Though you can very well base your whole computer software on open source, most of us get the operating system bundled with the PC or notebook we purchase; most of the times, the OS will be one of the versions of Microsoft Windows. That is why we shall discuss here how to get freely available programs and applications on the internet which run very well on MS Windows OS.
The first thing to do with your newly acquired computer is to protect it from all the threats that lurk in the cyberspace. To that effect, connect to the internet and get the latest update of your operating system (yes, that is one of the reasons why it is important to have legitimate copy of a proprietary OS). Then get a free antivirus solutions; AntiVir, AVAST or AVG are only some of them. Select the one that appeal to you the most, download it and check that you have the latest update. Then proceed to set up other lines of defense by downloading Spybot Search and Destroy, Ad-Aware and Spyware Blaster. Throw in a decent firewall, like the free version of Zone Alarm or the free
With Outpost Firewall you are equipped to spread your wings and take off into the cyberspace. The programs you downloaded will guard you against viruses, worms, bots, spyware and malware of every sort – but only if you regularly update each and every one of them and periodically scan your computer for problems. And yes, it is a lot of work, but if you are not ready for that you’d probably do better to buy a proprietary off-the-shelf solution.
With your computer nicely protected, it is time to think about doing some actual work on your computer, like writing a school essay. No need to suffer the limited functionality of a Notepad (which is included in Windows OS), nor to fork out a few hundred Rands on purchasing a proprietary office suite. Instead, download OpenOffice. It has all you are likely to need, and more: word processing, spreadsheet, presentation, graphics, database, and other applications that work like a charm.
The only hassle is that you have to remember to save the documents in Microsoft Office format in order to be able to share them with people who use MS Office. This is because, while OpenOffice is open to inter-compatibility, MS is not.
Open source will take you much further than office suite of software. Depending on your needs, you may download a variety of programs. Photography enthusiasts may want to get a simple photo editing tool like Paint.NET, or the very advanced Gimp; the latter allows the same level of image manipulations as the best of the proprietary programs out there. A good open source vector graphics editor is Inkscape.
If you are looking for a tool powerful enough to let you create snazzy web sites, turn to Joomla. If you have a business and want to sell your products online, osCommerce and Zen Cart are good e-commerce solutions. And for sending your promotional emails to a large list of recipients, go to PHP Lists.
The biggest catch with open source solutions is that they all require your involvement. First of all, you need to do some research in order to choose the one that suits you best. Then, you need to spend some time studying. Most open source software projects have active communities, ready to help a newbie. Still, you need to fist comb the documentation and the forums for queries that have been already addressed, for no one likes answering the same question for the umpteenth time. Therefore, be prepared to spend hours on the internet looking for the solution for your particular problem.
Also note that all of the programs mentioned here are computer based (that is, you download them on your hard disk drive and then work on them, without the need to stay connected to the internet) – except Joomla, osCommerce, Zen Cart and PHP Lists. The last four are server based, which means that you need to have a domain name and an internet service provider to host those programs for you.
Codeigniter- Rapid Application Development
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