The name kills it. If they need me to use it they need to call it something else.
Thank you for the list. It would be nice if there were something like a Wikipedia page suggesting Linux alternatives to common Windows applications, with specific “best recommended programs” broken down by the Linux distro upon which they are to be run.
I’d like to add Cinelerra as a Linux movie editor suggestion. Its user interface is complex, its appearance daunting, but that’s because it is the highest featured GPL movie editor extant. It’s kind of like the cockpit of a jet rather than the dashboard of a car. But there’s a lot of documentation online, both as text and on You Tube. There’s even a web site “Cinelerra for Grandma.”
The criticism common to Linux "alternatives" to proprietary software will always be that the free version doesn't have this feature or that feature, or isn't compatible with the latest from the proprietary vendor.
OF COURSE! Proprietary software vendors make little money on initial sales, which are often heavily discounted. Most of their revenue comes from paid upgrades to newer versions. And how does the vendor entice existing customers to upgrade:
So it is no surprise that the free "alternatives" will always be playing catch-up. It's the nature of the beast, not some shortcoming of free software per se.
I mention this point because a lot of people complain that free software generally lags the proprietary offerings, because they fail to understand the nature of providing "alternative" software in a competitive marketplace.
I haven't used Acrobat Reader in Windows since I discovered Foxit Reader years ago. Much smaller than Adobe and has more functionality. Plus it let's one add typewritten notations to a PDF file....and it's free.
A lot of good software packages in this list though. I'll have to install some and see how they work.
I’ve found GIMP to be clunky, but hey it’s free.
keepassx - a password manager. It's kind of like PasswordSafe, and can read its files if you need to.
pidgen - an IM client that understands just about every protocol on the planet.
quanta plus - a non-wysiwyg html editor. This is a highly customizable program that produces really clean HTML code.
vlc - for watching vids. there are both windows and Linux versions, and Mac versions as well I think.
celestia - a universe simulator. also Mac/Windows versions. You don't really know how big the universe really is until you try flying through it at just the speed of light. Also check out the Celestia Motherlode, which has tons of extremely cool add-ons.
gonvert - a front-end tothe 'units' utility. Want to know how many cubits there are in a light year? No problem!
Actually, the sheer number of unique utilities available is mind-boggling. Of course, many require some familiarity with the command line, but with a little effort, you can do things fairly easily and quickly that would be almost impossible to do with windows unless you're a decent programmer.
The problem with Linux/UNIX systems is that their products are named like they were named by a nerdy 16 year old trying to be different or cute.
If you look at product branding it is important not to name products something like ‘K3b’ or ‘amaroK’ if you want to get mainstream attention. UNIX names always sound like digestive system noises.
Thanks. Nice work. Some of these, I use even on Windows Machines, like GIMP.
If you ever update this, you might consider doing it a format like, “If you use MICROSOFT OFFICE, you might want to try...”
That way, your readers could look for the programs they use. Also, you could also provide multiple options, like LIBRE OFFICE and OPEN OFFICE, if you thought there was an argument to using OpenOffice instead of Libre Office.
AFU.
(Archived for Usefulness)
Thanks.
Since I do not need Exchange, I use Thunderbird w/ Lightning for my email/PIM - Much better for me, and is cross-platform, so it is a good trainer model for windows folks getting ready to jump to nix... Tho none of the nix apps (including Evolution) are very good at syncing (to portables, and etc).
Agree with you on Gimp, which I have grown to love. It is, however, a bit eclectic, and I can see where folks might have less patience with it than they ought to... But that patience is rewarded greatly. GIMP is cross-platform, and runs in Windows too.
Also a big fan of Pidgin, at least in my portable environments... though for the biggest two IM networks (YIM, MSMess, and facebook too), Yahoo makes a nix compatible YIM, which may be a more familiar interface. Skype users have the convenience of cross-platform too, IIRC. Pidgin is also cross-platform, and as an IM, can run almost any IM network simultaneously.
One of the biggest buzz-kills is bookkeeping software - and it is the hardest to transition. Let me humbly suggest GnuCash as a very sturdy and feature rich alternative, fit for any size business (or at least it has been for those I consult for (SOHO and under fifty emps)). GnuCash is also cross-platform, so Windows users can acclimatize using the Windows version. And most will have to acclimatize - It is more like MYOB or PeachTree than it is MSMoney or an Intuit product... But I have found that independent bookkeepers (and there is the biggest worry) can very easily handle the transition, and ALL that I have turned on to Gnucash wind up offering it as an alternative to all their clients.
As an active proponent of moving folks over to Linux, I have found the jump to be more palatable for my clients if I get them switched onto cross-platform softs as much as possible before the jump is made, tackling one thing at a time, so their equilibrium can be maintained. With in 3 to 6 months, with the major software having already been transitioned while in Windows, the main transition into a Linux Desktop Environment is relatively painless.