The 7 Best Free Open Source Programs To Replace Commercial Windows Software
|
| ||||||||
| Compare: | Web Design Calculator | Web Design Cost Guidelines |
Are you an E-Commerce Web Designer? Add a Free Listing
Although Windows is not a free operating system, it has become a standard simply because it comes pre-installed with most new computers. In the past, this meant you also had to get matching commercial software, which often came at a hefty price tag. Fortunately, the open source movement and the Internet changed the game.
Today there are many free open source software options, and often cross-platform alternatives to costly Windows software. In this article I have summarized the most important free open source alternatives to standard commercial Windows programs.
LibreOffice replaces Microsoft Office
LibreOffice was founded by former developers of OpenOffice over concerns that Oracle would turn it into a commercial product. In April this year, however, Oracle announced that it would discontinue commercial development of OpenOffice and make it a purely community-based project [Wikipedia]. Nevertheless, LibreOffice has become an alternative for both OpenOffice and Microsoft Office.
Like its commercial counterpart, LibreOffice comes with a word processor (Writer), a spreadsheet program (Calc), a presentation tool (Impress), a databases manager (Base), and a lot more. It is fully compatible with standard Microsoft Office file formats but users must remember to save or export their files in the respective format.
LibreOffice’s number one competitor is of course OpenOffice.
Further reading:
- Linux & Mac" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/libreoffice-free-office-suite-windows-linux-mac/">LibreOffice – A Free Office Suite For Windows, Linux & Mac
- Templates To Make You More Productive" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/free-open-office-templates-productive/">Useful Free Open Office Templates To Make You More Productive
Mozilla Thunderbird replaces Windows Live Mail
Mozilla’s Thunderbird is an easy to set up desktop mail client that supports extensions and hence can do many tricks that Windows Live Mail still needs to learn. Unfortunately, it still isn’t an alternative for anyone who depends on syncing (Outlook) contact data from or to mobile devices.
Further reading:
- How To Set Up Mozilla Thunderbird For Auto-Responses & Scheduled Emails
- How To Set Up Mozilla Thunderbird 3 For Multiple Email Accounts
- How To Terminally Delete eMails In Thunderbird By Compacting Folders
Inkscape replaces CorelDraw & Adobe Illustrator
Inkscape is a vector graphics editor that uses the W3C standard Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) file format, supporting many advanced SVG features, including markers, clones, and alpha blending. It is rather intuitive to use, which makes it a great tool for beginners.
Another free open source alternative for CorelDraw is Draw from the OpenOffice package or Draw from the LibreOffice package.
Further reading:
GIMP replaces Adobe Photoshop
GIMP, an acronym for GNU Image Manipulation Program, is a cross platform graphics editor, which can serve as a simple paint program, but also supports advanced features, such as photo retouching, batch processing, or image format conversion.
Another option for Windows users is Paint.NET, which some say is easier to use than GIMP, especially if you are not looking for advanced features.
Further reading:
- 5 Websites To Learn GIMP Online
- Top 10 Beginner Video Tutorials To Learn GIMP Fast
- GIMP Paint Studio: A Great Addition To Make GIMP A Digital Artist’s Playground
- How To Create An Image Map Using Paint.NET
Blender replaces 3ds Max
Blender is a cross-platform 3D content creation suite that supports modeling, animation, rendering, a game engine, and much more. The Blender homepage features a thorough collection of tutorials and a list of movies that were created with the program.
Further reading:
BRL-CAD replaces AutoCAD
BRL-CAD is a cross-platform open source modeling software that supports interactive geometry editing, high-performance ray-tracing for rendering and geometric analysis, image and system processing tools, and more. The program has been developed for an impressive 20+ years.
Another alternative to AutoCAD is LibreCAD.
Further reading:
- Free CAD Drawing For Linux, Windows & Mac Using LibreCAD
- How To Convert AutoCAD Drawings Into PDF Files With DWGgateway
7-Zip replaces WinZip or WinRAR
7-Zip is a file compression/decompression tool that supports many archive formats and also comes bundled with a lightweight file manager.
You might also want to check out the open source file and archive manager PeaZip, which comes as a portable and full version for 32- and 64-bit versions of Windows and Linux.
Further reading:
- 7Zip – A Free Program to Unzip Uncommon Archive Formats
- PeaZip – A Fantastic Free Alternative To WinRAR Or WinZip
- 2 Alternative File Managers You Should Really Check Out
A full list of free and open source software can be found on Wikipedia.
What was the last program you paid money for and why?
Download videos from the sites like YouTube, Break.com etc. Convert videos to almost any format.
Read comments: Loved it? Hated it? Join discussion here ...
More articles about: better alternatives, open source
Similar articles:
Tue, 10 May 2011 16:31:51 GMT
Tags: better alternatives, Cool Software Apps, open source,
Flat Rock E-Commerce | De Pere E-Commerce | Monkton E-Commerce | Austin E-Commerce | Detroit E-Commerce | Covington E-Commerce | Tempe E-Commerce | Wiley Park E-Commerce | Savage E-Commerce | Johnstown E-Commerce |
better alternatives
TenFourFox: The Firefox 4 Browser For PowerPC Macs
Experience the speed increase and new features of Firefox 4 on your Power PC (PPC) Mac. The speed increase alone is worth it. There are lots of reasons to upgrade to Firefox 4, but it's not supported for PPC Macs. TenFourFox, a brand new Firefox port mad
Keep Google Reader On Your Desktop With Reeder [Mac]
If you're a fan of Google Reader's functionality but not of its appearance, Reeder for Mac Beta offers Mac users an alternative way to access Google Reader subscriptions in a much more visually appealing way. The minimalist appearance, together with th
Banshee 2.0 – A Comprehensive Media Player, Streamer & Podcast Tool [Linux]
The Banshee media player was first released in early 2005 and has since come on leaps and bounds. Probably the closest thing Linux has to iTunes, Banshee comes with an integrated music store, Internet radio, podcasting and compatibility with Apple's rang
Cool Software Apps
JottiQ – Scan Suspicious Files Using Multiple Anti-Virus Apps At The Same Time
google_ad_client = 'pub-5700237260308472'; google_ad_channel = '3925636777'; google_ad_output = 'js'; google_max_num_ads = '4'; google_ad_type = 'text'; google_image_size = '336x280'; google_feedback = 'on'; google_skip = google_adnum ; How
How To Easily Synchronize Folders Outside Dropbox Using Symlinks
There’s a long running discussion on Quora that grabbed my attention. The topic is about the reason why Dropbox is more popular than other free programs with similar functionality. The various answers boiled down to this: simplicity. You put your fi
BitTorrent Creates User-Friendly Client Chrysalis [News]
BitTorrent has released a new client this week called Chrysalis in an attempt to keep novice users interested in the BitTorrent service. Chrysalis has been specially designed with new users in mind, so it’s clearly laid out with free, legal content
open source
Eclipse TV: A Web-Based Media Center For Online Streaming
Find a wide variety of online television right now, from your browser. Perfect for exploring for things to watch, Eclipse TV is a great way to find something to watch online right now. At first glance, Eclipse TV may look like little more than a compilati
Need E-commerce Design? Check out our member profiles:
We design and develop successful e-commerce Web sites that are consistent with your competition. Our sites are secure, safe, and will bring you more business than you have dreamed of!
Gilbert, Arizona US
Our business-driven approach separates us from other web companies. All of our solutions are customized to meet your specific needs and to create a dynamic first impression upon your audience.
Cape Neddick, Maine US
Full service Delaware Web design and graphics company Drupal CMS web site development ecommerce hosting domain names search engine optimization Flash PHP XML CSS Java Script programming & tutorials.
Rehoboth Beach, Delaware US
A solution for event promotion, grand opening pages for retailers, eBay listings. We promote your business via the web!
New York, New York US
Professional website design, web development, and internet marketing. 317-924-3495
Indianapolis, Indiana US
Based in St. Cloud, Minnesota, our mission at Blue Link Design is to provide professional, affordable and practical website design and eCommerce to small businesses and non-profit organizations alike.
St Cloud, Minnesota US
Web Site Design Company in Wilmington, NC, offer simple start-up web sites to fully functional e-commerce applications. We even offer free websites to charities and non-profit organizations.
Wilmington, North Carolina US
Marchant Media We are dedication to the highest quaility of excellence and customer satisfaction. Today, 65 years after our beginning our dedication to excellence continues.
Monkton, Maryland US
Write VB Windows Scripts Easier & Faster With VbsEdit
Writing a script to automate various tasks on your system that you would normally have to do manuall
The 11 Toughest Tech Questions [MakeUseOf Answers]
At MakeUseOf Answers we try hard to answer all your tech questions We have been doing this for almo
Import & Group All of Your Contacts In One Place With Neiio
Do you have a central contacts list It s pretty difficult to nowadays In my case it s a near impo
33 Different Apple Inspirational Logos Never Seen Before
Apple no introduction required Apple is the leading software hardware and mobile developer now a
INFOGRAPHIC: The Strengths Of Google Project Glass
Among the legendary lengthy staff email conversations that we have here at MakeUseOf the one that b
Which Mobile Games Have You Played While Waiting For Angry Birds Space? [You Tell Us]
We all love some Angry Birds action don t we OK maybe not everyone is addicted to playing the fie
Google+ Circles, Sparks & All The Rest: What’s To Know? [News]
Google have just announced their Google project which integrates social networking features with m
Article Tags
E-commerce Design Articles
Web Apps & Internet (374)
News (291)
Web Apps (129)
Inspiration (128)
Music (119)
iPhone / iPad / iPod (116)
cool web apps (108)
Google Android (101)
Mobile Tips (100)
Announcements (99)
deals (88)
Games & Gaming Tips (84)
Tech Deals (82)
Cool Software Apps (76)
Opinion & Polls (76)
Social Media (66)
iOS (66)
Browser Tips & Tricks (66)
iPhone Apps (59)
Freebies (58)
geeky fun (58)
Photography (58)
iphone (55)
troubleshoot (53)
Google (53)
android (52)
Photoshop (52)
Graphics (51)
facebook (50)
How-To Articles (50)
Friends:
E-Commerce Website Pricing
Web Design Quote
Website Design
Graphic Designers
