Five Cheap (or Free) Software Programs You Can Afford During a Financial Crisis
Open-source software can save you a bundle; these are five prime examples that are every bit as good, if not better, than their proprietary equivalents.
5) Windows: Linux. I know some of you think that you're not paying Microsoft because "the operating system comes free on my computer!" No, it doesn't. But, I'm not going to get into that discussion now.
What I will point out though is that no one in their right mind runs Windows without security software. That means people buy, at a minimum, an anti-virus program. If you go for the whole she-bang of anti-virus, firewall, anti-spam, etc. etc., Norton Internet Security 2009 will sock your wallet for $50. Linux doesn't need a lot of that junk and what it does need, like a firewall, comes bundled in it.
Any questions? Besides asking me, you can also visit the Open Source as Alternative, where you'll find just about every "I want an open-source equivalent to 'blank' question answered.
