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While no one would ever suggest infringing on a copyright, so many programs are available for free in this day and age that it makes you wonder why anyone would even need to even consider breaking this law. The growth of the open source movement has made purchasing software virtually obsolete for those who know about it. Let’s take a look at some of the most popular downloads:

Operating Systems

Whether you’re building a machine from scratch or simply upgrading, there’s no need to purchase an expensive OS from Microsoft or Apple when you can simply install a version of Linux on your computer. With the wide variety to choose from, you can even find one that looks and functions just like your favorite commercial product.

File Sharing Programs

While you can always find a file sharing program to purchase, why would you want to? With robust peer-to-peer file sharing applications like Ares and Cabos available for free, you couldn’t possibly purchase a better option.

Media Players

Tired of finding that perfect movie or music file only to discover Windows Media Player and Quicktime won’t play it? This can be a problem of the past when you upgrade to an open source media player like VLC Player or BS Player. Shh – don’t tell anyone, but you can even download the Xvid Codec for free to go along with your new player. This little bit of code allows users to easily watch or make videos using the MPEG-4 standard.

Business Software

If your computer didn’t come with Microsoft Office, there’s no need to decide between chunking out some cash for this preferred software package or making do with Microsoft Works. Simply switch over to the fully compatible OpenOffice.org suite of programs.

The best part about using free downloads is the freedom of commitment. If you don’t like what you originally chose, simply try something new!

If you’ve bought into the idea that Microsoft Office is the be-all, end-all of business management software, you’re not alone! When virtually everyone has come to rely on this suite as the gold standard, most people don’t even bother trying a different application. “After all,” they think, “I have Microsoft Office, what else do I need?” If you’ve compared this application with the others before coming to this conclusion, have at it. However, if you’re simply using it because it came bundled with your Window’s OS, your logic is flawed. Let’s take a look at MS Office’s biggest competitor:

OpenOffice Does Everything, For Free!

As an open source project, OpenOffice is completely free to download and use on any computer. It comes with the following components:

-Writer – word processing tool
-Calc – spreadsheet tool
-Impress – presentation tool
-Draw – graphics tool
-Base – database tool

Sound familiar? It should! These are the same functions included in the MS Office Suite. OpenOffice can even exchange files with all of the other popular office software suites including MS Office. To make it even better, OpenOffice can be installed on virtually any device, it is available in a wide range of languages, and the development staff is constantly improving the product. In fact, you can even become part of this open source project by offering your input and suggestions!

When To Stick with MS Office

If MS Office has some type of functionality that you can’t live without, you should definitely spend the extra money to purchase a license. However, the OpenOffice team has practically made it their goal in life to develop a product that’s even better than Microsoft’s suite of business management programs. It’s only a matter of time before OpenOffice not only catches up to MS Office completely, but exceeds it.

Why not try this free suite of business management programs today?