This document compares proprietary software to open source alternatives, listing alternative programs for web browsing, office productivity, graphics editing, communications, media playback, and more. It notes advantages of the open source options like being free of cost, free of advertisements or viruses, and having fewer compatibility issues or proprietary formats. The overall summary is that open source software provides comparable or superior functionality to popular proprietary programs while being free of cost and truly free.

1. Alternatives to Proprietary Software

2. Firefox instead of IE Others Include: Galeon Konqueror Dillo Epiphany Links Chrome

3. What Firefox Does Better The Internet The TLUG website and many other websites No ActiveX exploits Truly Free

4. OpenOffice instead of Microsoft Office Others Include: Koffice Gnome Office

5. What OpenOffice Does Better No annoying talking paper clip Uses a truly open format Opens and saves in a lot more formats Free

6. The Gimp instead of Photoshop Others Include: CinePaint ImageMagick

7. What The Gimp Does Better I've never used Photoshop so I personally don't know if it does anything better. Made all the stuff for the TLUG website Free

8. Kompozer instead of Dreamweaver/Frontpage Others Include: Amaya

9. What Kompozer Does Better Original(2006-2007) TLUG website created in it Still used to do quick tweaks to the TLUG website Good first step into learning HTML If you want horrible compatibility plagued web pages I don't suggest Kompozer but instead recommend you Frontpage and Dreamweaver Free

10. Pidgin instead of AIM/MSN/Yahoo Others Include: Kopete

11. What Pidgin Does Better A ton of protocols all in one program that can be used simultaneously No advertisements Truly Free

12. Thunderbird instead of Outlook Others Include: Evolution Claws Mail Mutt Balsa Kmail

13. What Thunderbird Does Better Better spam filter Less chance of getting a virus Cooler name Free

14. Rhythmbox instead of iTunes Others Include: XMMS Amarok Banshee

15. What Rhythmbox Does Better Ever heard of that better than all the other lossy formats called ogg that iTunes doesn't support Not an Apple product Truly Free

16. K3B instead of Nero/Sonic Others Include: Brasero Arson Gnome Toaster

17. What K3B Does Better Hands down the best cd/dvd burning application out there Its just better get over it Free

18. VLC instead of Quicktime/Windows Media Player Others Include: Mplayer Xine Totem

19. What VLC Does Better Hands down the best media player out there Simple interface but has a ton of features like format conversion Plays every format ever conceived or at least the ones I've come across Truly Free

20. Evince instead of Adobe Acrobat Reader Others Include: Kpdf GhostView Xpdf

21. What Evince Does Better Nothing really, they are pretty equal in my use Truly Free

22. Virtual Box instead of Vmware Others Include: QEMU

23. What Virtual Box Does Better You get all the cool features without having to pay for them

24. Gdesklets instead of Vista Sidebar Others Include: Screenlets SuperKaramba

25. What Gdesklets Does Better You can create your own easily from scratch or you can use the templates provided Runs on an infinitely better operating system Free

26. Firestarter instead of Norton Personal Firewall Others Include: IPTables MoBlock

27. What Firestarter Does Better Linux Firewall>all windows firewalls for actually protecting you Free

28. RecordMyDesktop instead of Fraps Others Include: Istanbul

29. What RecordMyDesktop Does Better Can record wobbly windows, enough said Truly Free

30. Cinelerra instead of Final Cut Pro Others Include: LiVes Kino Avidemux

31. What Cinelerra Does Better You get all the same features except it cost you no money

32. Why Have This

33. When You Can Have This

34. What Linux Does Better Everything Free

35. Links http://www.linuxrsp.ru/win-lin-soft/table-eng.html http://whdb.com/2008/the-top-50-proprietary-programs-that-drive-you-crazy-and-their-open-source-alternatives/

36. Questions?