By Nick DeLorenzo, Special to the Weekender
Despite the increasing affordability of computers, the software that actually runs those devices can still be fairly expensive. Fairly common programs such as Microsoft Office can run hundreds of dollars, and higher-end products like Adobe Photoshop can easily cost more than $500.
There are certainly times when the old adage “you get what you pay for” is true, but when it comes to what’s available online, in many cases, that isn’t necessarily the case. There are hundreds of programs available that are released as “open source software.” What this means is that the source code of the program can be edited by anyone, but what this usually amounts to for the casual user is that you can download it and use it completely for free – and it’s perfectly legal.
Full article: Open source is legal software alternative