Linux users are familiar with OpenSource, and the Free Software Foundation, but many Windows users still have no idea how much free software is available.Sure freshmeat.net is always a good resource for sysadmins and power users, but beginners just want to know how to use their computer, and have no idea what software to use.
There are a few nice lists of software when searching Google for "open source software windows":
http://www.opensourcewindows.org
Top 10 open source Windows apps"
http://osswin.sourceforge.net
http://www.opensourcelist.org/oss/suggestedapplications.html
http://www.myopensource.org
And there are free CD's available for download from http://www.theopencd.org
and http://www.winlibre.com/en/Articles/Download/index_download.php
If you really want more, after searching freshmeat.net and sourceforge.net, check out the directory of software http://directory.fsf.org, which has over 5,000 entries so far. They are not listed by OS, but there are plenty of options.
"When we call software “free,” we mean that it respects the users' essential freedoms: the freedom to run it, to study and change it, and to redistribute copies with or without changes. This is a matter of freedom, not price, so think of “free speech,”, not “free beer.”" -- Richard Stallman
(http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/open-source-misses-the-point.html)
Here is another nice list that compares commercial software with free software.
http://linux.wordpress.com/2007/04/08/why-use-software-illegally-when-you-can-use-legally
2 comments:
A related list. Here is a list of linux equivalents for common Windows software. Many of the programs also have Windows and Mac versions, as well:
http://www.linuxscrew.com/2007/11/22/windows-software-linux-software/
Here is the link to the article on linux equivalents mentioned above:
http://www.linuxscrew.com/2007/11/22/windows-software-linux-software/
For some reason it gets cut off, but if you use an href, the link can be followed.
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