Washington (dpa) -- Want a PC full of free software? To get it, you don't need to adopt Ubuntu or any of the other Unix-based operating systems. Nor do you have to rely on the sometimes risky freeware you find scattered around the Internet. Instead, you can look to the open source movement, where free software is not synonymous with underpowered and unsupported. In fact, many of the best open source applications are not only updated as often as commercial packages. In some cases, they're simply superior. Here's a rundown of open source applications that are widely considered best-of-breed.
Office Suite
No surprise here: OpenOffice (http://www.openoffice.org) is the undisputed king of open source office software. Boasting most of what you get with the big commercial packages -- a word processor, spreadsheet, and presentation application -- the individual applications in OpenOffice are even compatible with the file formats used by MS Office and other leading fee-based software.
Beyond compatibility, though, there's plenty to like. Each new version of OpenOffice focuses as much on ease of use as it does on tacking on features. You're likely, in fact, to experience more of a learning curve when switching from Microsoft  's Office 2003 to 2007 than you are from Office 2003 to OpenOffice. Complex graphics, tables, presentation effects, and interoperability are all de rigueur with OpenOffice. It's worth trying even if you're not focused on adopting open source software completely.
E-Mail
If you're still getting your e-mail the old fashioned way -- through a standalone e-mail program rather than through your Web browser -- then you're probably using a commercial package such as Outlook to organize it.
If you move to OpenOffice, however, you'll find e-mail sorely lacking. But don't fret. The same people that delighted millions with the popular Firefox Web browser also concocted the e-mail client Thunderbird (http://www.mozillamessaging.com).
With advanced search and filtering options, an easy account setup wizard, tabbed interface, Gmail integration, RSS reading, and message archiving, Thunderbird not only competes feature-to-feature with Outlook but even surpasses it in some respects. Even if you don't plan on abandoning your current e-mail program, Thunderbird is worth a look.
Audio Recording
There's good reason that the open source Audacity (http://audacity.sourceforge.net) is the podcasting tool of choice today. Not only is it easy to use -- with controls that resemble the standard record, play, pause, rewind, and fast forward of a standard CD or DVD player -- but it's also powerful, offering multitrack recording that a decade ago would have been available only in high- priced commercial systems. (continued...)
© 2009 Deutsche Presse-Agentur (dpa) under contract with MarketWatch. All rights reserved.
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