Free Sources of Software Superior to Microsoft, etc.

Vanity ^ | 7/18/06 | Dangus

[mafree]

I'm using Open Source 2.0 and it's pretty good but what do they have that replaces MS Publisher? I really need that.

[dangus]

That depends on what you use publisher for. Most people I know who use publisher use it because Word is so lousy for converting Office files to web pages, or others use it because Word simply lacks good templates for publishing certificates, etc. In the latter case, all I can say is that the open source community has great templates, but you may have to look beyond OpenOffice for what you want.

[dangus]

That's true, too. I kind of supposed he left all that open on purpose.

[mafree]

Thanks. I suspected I'd need another program because I do basic desktop publishing, which I've always liked MS Publisher for.

[rzeznikj at stout]

While most of these I agree with, I have to disagree with the GIMP being better than Photoshop...

IMHO, the GIMP doesn't handle four-color process (CMYK) and pantones as good as Photoshop--a critical element of commercial and heavy-duty graphic manipulation.

It's good for the casual/home user, but when it comes down to serious desktop publishing/graphic design, I'll still take Photoshop over the GIMP...

[rzeznikj at stout]

Exactly.

Try using an image from the GIMP and preparing it for platemaking--the images work, but there's a serious difference in quality.

Photoshop images appear much better--especially on polyester plates...

(Took graphic arts for four years and have been doing img manipulation for the past six)...

[dangus]

If you say so.

[rzeznikj at stout]

I've done this for several years--and I can tell the difference in image quality.

Further, I'm not putting down the GIMP--I use it at home. All I'm saying is that it is not better than Photoshop, and especially in a commercial/professional setting.

[N3WBI3]

Mepis is neither a trial nor crippleware, it is out of the box fully functional with no registration required..

[N3WBI3]

I can buy windows for a couple hundred bucks or pay allot more money for windows *AND* support..

[PAR35]

I will say that both OO and Office97 use more resources than the WordPerfect 5.1 that is also installed on this computer, but I don't use it much anymore.

By the way, do you know of anyway to get WordStar Pro to run on a WinTel machine - now that was an efficient word processor.

[dangus]

No, I didn't mean it sarcastically: I'm saying I'll believe you.

[AFreeBird]

I would not say that Thunderbird is better than Outlook, mainly because Outlook is much more than just a mail client. Now if you're speaking of Outlook Express, then yes, Thunderbird takes it, hands down.

The closest OSS equivelant to Outlook would be Novell's Evolution, which I do use and it can talk to an Exchange server, although I have no Exchange servers I have to talk to.

[Space Wrangler]

Bookmarking thread.

[rzeznikj at stout]

OK...

[rzeznikj at stout]

Though IIRC, you need to have the Exchange connector, which is often included with Evolution.

[AFreeBird]

Correct, there is a connector needed to speak to an Exchange Server. It used to be the only piece they charged for, but is now OSS GPL'd.

[rzeznikj at stout]

I've always been able to grab it with my distro--then again, I've only been using Linux for about a year and a half...

[Knitebane]

Reducing memory usage

Fixing Firefox's memory leak

[JockoManning]

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