When you think of purchasing software, you might think of pre-packaged programs with well-defined operating procedures and technical support if things go wrong. However, this is only a small portion of the software that is available to users. Open source software, or OSS, gives users a different option: to obtain and modify software for their own use. OSS platforms are usually modified by volunteer programmers who freely donate their time and energy to make programs more serviceable for a large number of users, but any user can customize this software to his or her own needs.
The Prevalence of Open Source Software (OSS)
This sounds ideal, but OSS has been relatively slow to catch on with mainstream users due to a lack of technical knowledge that prohibits them from being comfortable with the concept of free, shared software. However, anyone can switch to OSS with just a little patience and study. Best of all, OSS programs have been estimated to save users up to $60 billion per year, according to a recent study by the Standish Group.
Making the Switch
It is more difficult to convince users to switch their entire operating systems. Making the switch from Microsoft Windows to Linux Ubuntu may seem almost sacrilegious to long-time users. However, Linux has been active in the computer market since 1991, and is currently used by more than 90 percent of the world’s fastest supercomputers.
The Linux operating platform, Ubuntu, is named for the South African word meaning “humanity towards others”. It features technical support that allows users to operate it as easily as Windows, and is used by many cloud-computing platforms as the operating system of choice. Ubuntu can be easily obtained by anyone who is familiar with downloading online software.
Other OSS programs that may be great switches for the average PC or Mac user are:
1) OpenOffice (OSS) vs. Microsoft Office (proprietary)–savings of up to $250
2) Kexi (OSS) vs. Microsoft Access (proprietary)–savings up of to $75, depending on if your Windows software was bundled
3) OpenOffice Calc (OSS) vs. Microsoft Excel (proprietary)–savings dependent on bundling
4) OpenOffice Writers (OSS) vs. Microsoft Word (proprietary)–savings dependent on bundling
5) Moodle (OSS) vs. Blackboard (proprietary)–savings dependent on number of users of platform; schools and large, interactive offices will save most
6) GIMP (OSS) vs. Adobe Photoshop (proprietary)–savings of up to $90.00
7) PDFCreator (OSS) vs. Adobe Acrobat (proprietary)–savings of up to $275
8) Thunderbird (OSS) vs. Microsoft Outlook (proprietary)–savings of up to $140
9) 7-Zip (OSS) vs. Win-Zip (proprietary)–savings of up to $30
10) Compiere (OSS) vs. QuickBooks (proprietary)–savings of up to $225
It is easy to see that you can save money by switching to OSS programs, but what about support? For a long time, users were frightened by the thought that OSS programs would not work well and they would be stuck without any help, but that has changed. Today, OSS help is widely available through the program hosts themselves or through peer-based assistance
