Open source software is on the rise, allowing users an alternative to conventionally distributed software, often for free. Some of the applications stay attractive to users through codes innovative, open to promote change. Although they have a kind of “of” geeks, for geeks “of the mark, it does not take a computer genius to use many open source applications.
One of the applications assigned to put open source on the map is Firefox, the second most popular web browser. It was designed by those who believe in “free software and open source software (FOSS). Free software programs allow individuals to study, modify, enhance and use their software without additional license.
Software engineers working in free software projects often have more freedom than those who are employed by large software companies like Microsoft and Adobe, and that freedom gives the software an innovative advantage. However, free software is just a taste of a large family of programs created by developers who believe in good software and free for all.
Another key factor that maintains open source attractive is that it often does not require a high-end system to run well. Some of the applications run well even on older computers.
There are open source equivalents to many Windows programs and Mac users usually have to pay. Among them is Open Office, a free suite, with all the office functions.
According to the Open Office website, there have been more than 83 million downloads of its software. Many companies and even nongovernmental organizations worldwide are switching to Open Office, a move that could save millions in licensing fees compared to similar programs such as Microsoft Office.
Another popular freeware program is the high efficiency of the VLC media player, which is designed to play almost any media file format. You can even execute files are corrupted.
Thunderbird, also from Mozilla, the same people who made Firefox is a web mail client that works like Microsoft Outlook. There are also photo editors (GIMP is an example), IM clients (Pidgin), which can support several different protocols at once, and free software CD / DVD burning and InfraRecorder.
There are also examples of free operating systems, offering users a viable alternative to the ubiquitous Windows.
As new operating systems are introduced and begin to lose the old support systems, a solution to keep alive a PC is converted to a freeware or Linux-based operating system.
Many Linux-based operating systems have been tailor-made to run fast, even on very old computers. Ubuntu (pronounced ooh-bun-too) is one of the most popular of the group, due to its easy-to-learn interface.
It is estimated that 13 million people around the world are using Ubuntu. Even the French police are working to install Ubuntu in all its 90,000 computers. In this way, your IT department spent approximately 70 percent less a year, without reducing capacity.