Open source…
You may have heard the term “open source” before in passing, but more than likely, you have not. Open source refers to software (or even hardware) that is not proprietary and anyone can modify it to fit their needs. Examples of open source software are Mozilla Firefox web browser, Ubuntu operating system, and Sumatra PDF viewer.
The opposite of open source software is closed source or proprietary software. You are given the program in its final form and any modification must be done by checking boxes and adjusting built-in settings. Examples of proprietary software are Microsoft Internet Explorer web browser, Apple’s Mac OS X operating system, and Adobe Reader PDF viewer.
I’m not a programmer. What’s the big deal with modifying software?
The big deal isn’t necessarily you needing to modify the software. There are a couple of big deals though: “crowdsourcing” security, innovation, and to some extent, cost.
Crowdsourcing refers to having the masses of people on the internet do some of the heavy lifting for you. Microsoft hires great programmers, but they work in a sterile, safe environment and their numbers are limited. The crowd, however, consists of hackers and enthusiasts who like to get their hands dirty in the code that makes a program and plug any holes. It is like a game for them: no payment, just the thrill of the hunt for security holes. Plus there are hundreds or thousands of them, especially on a project like Mozilla Firefox. Additionally, any problems they do find can be added to the product quickly because there is no corporate bureaucracy or lack of staff.
When you can take an existing program and add your own tweaks and features, it spurs people to create better and more useful programs. With Mozilla Firefox, anyone can build a mini-program called an extension that can do things like color your tabs, check your email, or show you the weather, right there while you browse the internet.
What about cost? Free is nice!
Generally, the word free goes right along with the term open source. However, free might not mean what you think it means.
The first type of free is the free that we think of when you hear, “Present this coupon for free curly fries.” The curly fries cost you nothing aside from a trip to the restaurant. While most open source software is free in terms of cost, a bunch of proprietary software is as well, such as the aforementioned Internet Explorer and Adobe Reader. And occasionally, you will run across open source software that costs money.
The second type of free is the free that we enjoy in most of our normal lives: free to make decisions, free to speak our minds, and free to enjoy our lives. This free is more accurately known as freedom. When you download a piece of open source software, it most likely comes with a license that says nobody can restrict that software in anyway. You are free to do with it as you please. You are free to look at how it operates, make suggestions on how to make it faster and more secure, and you can certainly use it for any purpose you see fit. Proprietary systems like Apple’s Mac OS X cannot be modified in anyway according to the restrictive license they have in place. Specifically, it can only be used on a Mac computer, it cannot be modified in any other way than by changing control panel settings, and it certainly cannot be redistributed without prior consent.
Does this really matter to me?
Short answer: it depends. Now that you have a very unhelpful short answer, let’s get to the long answer.
When it comes to an operating system for your computer, it is very helpful to have something that is going to work on your computer. Mac OS X works, but it also requires specific, expensive hardware to run.
Ubuntu, on the other hand, has a pretty steep learning curve, so you aren’t going to be an expert the first day. On the other hand, it will run on almost any computer out there, and is especially helpful when you have older hardware such as your old computer from college sitting in your basement that simply can’t handle the latest and greatest Windows has to offer.
In this scenario, if you browse the internet and check your email, Ubuntu will work fine, but if you are going to move on to mid-level stuff like editing photos, putting together home movies, and watching DVDs on a plane ride, Mac OS X is probably a better bet for you. Ubuntu would work for those things, but it would require a lot of Google searching.
For a internet browser though, the choice is pretty clear cut: Mozilla Firefox simply blows Microsoft Internet Explorer out of the water. It presents the internet to you faster, allows fancy extensions that do amazing things, and is extremely secure. Unless you have a work computer that you can’t use Firefox on, there is no reason to still use Internet Explorer.
For PDF viewers, I use Sumatra because when I click on a PDF file, it is opened in about half a second, but it bare bones and lacks any features whatsoever. In this case, I would generally recommend Adobe Reader because, while it is slow to get started, it integrates into your browser and has tons of shortcuts that I love such as using the right and left arrows to move from page to page.
Cool, I’m going to have to get some open source software.
There is basically an open source alternative to every bit of software you currently use. Some of it is really good; some of it needs a lot of work. Some examples:
- Adobe Photoshop ($700) = GIMP (free)
- iTunes (free) = Songbird (free)
- Microsoft Office ($500) = OpenOffice.org (free)
If you would like help finding other software that works for your needs, head over to The Digitante‘s About page and send me an email or give me a phone call and I would be more than happy to help you find the open source software that fits your needs, as well as get you up and running with it.
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