25 Best Open-Source (or Freeware) Alternatives You Need To Download
Posted 10/08/08 at 06:00:00 PM by David Murphy
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The last batch of awesome open-source (or freeware) applications centers on a single word: wow. No, they don't help you level up in that MMO. We're going to show you a batch of free programs whose features are cool enough to make your jaw hit the floor, a small puddle of drool to escape from your lips and into your keyboard, and your twitter to light up with all messages you'll be sending your friends about these must-have applications. We're serious. Prepare to be amazed.
Synergy
If you've been reading Maximum PC, you know exactly what Synergy does and why we must have this on our list of "wow!" applications. But we'll break it down for those new to the scene. Synergy links two computers together--two computers to a single mouse and keyboard, that is. Your mouse travels across the screens of the two PCs (or notebooks) as if you were using the displays in a dual-monitor configuration. Synergy also unifies the clipboard between the two devices and, geekier still, synchronizes the screensavers. This application is the program you need to have running if you use two computers in close proximity to each other, period.
Jing
If you're like us, the prospect of using the Print Screen button to capture your display's contents, pasting it into an open-source graphics editing program, and cropping the huge screen image to the appropriate size is maddening. Jing solves this tedium by simplifying the art of screen capturing and recording to the extreme. Its user interface is perfect, in that the program highlights different areas of your desktop depending on where you hover you mouse. Pick a window, draw out a cropped box, and presto -- instant screenshot. As we mentioned, you can record videos of your desktop as well. This turns Jing into a one-stop shop for all your computer capturing--activities that would normally require a few separate programs.
Revo Uninstaller
Revo Uninstaller is better than most of the uninstallation utilities that come with your favorite programs. Not only does it perform the same basic functions as these, but it goes one important step further. The application scans your drive for any leftover files that typical uninstallation programs overlook (or ignore). It gives you the option to nuke these out of existence (we often spring for this), cementing Revo Uninstallers place as one of our favorite drive clean-up applications. But that's not all. Revo Uninstaller also packs a junk-file scanner and startup manager into its treasure trove of file management, as well as a file shredder-like feature which overwrites your deleted files past the point of recovery. It's a one-stop shop for eliminating clutter, and we'll turn to it every time we need to say a fateful farewell to an application or game.
Gimpshop is a pretty sweet
Submitted by Kimbelly on Sun, 10/25/2009 - 9:00pm
Gimpshop is a pretty sweet Photoshop alternative. I've been using it for a few months now and have really started to love it.
Kim
Submitted by coagulant on Wed, 11/18/2009 - 12:01am
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Submitted by ptp123 on Tue, 10/13/2009 - 1:44am
Photoshop and Image ready is the best selection application for editing in your images...
Submitted by Emad01 on Thu, 10/15/2009 - 7:30am
I think for editing images photoshop is the best software. Because photoshop make the image real after editing you cant say that this image is edited that is a big quality of it. So i think you should use photoshop.
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Submitted by Emad01 on Thu, 10/08/2009 - 10:18am
Your information is mind blowing. I like it. I will use it. Thanks for giving morw knowledge about this.
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Submitted by Zoandar on Mon, 08/31/2009 - 7:14pm
Clicking on the XNView heading of the above article takes me to the following french website, where I don't see anything about XNView:
http://pages.perso.orange.fr/client/php/pwpErreur.php?action=403
When I tried to dowload XNView from another site it triggered a security warning from the Web of Trust Firefox Plug-In, indicating that the site cannot be trusted. Where is the best place to get a malware-clean copy of XNView?
Submitted by alexa on Wed, 05/06/2009 - 7:46am
I have to agree that Notepad++ is good, its become the bread and butter for my web coding. Aptana seems to be pretty popular lately, might have to try that one out and if it generates nice clean code, all the better!
acnee
Submitted by sdcat on Mon, 10/27/2008 - 9:57am
Is there an open-source (free) video editor like adobe premiere (element)?
Some helpful software
Submitted by d4n31sh on Tue, 11/04/2008 - 1:51pm
If you go to wikipedia and search Ubuntu Studio, they have a small list of video software. I have never actually used any of it, but hopefully it may be able to help you. Cheers,
-Dane
Submitted by b00tpwnz4ll on Fri, 10/10/2008 - 2:40pm
You guys just saved me from replacing an aging test bench's mouse and keyboard! Synergy is so full of win I can't even express it in words! Gone is the frustration of hooking into a KVM or worse yet, moving my mouse and keyboard from my main system to the latest "my computer doesn't work, can you fix it" project.
95%
Submitted by kleinkinstein on Fri, 10/10/2008 - 6:05am
I'm nearly 95% opensource and freeware. My favs are:
- 7-Zip 4.60
- Audacity 1.3.5
- AVG Antivirus Free 8.173.a1373
- Belarc Advisor 7.2.24.8
- CCleaner 2.12.660
- CDBurnerXP 4.2.2.984
- ClamWin 0.94
- Comodo Firewall 3/0.25.378
- DAEMON Tools 4.30.1
- DVD Decrypter 3.5.4.0
- DVD Shrink 3.2.0.15
- EverNote 3.0.0.842
- Exact Audio Copy 0.99 beta 4
- FileZilla 3.1.4
- Firebird 2.1.1
- Flac 1.2.1b
- Foobar2000 0.9.5.6
- Foxit Reader 2.3.3309
- GimpShop
- Gmail Drive 1.0.13
- Hamachi 1.0.3.0
- HandBrake 0.9.2
- jk-Defrag 3.36
- Keepass 1.11
- Lame 3.98.2
- Lexun Backup 2.1
- Lexun RegScrubXP 3.25
- MediaMonkey 3.05.1187
- Microsoft Defender 1.1.1593
- Miro 1.2.7
- Money Manage Ex 0.9.2.0
- Mozilla Firefox 3.03
- Mozilla Thunderbird 2.0.0.17
- nLite 1.4.9.1
- NovaPDF 5.5.271
- Ogg Vorbis 2.85
- OpenContacts 5.1.1.566
- OpenOffice 3.0.0
- Parted Magic 3.0
- Pidgin 2.5.1
- Recuva 1.19.350
- Revo Uninstaller 1.75
- RipIt4Me 1.7.1.0
- RivaTuner 2.11
- Save2PC 3.37
- Skype 4.0.0.166
- SpeedFac 4.35
- Stellarium 0.10.0
- SyncBack 3.2.19
- The Gimp 2.6.0
- ThreatFire 3.5.0.21
- TreedbNotes 3.36.005
- VLC Media Player 0.9.4
- vLite 1.2
- WinRAR 3.80
I digg liteweight, I digg bloatfree, and I digg FREE!
Submitted by enokiathemes on Tue, 09/01/2009 - 6:30pm
The greatest post .. :), I always preffer freewares or open source
Thanks
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Virtual BOX
Submitted by DiRTDOG on Thu, 10/09/2008 - 6:46am
Just tried virtual box and it doesnt support 64bit OS. I wish I could find one that works...
thanks for the list though.
Many thanks
Submitted by wk on Thu, 10/09/2008 - 6:29am
Excellent article. keep up the good work.
Open source softwares represent the good will in this world.
Good job to add revo uninstaller to the list, i think its a must have software for every PC.
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Software
Submitted by xbarnes on Thu, 10/09/2008 - 3:42am
This is some good stuff. Why isn't it on the Max PC CD?
Submitted by Snoman on Wed, 10/08/2008 - 6:03pm
Nice. Grabbed 3 from the list that fit exactly what I needed. Thanks guys
It's a wide field...
Submitted by Cache on Wed, 10/08/2008 - 5:12pm
There's a ton of choices, and in general I can understand missing a few golden nuggets when you have to start calling numbers. CCleaner is a 'must have' no matter what kind of PC is running.
However, not including any DVD-writing programs is just plain mean. Unless, of course, you spend the majority of your time burning CD backups because you don't believe in large ...er... media files. A nice FLV player would have helped too, since it's easier to save the ones we love rather than assume that YouTube will always be a repository for our favorite opening songs of antiquated 1970's cartoons...
Great list!
Submitted by CTskifreak on Wed, 10/08/2008 - 4:39pm
I love CCleaner. I forgot how I found it, but it works wonders. I've had it for a while now. Only program I would have added would be Unlocker. I had this truly stubborn file on Vista that wouldn't delete, and it worked it's magic and it was able to be deleted.
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