Free Software for ALL!

[Spartan73]

Hi guys - Most, probably already know this - But I didnt till last night, so doing my bit for this place, and the excellent freeware I have recently come across.

A few weeks ago - I downloaded Inkscape - a design package, which is quite brilliant and best of all - FREE Inkscape. Draw Freely.

And then yesterday stumbled across OpenOffice.org ( while downloading Java ) - An office program with Word processing ( that opens and creates MS office files ) Math - basically excell - a version of powerpoint and MORE! www: OpenOffice.org - The Free and Open Productivity Suite

Great for students Id imagine!

Any more free software going around? Spread the word!

 

[Seth]

Think of how many people spend hundreds of dollars on the Microsoft Office suite, without knowing that Open Office will do the job for free.

 

[Spartan73]

Yep! Precisely!

Im also finding Inkscape a Breeze to use comapred to Adobe Illustrator
( £hundreds.) Its nice and simple - ( just like me )

 

[Goku]

Thanks for posting it for everyone's benefit Spartan. I have Microsoft Office 2007 Enterprise Edition but I seldom use it. I also have OpenOffice but I use it as a replacement for Microsoft Office on some of the computers I "fix".

Personally saying, it is a most excellent product for personal use but if you are willing to pay, Microsoft Office is worth buying too.

-- Goku

 

[Spartan73]

but if you are willing to pay, Microsoft Office is worth buying too.

-- Goku

If not make a small donation to this place for getting them for free ( well sort of )

 

[Goku]

I am too broke for that.

I got the Microsoft Office 2007 CD from a friend. He gave the CD to me as a favour back for "fixing" his computer.

-- Goku

 

[Wolfeymole]

Need a PDF reader but nothing as large as Adobe?

Try Foxit.

Foxit Software

 

[Goku]

Need a PDF reader but nothing as large as Adobe?

Try Foxit.

Foxit Software

Precisely what I use.

-- Goku

 

[Wolfeymole]

Me too Goku, it's wicked.

 

[Spartan73]

Thanks for that Wolfey - getting it now.

 

[Wolfeymole]

Need something that can open Rar files but don't wanna buy WinRar?

Consider 7Zip

7-Zip

 

[maynardvdm]

That Foxit is also so much smaller then adobe that takes forever to load

Another good free program is Gimp

GIMP is the GNU Image Manipulation Program.

 

[shrimply]

Its really bad, I've just read through this and have them all installed.

I use Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007 but have Openoffice installed too. And now I'm a poor student I'm just waiting for the Ultimate steal deal to come back up and I'll get the whole lot for £40 or whatever.

I'm a sucker for cheap or free software.

 

[maynardvdm]

I'm a sucker for cheap or free software.

You are not alone. I think most of us like the idea of getting something for nothing. That said there is nothing wrong with free software

 

[Spartan73]

I think free software is fantastic. There are obviusly many people ( and in many poor countries ) that can't afford hundreds of $'s for software - many students out there who need certain software, for merely submitting assignments etc.

It curbs piracy to a degree, people wont need to hunt down pirate copies of expensive versions of these programs, for general everyday, and basic tasks. I dont need MS Office to type a letter!

Some very talented programmers out there, who can apply their knowledge to creating basic versions of these programs for the less "proffessional" amongst us, as opposed to ripping them down and creating cracks and keygens etc. This will/should ALSO get them ( the programmers ) noticed of course, and could be headhunted for big jobs. A bit like putting out a white label out in the music industry. As well as being known as " the guy who made that brilliant bit of free software ! "

We can also do our bit, buy donating ( even a tiny bit ) in way of gratitude to the humanitarian hours that have gone into these programs ( and this fantastic forum of course - that saves us ALL hundreds of £'s of otherwise chargeableTech Help ) , and dare i say it, give others incentive to follow suit and make great free software !

Wolfey made this a STICKY ICKY - so please share your freebies knowledge with us!

Thanks to all.

Spart

 

[Seth]

7Zip rules. I've been using it for years.

Did I mention I hate Adobe as a whole?

 

[Spartan73]

Keep them coming people!

Maybe if we get enough contributions, I will write up A List - with a brief description of each, and maybe Wolfey can put it at the top of the page ( if thats possible )

 

[maynardvdm]

Dont forget the following in that list:

Mozilla FireFox

Mozilla Thunderbird

 

[Spartan73]

Nice one - looks like were getting something that might resemble a List!

Surely there are more that people know of.....

 

[Wolfeymole]

For a lot of Open Source (eg, free of license) Software try SourceForge.

SourceForge.net: Open Source Software