Technology Bytes
Open Source Alternatives to save you a few bucks

-- Craig Johnson

Being a college student…(ahem) "Adult Learner" at Metropolitan State University incurs a lot of expense: there are books and supplies to buy, parking to pay for and soda and snacks to fuel your homework sessions.

Besides a healthy supply of Diet Mountain Dew, the one thing a serious Metropolitan State student cannot live without is access to a computer. We use them for communication with our instructors and classmates, writing and creating our homework, and they're an invaluable tool for just about everything we do.

Just owning (or having access to) a computer generally isn't enough, however - you'll also need access to software. And while most computers have some versions of word processing software and utilities, not everyone has an unlimited budget to load up their machines with the software necessary to handle everything from image manipulation to web development.

"Craig," you say, "I don't have an unlimited budget and I like to do my class work in the privacy of my own home, where I can lounge in my socks, eat Cheetos and listen to music unfettered by the confines of the library's dress code. What can I do?"

My answer: look to Open Source programs.

Open Source software is developed under the GNU Public license, much like the Linux operating system. People all over the world are able to participate in the development and improvement of software and make it available for free public use. "The Mozilla Project," creators of "Firefox" (in my opinion, the best browser in the world), is just one of the more recognizable software names.

Open Source software is generally available free of charge, is easy to download and install and — in most cases — have all of the features of comparable consumer products. In addition, Open Source software inspires a loyal user community where any issues or question can be quickly answered or resolved, and feature and stability updates are frequent.

For the budget conscious, here are some of the best Open Source software packages a student can have:

OpenOffice (www.openoffice.org)
This is the one of the largest — and feature-rich — software packages out there. Everything from Word-style documents and spreadsheets to Power Point-style presentations, are part of this all-in-one, integrated software bundle. The suite comes with "Writer" (a document editor which is fully compatible with Word), "Math" (a spreadsheet utility) and "Impress," a presentation development package.

Other utilities are available, including a database editor comparable to (if not better than) Microsoft Access. There are also a variety of third-party extensions available to customize every aspect, from clip art packages to customized macros. And it saves your documents in Microsoft-compatible format.

GIMPShop ( www.gimpshop.com )
The "GIMP" – an Open Source graphics manipulation program—has been available for some time: it’s feature-rich, with as much flexibility and power as Adobe’s flagship product. However, with a clunky user interface and resource editor, the common complaint has been that it’s "just not Photoshop." "GIMPShop" is a modification of "GIMP," which emulates — in both look and functionality—the Photoshop environment. It has just about every feature of Photoshop – image manipulation, vector graphics and animation creation—without the hefty price tag. If you don’t have access to Photoshop (or $700 to buy a licensed copy for yourself) "GIMPShop" is a worthy alternative.

Microsoft Visual Web Developer Express Edition 2005
( http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/express/default.aspx)
HTML Kit
( http://www.htmlkit.com/)
After being spoiled by Dreamweaver, I really expected this free tool from Microsoft to be a watered-down version of their MSDN tools, or "Front Page Lite": to my surprise, this tool actually works the way an environment should. It features an easy-to-use design interface with drag-and-drop functionality, outlined code view and solid database development. Its only shortcomings are a lack of support for CSS and JavaScript, but it's more than adequate for beginning to intermediate-level development.

For those who require more advanced development capabilities, there is also HTML Kit, which offers drag-and-drop functionality, text or code development, support for most programming languages and an extensive support and plug-in development network.

While Open Source software will most likely never equal professionally developed tools, they're an attractive and affordable option for budget-conscious college students. With regular updates, backwards compatibility to Windows 98, established user support networks and an attractive price tag, the only real question is: “why aren't you using them?”