During these tough economic times I thought it would be a good idea to create a list of commercial software and their Open Source (FREE!!) equivalents.

Microsoft Windows = Linux

While I don’t really expect everyone, or anyone, to go out and change their OS, there are a couple of Linux distributions out there that are up to snuff for the novice user. There are many different flavors (distributions) of Linux, but my personal choice would be Ubuntu. If you know someone who is new to computers and only wants to do email and internet, I would really recommend Ubuntu Linux. It’s virtually unbreakable. In addition, there are literally thousands of free programs available for Linux that are easily installed using the Synaptic Package Manager.

Microsoft Office = Open Office

Open office offers equivalent programs that save in the MS Office formats (Office 2003 format):

MS Program = OO Program
Word = Writer
Excel = Calc
Powerpoint = Impress
Access = Base
Visio = Draw
Equation Editor = Math

Photoshop = GIMP (Gnu Image Manipulation Program)

From gimp.org:

GIMP is an acronym for GNU Image Manipulation Program. It is a freely distributed program for such tasks as photo retouching, image composition and image authoring.
It has many capabilities. It can be used as a simple paint program, an expert quality photo retouching program, an online batch processing system, a mass production image renderer, an image format converter, etc.
GIMP is expandable and extensible. It is designed to be augmented with plug-ins and extensions to do just about anything. The advanced scripting interface allows everything from the simplest task to the most complex image manipulation procedures to be easily scripted.
GIMP is written and developed under X11 on UNIX platforms. But basically the same code also runs on MS Windows andMac OS X.

In addition to it’s own impressive set of Plug-ins and Scripts, GIMP also supports many of the Plugins, filters and brushes made for Photoshop.

AIM, Yahoo, MSN/Windows Live, Google Talk, ICQ, Facebook Chat, Myspace IM = Pidgin

Pidgin is an all-in-one replacement for every instant messaging program out there.  You can replace the menagerie of IM icons in the notification area with just one.  Pidgin allows you to set your status in every IM program and on Facebook and MySpace simultaneously.  In addition, it supports plugins including such features as ‘Psychic Mode’, where you are notified a person is about to IM you as soon as they start typing.  In order to use Facebook Chat in Pidgin you’ll need to install the Pidgin Facebook Chat plugin.

Nero/Roxio Easy CD Creator = InfraRecorder

From InfraRecorder.org:

InfraRecorder is a free CD/DVD burning solution for Microsoft Windows. It offers a wide range of powerful features; all through an easy to use application interface and Windows Explorer integration.

InfraRecorder is released under GPL version 3.

Features

• Create custom data, audio and mixed-mode projects and record them to physical discs as well as disc images.
• Supports recording to dual-layer DVDs.
  
• Blank (erase) rewritable discs using four different methods.
• Record disc images (ISO and BIN/CUE).
  
• Fixate discs (write lead-out information to prevent further data from being added to the disc).
• Scan the SCSI/IDE bus for devices and collect information about their capabilities.
  
• Create disc copies, on the fly and using a temporary disc image.
• Import session data from multi-session discs and add more sessions to them.
• Display disc information.
• Save audio and data tracks to files (.wav, .wma, .ogg, .mp3 and .iso).

Adobe Acrobat (Distiller) = PDFCreator

PDFCreator allows you to make a PDF File from any program by printing to a PDF printer.

WinZip/Windows Zip Utility = 7-Zip

Are you tired of waiting hours for the built-in Windows Zip extractor to uncompress a zip file?  Get 7-Zip!
7-Zip features most of the same features included in WinZip, but it’s free and has no nag screens.

Adobe Premiere = VirtualDub

While not as user friendly and as full featured as Premiere, VirtualDub is an incredible package of video processing and compression software, once again, for FREE!

From VirtualDub.org:

VirtualDub is a video capture/processing utility for 32-bit Windows platforms (95/98/ME/NT4/2000/XP), licensed under the GNU General Public License (GPL).  It lacks the editing power of a general-purpose editor such as Adobe Premiere, but is streamlined for fast linear operations over video.  It has batch-processing capabilities for processing large numbers of files and can be extended with third-party video filters.  VirtualDub is mainly geared toward processing AVI files, although it can read (not write) MPEG-1 and also handle sets of BMP images.

Sound Forge = Audacity:

From audacity.sourceforge.net:

Audacity is a free, easy-to-use audio editor and recorder for Windows, Mac OS X, GNU/Linux and other operating systems. You can use Audacity to:

• Record live audio.
• Convert tapes and records into digital recordings or CDs.
• Edit Ogg Vorbis, MP3, WAV or AIFF sound files.
• Cut, copy, splice or mix sounds together.
• Change the speed or pitch of a recording.
• And more! See the complete list of features.

Microsoft Internet Explorer = Mozilla Firefox

Many of you already know about Firefox.  Judging by my website stats most of you use it.  Firefox is one of the pieces of open source software that absolutely blows it’s commercial counterpart out of the water.  Beginning with Firefox 2, it set the standard for web browsers left Microsoft scrambling to catch up.  Beyond being naturally faster and more intuitive than IE, it’s also extendable through plugins, extensions and themes.  Firefox extensions allow you to completely customize your browsing experience from removing every advertisement with adblock plus to adding functionality to control iTunes to the status bar.

The most likely way that your computer is going to be infected with adware or a virus is through security holes in Internet Explorer.  More security flaws in IE are found all the time, and Microsoft is ususally the last to know.  For a more customizable and secure browsing experience get Firefox today.

Check out my series of blog posts about my favorite Firefox Extensions.

Microsoft Outlook (Express) = Mozilla Thunderbird

While Thunderbird hasn’t matured quite as much as Firefox, it is still a highly customizable email client that gets more and more so every day.  Much like Firefox, Thunderbird supports extension and themes, including adblock, that allow you to create your own email experience.  You can install extensions that turn Thunderbird from a client like Outlook Express into a more flexible version of Microsoft Office Outlook.

More to come soon!

This is only the beginning of the list.  I’ll post more free Open Source alternatives to high priced commercial software soon!  In the meantime you can check out the home of Open Souce on the internet sourceforge.net.

Facebook Button for Picasa.

After uploading a few pictures to Facebook today, I remembered how handy having the Facebook Button in Picasa was and I thought everyone might not know abou it, so here it is!

Having the Facebook Button for Picasa makes uploading a one step process.  Well, one step if you use Internet Explorer.  If you’re scared of the security, or lack thereof, in IE (like me) and use Firefox or Chrome you’ll have to enter your password each time.  

Hint: To avoid having to approve your uploaded photos each time, just click the Enable Extended Access link at the bottom of the screen where you choose what album to put them in.  From that point forword you’ll no longer have to log in to Facebook and approve the photos.

This is a must have for anyone who uses Facebook and Picasa.

Seeing that Sopranos video reminded me of this classic…

Straight out of Compton: Dirty lyrics only…

the sopranos, uncensored. from victor solomon on Vimeo.

Please contact Kellogg’s to voice your displeasure over the release of Michael Phelps: (800) 962-1413.

W. K. Kellogg, the founder of Kellogg’s, was the brother of John Harvey Kellogg.  J. H. Kellogg was the founder of the Battle Creek Sanatorium.  They originally had a partnership in a cereal company, but it was dissolved after J.H. Kellogg refused to add sugar to his recipe.  

Both W.K. Kellogg and C.W. Post (the founder of Post cereals) were frequent visitors to the Battle Creek Sanitarium and believers in what J.H. Kellogg did.

Here are just a couple of his abhorent beliefs:

Kellogg worked on the rehabilitation of masturbators, often employing extreme measures, even mutilation, on both sexes. In his Plain Facts for Old and Young, he wrote

“

A remedy which is almost always successful in small boys is circumcision, especially when there is any degree of phimosis. The operation should be performed by a surgeon without administering an anesthetic, as the brief pain attending the operation will have a salutary effect upon the mind, especially if it be connected with the idea of punishment, as it may well be in some cases. The soreness which continues for several weeks interrupts the practice, and if it had not previously become too firmly fixed, it may be forgotten and not resumed.

”

and

“

In females, the author has found the application of pure carbolic acid [phenol] to the clitoris an excellent means of allaying the abnormal excitement.

”

He also recommended, to prevent children from this “solitary vice”, bandaging or tying their hands, covering their genitals with patented cages, sewing the foreskin shut and electrical shock.

On Race Relations:

In 1906, Kellogg founded—together with Irving Fisherand Charles Davenport—the Race Betterment Foundation, which became a major center of the new eugenics movement in America. Kellogg was in favor of racial segregation and believed that immigrants and non-whites would damage the gene pool. Also, Kellogg gave a large portion of the common stock of the Battle Creek Toasted Corn Flake Company to the Race Betterment Foundation. Whether any of that stock has been converted into Kellogg Company stock is unknown.

 

I just got an email regarding Google Earth Plus stating that it’s been discontinued.  According to the email the primary reason people paid for Google Earth Plus was for GPS device support.  GPS support is now included in Google Earth 5.

From the email:

As a valued Google Earth customer, we want you to be the first to know that Google will no longer offer Google Earth Plus. With new enhancements to Google Earth released this week, we believe the needs of many Google Earth Plus customers will be met with Google Earth 5.0, which is freely available to all our customers.

…

The latest version of Google Earth lets customers import and track global positioning system (GPS) data. Our Google Earth Plus customers told us GPS tracking is one of the main reasons they choose Google Earth Plus. Now, since you can use this feature for free in Google Earth 5.0, there’s little separation between Plus and the free product. In order to simplify the decision of which version of Google Earth best meets our customers’ needs, we decided it no longer made sense to continue Google Earth Plus.

I’m definitely one of those customers.  The only reason I paid for GE+ was for the GPS support.  

Get Google Earth 5.0 here.

From CNN:

In the video, Paul said he wondered whether Republican opposition to the spending is too little, too late.

“It is like they’re born-again budget conservatives,” Paul said. “Where were we in the past eight years, when we could have done something? And you see our last eight years that has set this situation up. So we can’t blame the Democrats for the conditions we have.

Dan Savage has coined a new word in honor of Purpose Driven Life author Rick Warren.  Pastor Warren also garnered attention because he was chosen to give the invocation at Barack Obama’s despite his support of California’s gay marriage ban ‘Proposition 8‘.  Unfortunately for members of Pastor Warren’s Saddleback Church the name of their church has an entirely new meaning.

From saddlebacking.com:

Saddlebacking: sad•dle•back•ing \ˈsa-dəl-ˈba-kiŋ\ vb [fr. Saddleback Church] (2009): the phenomenon of Christian teens engaging in unprotected anal sex in order to preserve their virginities

Just in case you’re not familiar with the term ‘Santorum‘, here is the definition:

Pronunciation: san-TOR-um
Function: noun
Etymology: Savage Love - 05/29/03
1. The frothy mix of lube and fecal matter that is sometimes the byproduct of anal sex.