’re free to try it or free to download but than requires a pricy code to use. Open source is essentially the new “free” for software. For more technology and upgrade information, check out diodio.org.
What are some of the top open source software being used right now? Since Windows is the most wide spread operating system, programs that ship with it are the norm. Microsoft Office Suit with Word, Excel, Powerpoint and then Internet Explorer are a few of the regular software.
Microsoft Office Suit is a nice piece of software. It’s very clean and user friendly, but when the trial runs out – you are stuck with a reduced functionality copy. All the flashiness is long gone. You can purchase the full copy if you need to as long as you don’t mind paying.
Which is where open source software comes in. Microsoft Office Suit can be replaced with Open Office.Org – a user friendly program that has replacements the same features. Microsoft Word, Excel and Powerpoint become Open Office Writer, Calc and Impress.
Last but not least is Internet Explorer. It takes forever and a day to load and takes up a lot of your screen with it “convenient” bars at the top. Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox and Safari are a few alternatives that are popular. Try one.
