Open Source Alternatives to Major Name Brand Programs:
Get the functionality you need without spending a huge amount!

Open Office - A free productivity suite, very comparable to Microsoft Office.
Thunderbird - A good email program, compare to Outlook.
Gimp - An excellent free photo editing program, compare to Photoshop.
Inkscape - An awesome free graphic design program.
Ubuntu - A totally free and reliable Linux based operating system that is secure and very easy to use. This has both client and server variants.

Media Programs:
VLC Media Player - It's free, open source, and it plays everything!
Sharepod - Allows you to remove music from your iPod, and store it on your computer.

Open Source or Free System Utilities:
Cobian Backup - An excellent free program for automated backups of vital files.
Spybot, Search and Destroy - This is an excellent free spyware removal program.
Malwarebytes - Another excellent malware removal program with a free option.
AVG Free - A good, simple anti virus solution with regular updates.
Priform CCleaner - An excellent free regular cleanup, maintenance, and privacy program.
HDClone - Drive cloning software with a free version
Recuva - Recover accidentally deleted files with this software.

Low Cost or Free Business Utilities:
AVG Anti-Virus Business Edition - Starting at $34.99 per license, this is a great program for basic business protection. We have implemented it in many Client-Server environments, and have a very high success rate in supporting this software.
Ubuntu Server - A free and very powerful server operating system. Difficult to operate, but highly secure.




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