SOFTWARE

---

How do you make money when people can copy your product for free? In the music industry, that question has generated lawsuits and litigation, but in the software industry, that question has formed the basis for a new business model that has created new jobs and businesses—writing, distributing, and selling software over the Internet.

While there are currently no legal alternatives for trading major applications-over the Internet, such as Adobe Illustrator or Microsoft Word, there has long been an underground market for less popular, but sometimes equally powerful, programs known as shareware.

Unlike commercial software, shareware allows you to try the program on your computer, and if you like it, you can pay for it. Some shareware is fully functional, which means you can use it for as long as you want until you decide to pay for it. However, most shareware is restricted in some way to encourage people to pay for the program. Related to shareware is the category of open source software, which consists of programs that are available to be copied, distributed, and used without payment for as long as you care to use them.

Similar to open source is another category of software known as freeware. Unlike open source programs, which gives you the source code to study or modify if you wish, freeware programs can only be copied and shared freely; you can’t peek at the source code at all. Freeware programs range from little utilities written by individual programmers to big name programs given away by corporations to encourage more people to use their products, such as Adobe Acrobat, Apple’s iTunes, Macromedia Flash Player, and Microsoft PowerToys for Windows.

Despite their lower public profile, compared to software from big companies like Microsoft, Symantec, Adobe, and Macromedia, many shareware, freeware, and open source programs are nearly as good, and sometimes even better, than their commercial counterparts. Best of all, their lower price can make them an attractive alternative to the commercial programs.

MICROSOFT OFFICE ALTERNATIVES

If you need to share files created by word processor, spreadsheet, or presentation software, chances are good that you’ll need Microsoft Word, Excel, or PowerPoint. While there’s nothing wrong with using any of these programs, they cost way too much for the average person (who can’t justify them as a business expense), and they come loaded with more features than most people will ever need in their lifetime.

If you want to save money and use a simpler word processor, spreadsheet, or presentation program without sacrificing the main features that you’ll need, try some of the following Microsoft Office alternatives. These programs can save files in Microsoft Office formats (Word, Excel, and PowerPoint) so you can share data with anyone still stuck using Microsoft Office. Best of all, many of the following office suites are a fraction of the cost of Microsoft Office, which gives you Microsoft Office compatibility and ease of use without the expense or complexity of Office.

These are some popular Microsoft Office alternatives:

602PC Suite http://www.software602.com

EasyOffice http://www.e-press.com

EIOffice http://www.evermoresw.com

GoBeProductive http://www.gobe.com

OpenOffice.org http://www.openoffice.org

SOT Office http://www.sot.com

ThinkFree Office http://www.thinkfree.com

ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ALTERNATIVES

Adobe Photoshop belongs on the computer of every professional graphic designer. Unfortunately, the high cost and even higher complexity keeps most people who aren’t professionals from using Photoshop, even if they too would like to edit images and create designs. To meet the needs of the average computer user, Adobe (http://www.adobe.com) has released a lower-cost companion program dubbed Photoshop Elements.

Photoshop Elements may offer enough features for the average person, but if you need more advanced image-editing features without the high cost of Photoshop, take a look at the following programs:

Paint Shop Pro http://www.jasc.com

PhotoLine http://www.pl32.com

The GIMP http://www.gimp.org

Turbo Photo http://www.turbo-photo.com

INTERNET EXPLORER ALTERNATIVES

Every computer with Microsoft Windows comes with a free copy of Internet Explorer. While not a bad web browser, Internet Explorer isn’t the fastest browser, nor does it offer the ability to open multiple web pages within a single Internet Explorer window. Older versions of Internet Explorer didn’t even offer a pop-up ad-blocking feature to stop pop-up ads from bombarding you every time you connect to the Internet.

Because of Internet Explorer’s flaws, many people prefer using alternative web browsers that run faster than Internet Explorer, offer tabbed windows (for opening multiple websites within a single window), and block pop-up ads. These are some popular alternative web browsers:

Avant Browser http://www.avantbrowser.com

DeepNet Explorer http://www.deepnetexplorer.com

Kopassa Browser http://www.kopassa.com

Mozilla and Mozilla Firefox http://www.mozilla.org

NetCaptor http://www.netcaptor.com

Opera http://www.opera.com

Optimal Desktop http://www.optimalaccess.com

Slim Browser http://www.flashpeak.com

UltraBrowser http://www.ultrabrowser.com

SHAREWARE LIBRARIES

Browse through any shareware library, and you’ll find all kinds of programs for a wide range of users, including programs for creating resumes, fixing problems on your hard disk, blocking spam from swamping your email account, and many more that you may never realize you need until you get a chance to try them first. These are some of the more popular shareware libraries for Windows, Linux, and Mac OS:

Tucows http://www.tucows.com

CNet Download.com http://www.download.com

Shareware.com http://www.shareware.com

Jumbo http://www.jumbo.com

VersionTracker http://www.versiontracker.com

Windows software

Microsoft Windows represents the largest market, so it’s no surprise that many shareware libraries focus exclusively on Windows programs. Here are some such libraries:

Any Windows Shareware http://www.shareme.com

MajorGeeks.com http://www.majorgeeks.com

Soft32.com http://www.soft32.com

WinSite http://www.winsite.com

Windows Users Group Network http://www.wugnet.com

Macintosh software

Although the Macintosh consists of less than 10 percent of the total computer market, Macintosh users tend to be fanatically loyal and rabid about their choice of computers. So a handful of shareware libraries cater exclusively to the Macintosh crowd, such as these:

MacintoshOS.com http://www.macintoshos.com

MacShare http://www.macshare.com

MacOSArchives http://www.macosarchives.com

By experimenting with different shareware programs, you can find less expensive alternatives to the more popular applications, and you just might surprise yourself by finding a useful program, such as a restaurant management program or a horse race betting program that you might never have heard about otherwise. Take a close look at your legal alternatives. You might just be surprised at how much you can find for free or at a much lower cost than you expected.

---