I for one love open source for many different reasons. For
the uninitiated, programs that are open source have their source code (the core
of the program that defines how it functions) freely available online for
anyone to access. This lets anyone download and change that program to their
heart’s content, and then share their changes online. Eventually, more and more
people would build upon that modified program, and the end result would be a
vastly improved product that everyone contributed to. There are a number of
reasons why people would choose open source over other paid programs. Some
either can’t or won’t put up the money to purchase a license for the premium
software, and others are thrilled at the prospect taking a program and
customizing and making it their own.
When I think of open source programs, one of the most useful
in my opinion would have to be Open Office. Open Office is the open source
version of Microsoft Office. It has many of the functions that Office has, like
a document editor, a spreadsheet maker, a presentation maker, and a number of
other useful features. I have two computers, and since I do not want to pay for MS Office on both, I decided to install Open Office on my laptop. It works very
well, and I can always search for different plugins in order to get any missing
functionalities.and if you decide to go down the MS Office route, that will set you back something to the tune of $139.991, which on a student's budget is not a small sum.In my opinion, if you can avoid spending money and get a product
just as good (as long as you are not pirating it), go for the free route.
I too like Open Office, and open source in general. The article is fairly well thought out and personal... So many blogs, mine included have become essays, and changing that into a casual informative speech is much more fun to read. The student argument is weak, however as MSDN allows for free versions for students from Microsoft. That doesn't mean to jump on the MS wagon and dance... try everything when you are learning. Explore! Good job on an entertaining read.
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