Microsoft sells their new operating system, Windows Vista Ultimate for roughly $250. They also sell their Office Ultimate package for over $500. And if you need a good graphics program, then you can pick up Adobe Photoshop CS3 for $650. But if you really intend to run the latest versions of those software packages, then you better be prepared to also buy a new and faster computer for those applications from Microsoft or Adobe.

But there is another way, and you will be pleasantly surprised at the cost. All three of those useful programs are available for free as near equivalent freeware programs. Freeware is similar to shareware, but completely free, without any limited trial restrictions. Freeware is written by volunteer programmers, and some large and sophisticated applications are written by teams of volunteer programmers collaborating together. There are literally thousands of freeware programs, but the most valuable programs needed on every machine are the operating system, an office suite, and a graphic editing program.

Operating System - Use Linux instead of windows. There are several versions available of the free Linux operating system, but my new favorite is Ubuntu. It is freely available for download in either the desktop version or the server version direct from the Ubuntu website. There is even free online documentation and user forum support available. From the Ubuntu website:

Ubuntu is and always will be free of charge. You do not pay any licensing fees. You can download, use and share Ubuntu with your friends, family, school or business for absolutely nothing. Everything you need comes on one CD, providing a complete working environment. Additional software is available online. The graphical installer enables you to get up and running quickly and easily. A standard installation should take less than 25 minutes. Once installed your system is immediately ready-to-use. On the desktop you have a full set of productivity, internet, drawing and graphics applications, and games.

Office Suite - Open Office is a free multiplatform and multilingual office suite and an open-source project. It is compatible with all other major office suites, is free to download and free to use. It is also remarkably similar to the Microsoft applications (prior to the new version with those annoying ribbons!), so learning it will be a breeze. You can download it free at the open office website.

Graphic editing - GIMP is an acronym for GNU Image Manipulation Program. It is a freely distributed program for such tasks as photo retouching, image composition and image authoring. The list of features is very extensive, and even photoshop power users will be pleasantly surprised with the performance from Gimp. It can be downloaded free of charge from the Gimp website.