Family computer/Tips

Free Software

Once you buy a computer you find out it isn't much use without software. Software, the programs that let you use the computer, in general is expensive. Many of us went over budget to buy the computer and just can't justify spending more money on top of that. Don't give up hope. There are alternatives to many programs that are free. This website is created using free and open source programs. Look here for a list of these and other Free and Open source software.

Open Source

Source In open source refers to the Source code used to create the software. The source code is made available for those who wish to make modifications and/or improvements. Not only can you get Open Source software for free but it gives you freedom of use. With open source you don't have to worry about upgrade cost. With software you go out and buy you get the opportunity to pay a good sum of money then when the product is upgraded to do what you wanted it to in the first place you get to pay again. Granted some come with free upgrades for a year. Wait and see how many if any upgrades you get within that year. Open source upgrades may not necessarily appear faster but when they come out they are free each time no matter if it is one year or more later.

No License Fee

You go out and buy a program to use at home. After you learn how to use it you think "Hey this would be great to use in my business or start a business." Good idea until you look at the license agreement. The license is for single computer personal use only. For commercial or multi computer use you must purchase the appropriate license.

That is after all what you actually pay for when you buy software. You are purchasing a limited license to use the program not the program itself. With Open Source Software you do not have license fees. It's Free.

There are several different licenses used in open source. This article is intended to introduce you to Open source and does not cover all definitions. For more information and definitions see opensource.org

Great Support

Like many programs and often even more so with open source there are many website, forums, and users dedicated to helping out with the use of the software. If you want to learn how to use the software or are having problems with it check it's website or do a web search. You will find a wealth of information and others eager to help.

Free

There are many programs that are free to use. Not all are open source. Unlike open source software they are proprietary and protected by copyrights. There are usually restrictions to it's use including but not limited to not being allowed to modify or distribute the software.