Open Source

This week we learned about open source software and how it could save people tons of money. Instead of spending hundreds on Microsoft products, there are easy, free programs that you can download on your own computer, without having to go to the store or pay any cash. We watched a video about open source software and learned that most of it is able to be used on any computer, whether you have a Mac or a PC. We also learned that these programs are just as good, if not better, than the original versions. OpenOffice is a free software that has word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, graphics, databases and more, just like Microsoft Office offers, but its free! Not only do they have these programs, but there is also one called Gimp which is just like Photoshop, but yet again, it is free. It is so simple for customers because all they have to do is download it to their computer. I might download these softwares too because I just bought a new Mac, and I have been debating for the longest time whether to buy Microsoft Office for $150, or buy iWork for $40, but if these open source softwares are free, and work just as well, I would rather save the money. There is a site called sourceforge.net that allows you to search for downloadable software for your computer. It searching is made easy because they separate the software into categories, and everything is made easy for the customer. I think that open source software is really going to benefit a lot of people because it is effective and free.

This video explains how open source software can save you thousands of dollars. They refer to them as “smart alternatives,” and make the main point that these softwares are free. It gives you a different website than the one stated above, where you can find 30+ open source software programs that you could use every single day. 

As a college student, and a future teacher, saving money is a big deal to me. Like I said above how I was in a dilemma because I did not know which program to buy, now I don’t have to make a hard decision because OpenOffice is free and just as good as Microsoft Office and iWork. Even in the future, when I am a teacher, I am going to want to save money as much as I can, and using open source software will definitely help me. Not only will I benefit, but schools could benefit as well. Instead of buying Photoshop and Microsoft Office for every computer at school, they can download open sources for free, and save thousands of dollars!