For every job you do on the computer, you need a program to complete it. Software can make your home office life much easier, but it can also get expensive. Open source software provides an alternative, getting the jobs done but saving you money.
What Is Open Source Software?
First things first: if you're not sure what "open source" is, it's time you found out. My very abbreviated definition is this: open source software is software that allows continued access to the source code. This leads to my very abbreviated definition of source code, via analogy: source code is the skeleton of any software program. Those lines of code are the bones, the foundation; what's put on top of the skeleton is all the pretty stuff, like buttons and bars and other things we can click to make the program do what we want it to. But we could click away and get no response if there weren't a source code beneath the pretty shiny stuff on top.
Once the source code for a program has been created, many companies "lock it up," so to speak, so that no other companies or individuals can steal the code and create a similar program. I won't get into the politics and passions of what is the better method of development and the market. Since I'm talking to you about open source, you can safely assume that I like open source software. And that's what I want to tell you about: the open source software available and how you can use it in your home office.
Money Makes the World Go Round
The most compellling reason to use open source software has to do with that stuff we all love to hate (or hate to love?). You know, money. Have you done any software shopping lately? Have you had to pay several hundred dollars for a program that will manage your books, edit your photos, or format your documents? Was it painful?
When you're working for a business that provides computers, you will also have software provided to you. When it comes down to the home office, though, you might be left paying that bill all by yourself. And the bigger your business grows, the more software needs you will have.
Free Sounds Better
It all adds up, and that's where open source software comes in. Now you can find it on the shelf at the store for a nice price, but what you're really paying for there is the cd, the manual, and the tech support from the company that produced that particular piece of open source software. If you are willing to forego those niceties, you can have the same software for free. Yes, free.
You can do a little searching and find other options, but I'm going to send you straight to a great database that has thousands of open source software packages ready to be downloaded: SourceForge. Just click on "Find Software" when you get there, and you can browse or search until you find what fits your needs.
Next Up: The Best Open Source Programs for You
Because there are so many programs available, the next article in this series will tell you about the best and most useful. You could get lost for hours browsing all the options, and some are definitely better than others. Keep reading to see what will give your home office computing the most efficiency and value... for free.
Open Source Software for the Home Office
When it comes to the home office, though, you are the one paying for all the software.The bigger your business grows, the more software needs you will have. Open source software is the alternative to hundreds of dollars for every new need; it's free, professional, and perfect for the home office.
