| |
| |
|
Personal Technology Information |
|
The Benefits of Open Source
If you are a building a website or a forum, chances are you are using a web editor or paying for message board services. The costs of using these "out of the box" products can add up, especially if you are trying to grow your business. Let's look at some good "open source" options for you to consider. You may be surprised at how much money open source can save you. What is open source? The webopedia describes it as follows:Generically, open source refers to a program in which the source code is available to the general public for use and/or modification from its original design free of charge, i.e., open. Open source code is typically created as a collaborative effort in which programmers improve upon the code and share the changes within the community. Open source sprouted in the technological community as a response to proprietary software owned by corporations. Not all open source programs are worth downloading, but there are a few that merit further attention, including: 1. PHP Originally called Personal Home Page, PHP is the backbone of many message boards. Yes, you can use proprietary software such as vBulletin, but you will pay a licensing fee and fees for updates. For one site, the cost may not be prohibitive, but if you run several sites your costs can easily become a significant part of your budget. Search the internet for a free PHP provider such as PHPBB2. 2. Web Templates Finding decent templates does not have to cost you dearly. There are sites offering some very well made templates that would cost you as much as $100 if purchased separately. Naturally, "everyone" downloads the copies, but you can modify it accordingly to give it your own look. The best ones are CSS derived and web standard compliant. 3. Web Browsers Internet Explorer isn't the only name in town when talking about web browsers. Yes, they are dominant, but so many web savvy folks have tired of Microsoft's dominance and are switching to Netscape, Firefox, Opera, and Safari to name a few. 4. Email Client Thunderbird is the name of another project developed by the people who brought to you Firefox. With Thunderbird you can send and receive email, stop SPAM, and add plugins to design the program the way you want it to look. 5. Office Software MS Office rules as WordPerfect barely hangs on. Still, there are options to these two productivity suites in the form of OpenOffice.org. A big freebie associated with this site is the *pdf maker, saving you lots of money over purchasing Adobe Acrobat. Certainly OpenOffice isn't as snazzy as MS Office, but for the price -- F-R-E-E -- it is worth a look. Are all open source products great? No, absolutely not. Some proprietary software developed by corporations are far superior and worth it to you if you do not have the time or inclination to make a move to open source. Still, open source provides a wonderful alternative to cash strapped and Microsoft weary web developers. In a day when corporations throw their considerable influence around, it is nice to see developers donating their talents to the worldwide web. Become a part of the growing open source movement today! Matt Keegan is an article writer and web designer who enjoys using various open source programs. Please visit The Article Writer at http://www.thearticlewriter.com for samples of some of his work.
MORE RESOURCES:
|
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Tips for Buying a PC Buying Your PCBuying a PC that's right for you and your family is not all that simple task. More so if you're going to buy an unbranded or an assembled one. Connect Your IPAQ to Linux Choose Not To ConformPalm pilots and pdas are constantly growing in the ways that people use them in their everyday lives. Having a pocket pc is becoming the standard rather than the exception. Faster Browsing Tips IF WE say that it was mainly because of the Windows operating system that a Computer could become a personal computer it would not be an exaggeration. The revolution is still on. How To Increase Computer Speed And Performance - Great Tips & Tricks Many computer users are worried about their computer's performance. After spending lot of bucks, still they cannot have that charm of using PC as they had expected. SmartCar Memory Stick for LapTop Transfer Data With the new technology used to transfer information to from your digital camera to your laptop or PC using memory sticks which hold significant amounts of data it appears such technology will be perfect for net-centric cars. Where all the data is stored in a black box situation as many cars now have these features already. Uninstall Windows Media Player 10 and Start Enjoying Your Media Again Windows Media Player 10 has been full of bugs from Microsoft since they offered it as a download from their site. Windows Media Player 9 was nice and simple. Selecting a Personal Digital Assistant A Computer in Your HandCarrying around an address book and planner is becoming a thing of the past. With new PDA developments, you can manage your contacts and schedule, use e-mail, and even listen to music. 5 Ways to Speed Up Your PC No matter how fast your processor and regardless of howmuch ram you carry, there comes a time when you realizeyour computer just doesn't run as fast as it did when youbought it.Windows loads slower, programs take longer to launch,and, in general, your computer drags like it just cameoff a 2-night drinking binge. Improve PC Performance - 6 Tips You Must Know Are you frustrated with your PC?Is it feeling sluggish or crawling at a snail's pace?Are programs running slower than they used to?Are you just plain fed up with frequent slowdowns, freezes or crashes?Then it's time to stop what you're doing and optimize your system to improve PC performance!Follow these 6 simple sure-fire tips to help improve PC performance and you'll be surprised by the results! Each comes with an indication of how often you should do it.Improve PC Performance Tip #1:CLEAN UP YOUR WINDOWS REGISTRY (Frequency = Daily)This is an essential, but often overlooked, task to improve PC performance. Digital Cameras: Hot Gear with the Coolest Features! Cameras: still known for taking pictures but assumed as digital still today.We have to understand cameras are just as important today as they have always been to us. Favorite Things To Do With Home Technology Save money. Save 10-15% on utility bills per month. Lives With Games Tradition and Industry The United States Of America citizen feels that games is a part of their life while developed countries such as the United Kingdom and Japan would feels that Games is high prospects to gain profit either in domestic level or internationally. Games is very influence in human life at this time. A Tale of Two Regeds Tech support tells me to type 'regedt32' as opposed to 'regedit' to access the registry from the command line (Start > Run). I question the use of 'regedt32,' but he says to do it anyway. Smart Apple iPod Tips and Techniques Are you thinking of buying an Apple iPod? Or have you bought one?Almost everyone and anyone that I know seems to have bought an iPod or at least is thinking of getting an ipod for themselves or their loved ones. The iPod is just so alluring! However, do you know what you should do after buying the iPod?Most people don't. The Best MP3 Players Under $100 You don't have to fork out $250 for a super-diggy-whizbang mp3 player, do you? There are cheap mp3 players to be had, with a host of features perfectly suitable for everyday use. Here is a small sampling of some of the highest-rated cheap mp3 players. Things You Can Do To Speed Up Your Computer Upgrading your processor will always speed up your computer, but sometimes this will not be the best thing to do. The first thing you need to do is find out where the bottle neck is in your system. Looking For an MP3 Player? If you don't have an mp3 player, and even if you do, you should check out all the new stuff that's going on. I'm hoping this article will give you some idea of what kind of mp3 player you want and some tips on what to look for in an mp3 player. Review of Rio MP3 Players Below you will find some useful information and comments about a few of the most popular MP3 players by Rio, including the Nitrus, Carbon, Cali, and Forge. None of these MP3 players are perfect, but each offers a unique set of strengths and weaknesses that should be taken into consideration before you purchase any one of them. Cisco CCNA Candidate FAQ CCNA FAQQ. What exams do I have to take to get my CCNA?A. Help, I Need a New HDTV! (Part 3 of 5) Feeling overwhelmed in selecting a new TV? With all the choices these days, you may feel like, "Where do I start?!"In part 3 of our 5 part article, we the discuss what HDTV is.HDTV stands for High Definition TV.
|
| home | site map | contact us |
