Posted 05/12/09 at 06:00:00 PM by David Murphy

One of the most rewarding parts of doing these weekly freeware roundups for Maximum PC is the sheer wealth of software that I get to play with each month -- applications that I not only use myself, but ones that I feel compelled to tell you about as well. But coming in a close second are the responses that you, the readers, leave in these posts. For as much as I scour the Internet to find awesome new programs for you to check out, you too have become my eyes and ears for the latest in amazing free software.

You might guess where this one's going. I'm looking toward the pool of Maximum PC users this week and highlighting programs that you, yourselves, have recommended in the various comments you've posted to these articles. For a number of you have left links and comments featuring compelling alternatives or hidden gems that relate to the programs I've posted. Although I'm featuring your best answers this week, don't let that stop you from joining the discussion! If a certain freeware application has really caught your eye, jump in the thread and say something! Or hit me up on Twitter and let me know when you've found something great!

After the jump: The Maximum PC commenters get their day in Freeware Court!

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Posted 12/12/08 at 11:00:00 AM by David Murphy

Remember this quote?  "Linux is a cancer that attaches itself in an intellectual property sense to everything it touches."  It was uttered by none other than Microsoft frontman Steve Ballmer himself, in an interview with the Chicago Sun-Times in 2001.  It's no secret that Microsoft has put itself right in the center of the proprietary versus open-source war.  But the software giant is now starting to dabble in the dark side of open-source projects itself.  We're getting nothing but mixed-signals from Redmond.  So what is it, Microsoft?  Cancer, or cash-cow?

Read on to find out about Microsoft's newest open-source initiatives!

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