Alternative Free Software to Big Expensive Brands

With all the bells and whistles offered with new computers today that will drain your wallet flat in a heartbeat, not to mention the recurring bills from services such as internet providers and virus scan companies, it comes as a breath of fresh air that there are organizations out there still producing free software. While not all of them are top caliber or even trustworthy, I will attempt to dispel some of the confusion surrounding these money-saving lifesavers.

Microsoft Office is a notoriously expensive product for individuals and small-businesses, yet it is the virtual industry standard in word processing and other documents including spreadsheets. While recent incarnations of the package have been granted a markedly lower price tag, Sun Microsystems, a trusted name in network server products, produces a product called OpenOffice that matches all the features of its brand-name cousin. You can find a copy at http://www.openoffice.org/.

Another worthwhile alternative to Office is Google Documents. Boasting simplicity and a very easy to use interface, there is another integral advantage-all your documents instantly become portable. While not as feature laden as Microsoft Office or OpenOffice, Google Documents gets the job done with all the basics including spell check, with the ability to save to other formats of more common applications. All you need is a Google account to access at http://www.google.com/.

Adobe Photoshop is another professional-grade product that seems to find its users in markets having a hard time justifying the price. Luckily, there is a product called GIMP, produced by an independent group of developers. To download this handy little program that will perform just about any task Photoshop could, go to http://www.gimp.org/.

Virus Scanning products are also a sinkhole for dollars; my advice is if you are content with your product and don't mind shelling out the extra loot, then don't change anything. If, however, you are interested in saving money every year on virus signature library updates, then give AVG Free Edition a try. I have used this product, produced by a company called Grisoft, on all my computers-both at work and at home-for over four years now and I never had a problem with a virus that could not be quickly resolved. Their website is http://www.grisoft.com/.

If your occupation requires drafting and design tools, especially tailored to residential and real estate, Google offers a program called Sketch-Up. Being an actual application, as opposed to their document service, you don't even have to have a Google account to use it. This program is especially useful for preparing models of homes and business sites, and can be useful to the real-estate agent, landscaper, architect, or any other profession where a quick model of a property needs to be drawn up. In a software genre containing products that cost hundreds of dollars, this product freely gives power to the professional.

I hope you have found my suggestions eye opening and cost saving. There are a lot more organizations that provide software at little or no charge that are viable alternatives to big name companies, and if you are willing to tolerate a slight learning curve, there are significant savings to reap.