Dont let "too good to be true" software leave you hanging.
I was tuned into the radio Saturday morning when I heard This story. Give it a read, then come back here when you’re finished.
(Mark taps his foot and hums while his blog readers check out the above link.)
Okay, glad you came back! Now, what’s my point? Simple. With Linux, the operating system, drivers, and software are all FREE! Let me repeat that. Linux and all Linux software is FREE!
There’s no need to try and hunt down a piece of “unbelievably low priced” software in order to save a few bucks. We can all understand how some people, during these tough economic times, buy a piece of software because the price was to good to be true. Well, too good to be true is often a scam. The scammer gets your money and leaves you hanging there with nothing.
You should also be wary of extremely low priced software because it could contain a virus or piece of malware which could compromise a Windows system.
Avoid all this. Just get Linux. Linux has thousands of software applications that do everything from graphics editing to desktop publishing to spreadsheets, to video editing…the list goes on and on! And it’s all available free of charge. (Well, you can always choose to donate to any of the Linux projects.)
So, if you have to pull in your financial belt a bit, download Linux and install it. Then open up a wealth of open source software all readily available to every Linux user.
Not to rain on your parade, Mark, but I feel I must point out that not everything in the Linux world is free ($$). Virtually anything a home user needs, is, I admit. There exist some proprietary applications which cost, particularly if they implement some patented process. And some “high end” software also comes with hefty price tags.
Nothing in the GPL requires software to be free (as in cost). That has been a side effect of the requirement to be free (as in freedom). After all, if the source code is available, then somebody else can take the same code and sell it cheaper then you. It becomes a race to the bottom.
As I said, virtually anything a home user needs or even wants can be had for the cost of an internet connection to download it.