Try Open Source & Linux

If you haven’t heard of Linux then you do indeed need to get out of your Windows hole. Linux is an alternative OS (operating system). In its purest form it’s free! That’s right free. Now if you travel around the web you’ll see I fib, for there are many Linux versions that cost a fee, such as Red Hat, SuSe and Linspire, to name a few.

I support a relative new comer to the free Linux world, Ubuntu. It is completely free and very usable. You can go to their site and actually order a free CD. It is based on debian, again it’s a version of Linux. All Linux OS’ us a kernel that makes them part of the world.

Let me first say that Mac users are so very spoilt with their system that Linux seems silly. Unfortunately Mac users pay through the nose for "ultra proprietary" hardware and software. I must admit it is the Porsche of computers, but like the car, it is way too expensive for the vast majority of us and how practical is a racing car when really you need an all purpose ride.

One obstacle to Linux is not knowing what your going to use instead of MS Word or Excel, Power Point and even Adobe Photoshop and Distiller. Well not to worry, there’s a few sites that provide the best equivalents. One thing that you’ll find in which ever Linux “distro” (distribution) you use is that all have a significant amount of software replacements already installed with the OS. Here are two very good guides:

http://www.chlug.org/oss_equiv.php

http://linuxshop.ru/linuxbegin/win-lin-soft-en/table.shtml (scroll down to see the table)

Now to be honest Linux is not for the faint of heart. You must be dedicated to learning a new system and come to the realization that though the community is growing and very supportive on forums etc… it still continues to be somewhat limited by the power hungry MS empire and hardware companies which limit software codes for Linux.

Why Linux? Why the hassle? I believe that there is a Christian response. Yes Bill Gates is a great guy, he is a wonderful philanthropist and does support many religious organizations; one can do this when the richest man in the world. But as Scripture says it is impossible to serve both God and mammon (worldly endeavors). Many a company has been victim to the MS drive to be the only operating system. They have used their power to take over the world of computer technology. I'm in no way a socialist who is against free enterprise, but with this I do believe that freeware and open source si where technology needs to be. At least support a world where there are alternatives to high cost programs. And lets face it, it's not using illegal copies... as many do.

Well the majority of the Linux community believes that electronic communication should be open for the entire world to share. The endeavor that is internet technology is actually an act of community building, world building, sharing. How can the world expect the third world to come in to its own if not given the tools? How can a poor nation, or even a financially challenged family in the first world, purchase such programs as Photoshop, Acrobat and MSOffice when they sell in the hundreds of dollars. It's bad enough that the hardware is so expencive, giving a break with hardware (something Mac does do very well) is where OSS comes into it's own. Now entire States, Provinces and large companies and universities are turning to Open Source alternatives to save money. Why not you and I? (read this for more: http://www.drdc-rddc.gc.ca/publications/issues/issues17_e.asp)

It is the cost of such programs that create the illegal world of software hackers (I refrain from the MP3 P2P debate as I do download music, if I like it I generally buy if after). For Windows users there is hope with Open Source programs. So I encourage you to use some of the software I suggest. I never throw out a suggestion I haven’t used and know is safe to use. If you still have some doubts, Linux and Open Source ware is much less likely to ever get a virus. Here are some to try on your Windows System:

For “ Adobe Photoshop” use “The Gimp” http://www.gimp.org/

For “MS Office” (Word, Excel, Access, Power Point) use “Open Office” http://www.openoffice.org/

For “Internet Explorer & Outlook Express” use “Firefox and Thunderbird” http://www.mozilla.org/

Open office also has a “distiller” so your doc’s can be turned into PDF’s without the costly Acrobat Professional.

Trust me, you will not regret any of this offering.