50 Proprietory tools and their alternatives
This is an excellent post and one well worth passing around. Here are the key matches for me. Adopting a suite of tools like this for education could have huge impacts and effects. New Zealand spends millions aech year on MS operating systems and the Microsoft deal which provides productivity tools and server software. Adoption of OSS tools and OSes could free alot of money to see real high speed internet access into each and every school, schools having access to KAREN, and computers where they are needed - in the students hands. And yet we persist…… 
- Windows Vista OS to Ubuntu OS:
- Internet Explorer Browser to Firefox Browser:
Office Suites
- Microsoft Office to OpenOffice:
- Mactopia to NeoOffice:
Office Tools
- MathWorks MATLAB to Scilab:
- Microsoft Access to Kexi:
- Microsoft Word to OpenOffice Writer:
- Microsoft Excel to OpenOffice Calc: .
- Microsoft Visio to Dia:
Productivity
- Blackboard to Moodle
- Microsoft Project to Open Workbench:
- Mindjet to FreeMind:
Graphic Programs
- Adobe Illustrator to Inkscape:
- Adobe PhotoShop to GIMP:
- Adobe Premiere to Avidemux:.
- AutoCAD to Archimedes:
- Microsoft PowerPoint to OpenOffice Impress:
- Microsoft Paint to Tux Paint:
- TruSpace to Blender:
Web Editors
- Adobe GoLive CS2 to Mozilla SeaMonkey:
- Adobe Dreamweaver to NVU:
- Macromedia Flash Professional to OpenLaszlo:
Publishing
- Adobe Acrobat to PDFCreator: .
- Adobe Framemaker to DocBook:
- Microsoft Publisher to Scribus:
March 1st, 2008 at 12:46 pm
About 5 years ago I had a classroom grant which purchased for me 4 computers. When ordering them we went with Linux OS even though at the time I knew NOTHING about any OS other than Windows. I spent that summer with many “Idiots guides for….” and O’Reilly books for Linux and basic networking. I had a blast learning about it and marveling at how powerful having complete control of these computers and the network was.
However, when I needed help - my school system refused to help support it. The only help available to me was online through many Linux communities and the Grantor who lived 6 hours away but helped me through many issues as a newbie via email.
Once I had a good handle on the new OS and saw the FREE alternatives to MS based products - I showed them to whoever I could get to sit still. Noone listened. I hope you have better luck.
March 3rd, 2008 at 9:23 pm
Sometimes when I find myself dealing with office 2007 I realise that the docx format could be the death knell for microsoft.
March 4th, 2008 at 5:54 am
On the upside, I have heard that Open Office and therefore star office are releasing a patch that allows them to import docX format files.
I have seen schools HAVE to buy a copy of 2007 because they are sent files in this format. What a waste of money. With the cost of this purchase you could buy 30 or 40 licenses for Plasq’s Comic Life for Mac or PC for a school. Which would have more educational benefits, which would better facilitate learning, which would motivate the students to learn and think?