Anyone with a computer knows that it’s like a candy store when it comes to programs you need to accomplish your tasks. Also, anyone with a computer knows that purchasing programs can drain your wallet quickly.
Open source programs are the frugal and smart answer to stop the dollars from flying away.
I’ve been a big fan of open source since so many programs I used went to the subscription model. For my home computer, I can’t justify the ongoing cost for something that I may not use frequently, but still want to have available.
For instance, word processing. I don’t produce a lot of text documents but I do need to write a few letters now and again. There are two office-suite type open source programs out there that solve this for me. I have both but I don’t know which one is better. Both work equally well.
Each one has a writer, a spreadsheet, a presentation, a mathematics, a database and a drawing program as part of their suites. They are simple to use, especially if you are familiar with the name-brand software of the same type.
If you want to turn your photos into something spectacular, then GIMP might just work. It’s similar to that famous program but free to use. Don’t worry if you don’t know how to use it. There are bunches of tutorials and videos out there that will help you at every step.
Looking to design some T-shirts for print-on-demand sales? Try Inkscape. It’s a vector graphics program that rivals paid software. It has a learning curve but it’s doable with all the help that’s available online.
Interested in starting a YouTube channel? Take a look at some free software for that.
Audacity – audio editor
Shotcut – video editor
OBS – screen recording or live recording
Plenty of tutorials, especially videos, for each of these programs.
The one I wish I had even a tiny clue about how to use is Blender. This is an open source 3D animation software that does amazing things which are just way beyond my capabilities.
This is just a tiny handful of titles that are available for free. Hundreds more are out there waiting for you to download. Don’t worry. Open source software is safe to use.
Where to find these gems? Go directly to the software download page or use these sites to find what you need.
Source Forge
Open Source Software Directory
Happy Computing!
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