As promised, due to popular demand, I am re-posting my list of free alternatives to expensive commercial software:

Office Suite

Even the Standard version of Microsoft Office retails for $400, but you can get virtually the same functionality with one of these alternatives:

• OpenOffice.org. Available at www.openoffice.org. The new version 3.0 is great.
• Lotus Symphony.  Available at www.lotus.com.
• Google Docs.  This one doesn’t even take up any space on your hard drive.  It’s available to you anywhere there is an Internet connection (i.e., it is “Cloud Computing” – remember that term, you’re going to be hearing a lot of it in the coming months). Go to https://www.google.com/accounts/ServiceLogin?service=writely&passive=true&nui=1&continue=http%3A%2F%2Fdocs.google.com%2F&followup=http%3A%2F%2Fdocs.google.com%2F&ltmpl=homepage&rm=false
• ZOHO.  Like Google Docs, Zoho is an online office suite with an amazing number of individual applications (such as a wiki, and even a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) application that is free for up to 3 users). Go to www.zoho.com.

Photo Editing

You could shell out $100 for Adobe Photoshop Elements (or $700 for Photoshop CS4), or you could try one of these:

• Gimp.  (GNU Image Manipulation Program). Download the latest version at www.gimp.org.
• Pixlr.  This is an online application (no download required).  You’ll be surprised at how similar both Gimp and Pixlr are to Photoshop! (www.pixlr.com)
• Picasa.  A member of the Google family, this application can be downloaded from www.picassa.com.
• Picnik.  Another Web app. Go to www.picnik.com.

Video and Audio Editing

Adobe Premiere Elements and Corel VideoStudio Pro X2 both sell for $100. (Premiere Pro CS4 is $800!).  Try these:

• Jahshaka. This is probably the closest freeware to commercial applications such as Premiere Elements or Corel VideoStudio.  Download it at www.jahshaka.org.
• Audacity. This is a long-time favorite feature-packed, intuitive audio editor. Get it at www.audacity.sourceforge.net).
• trakAxPC. Can be used to mix audio and video using professional techniques. (www.trakax.com)

Desktop Publishing

Microsoft Publisher is $170, Adobe InDesign is $700, and QuarkXPress is $800. The following two alternatives are free:

• Scribus Desktop Publishing. Find it at www.scribus.net.
• Serif PagePlus SE. Downloadable at www.freeserifsoftware.com.

Enjoy! . . . more to come in a future post.