What the heck is Open Source?

Monday, April 20th, 2009

A few years ago, I was introduced to the concept of Open Source software, that is software that is non-proprietary and in other words, free.  In the world of Open Source, you have simplified, user-friendly versions of the Microsoft Office suite (i.e. Open Office) as well as pretty much anything else you can imagine.  Mozilla Firefox is a great example of Open Source software that works very well.

If you like this concept, are a tiny bit computer savvy and are tired of paying through the nose for various types of software, Open Source might be the way to go.  To get you started, here are two great Open Source sites:

Open Source As Alternative: www.osalt.com  This site will help you find Open Source alternative to your favorite proprietary programs.

For Windows users, there is also: www.opensourcewindows.org. 

Finally, definitely check out www.cnet.com.  They have a giant proprietary and non-proprietary download database plus user reviews that are extremely helpful–which is where I learned about my favorite encryption software, TrueCrypt.

Because of the nature of my work, I need to have my data and backup sources encrypted at all times.  And encryption software and support can be expensive, time consuming, and not to mention scary if you don’t install it correctly.

After carefully reading through the TrueCrypt instructions, and following them step-by-step, I found it quite easy to use.  If you have a need for this type of software, check it out on www.truecrypt.org.  It works with Windows, Mac & Linux.

Have a great week!

Copyright 2008-2009 Kristin Delfau, author of Turbo-Mom's Guide to Saving Money Without Wasting Time a womens' personal finance book, and Aji Publishing.

Tags: downloads, free stuff, open source, software, top 10
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