Open source software
“How much?”, That is the question I often ask myself when I see the price of new software. In the context of falling hardware prices – cheap memory, storage devices that are easy on the pocket – it’s easy to feel ripped off when it comes to software. After all, it’s just a DVD in a plastic case, isn’t it?
When personal computers first appeared, lots of amateurs delved into programming and were able to code useful software themselves. These days, things have become more complex as operating systems have expanded. Large corporations such as Microsoft and Adobe employ thousands of people to develop their software. Given the scale of this enterprise, surely it’s impossible for “amateurs” to come up with effective software solutions today! Right?
Wrong! The growth of the Internet has brought together diverse groups of individuals – often living continents apart – who share a common love of computing. They collaborate to offer their time and expertise in order to develop useful software. And the best bit is that some of this software is available for free.
Generally speaking, open source software is available for public use under the General Public License (GPL), which gives small businesses and home users the right to download and use the software for free. One example is the Open office suite of office applications, which offers a credible alternative to the seemingly ubiquitous MS Office. Its Writer, Calc, Impress and Base applications are clearly analogous to the more familiar Word, Excel, Powerpoint and Access. And for small business purposes, they contain pretty much all the functionality you’ll need. Better still, your work can be saved with Microsoft file extensions, allowing others to see your documents in MS Office. Bearing in mind the price of a new, commercial software bundle, you’d be foolish not to consider the open source option.
Adobe’s Photoshop is the product on everyone’s lips when it comes to image manipulation. While budding photographers and other dedicated professionals may wish to stick with the industry standard, you needn’t follow the herd. The amusingly titled GIMP (or Graphical Image Manipulation Package) is another fine example of open source software. Its functionality is good enough for most small business use. For example, if you need to alter photos for inclusion in a mailshot or change images for your website, it is more than up to the job. And some of the effects you can add are truly impressive!
While “free” software has certainly improved, you still need to check that it’ll do what you want. It might not cost you anything in monetary terms but it still takes resource time to get up to speed with how new software works. It’s silly to spend hours on something that won’t help your business. You’ll need to make sure that it is compatible with your system (although the two examples above have cross-platform support). Also, if you intend to send files to others, it’s worth checking that the software you’re considering is compatible with Microsoft and other vendor products. But if it ticks these boxes, why not give it a try?
Open source software offers an effective way to boost your productivity without breaking the bank – something that’s especially important to small business users.
For more information, why not read the following guides:
