Mike’s Software Picks
The best free software I have found for Windows and Ubuntu.
Open Office has to be the single greatest thing to happen to open source software. It is a complete office package consisting of a word processor, spreadsheet, presentation software, database, and drawing software. It can open numerous document formats including MS Office .doc, .xls, and .ppt files. Open Office can also save files in the MS Office format, meaning that you can still exchange documents with other people even if they still use MS Office. Open Office is sponsored by Sun Microsystems, and is available free of charge to both businesses and individuals. Considering that MS Office costs several hundred dollars, why not give your wallet a break and give this great alternative to the “big guy” a try.
Clam Antivirus is a free virus scanner that does only one thing and does it well….scans and removes viruses. Other antivirus packages try to be a “jack of all trades”, virus scanners, firewalls, identity theft protectors, spyware scanners, etc. What ends up happening in my experience is that your shiny new computer turns into a rodent powered calculator. If you are using WindowsXP and have loaded Service Pack 2, you already have a firewall built into your computer. Unlike other free antivirus software such as AVG that place limitations on their free versions, Clam Antivirus is free for both businesses and individuals. Note: Windows users can click on the Clam Antivirus logo to visit the ClamWin site and download the software. Ubuntu users can install Clam Antivirus by going to “Applications-Add/Remove” on the menu bar.
Picasa is the best photo organization software I have yet to find for Windows and Ubuntu. Mac users have iPhoto and now the PC crowd has something just as good. Forget the software that came with your digital camera or scanner, Picasa outperforms them all. Picasa can import photos from your camera, a folder on your desktop, a CD-ROM, and even your scanner. Touch ups to photos are a snap…removing red eye is especially easy. Windows users click on the Picasa logo to download, Ubuntu users click on this link to download the .deb file. Once the .deb file is downloaded, double click on it to install.
What is this Ubuntu thing? Why should I care? Ubuntu is an operating system for your computer, just like WindowsXP or MacOS X. It is the environment that you use when you run programs. Ubuntu is very similar to WindowsXP and MacOS X in many ways…icons, folders, word processors, games, photo editing, burning CD’s…all the things that you are used to except having to pay for it. That’s right, Ubuntu is another one of those “open source” applications that are free of charge. But, just like a Ford is different from a Chevy, there are some things that are in different places, or called slightly different things. If you are faced with constant battles with viruses, spyware, and upgrading Windows every few years just to stay current, give Ubuntu a try. For home users, Ubuntu can replace Windows 100%. For business users, Ubuntu lacks (as of now) a decent Quickbooks replacement. But really the best thing to do if you are curious about Ubuntu is to visit their website and take a look.
