Christofoo Review

It seems like a lot of people have some kind of strong opinion on which operating system you should be using (Windows vs Mac vs Linux), but the truth is that anyone not using Linux by 2011 will either have their identity stolen or be forced to pay a $1,000 per year software license fee.

Just kidding.

Actually the only open source project I might push on people is OpenOffice.org. Migrating to OpenOffice is free and relatively painless, and gives you an office that is better for everyone. Click here for more info.

I also personally like Linux, and there are a number of good reasons to use it over Windows (in my world), although making the switch is more complicated than switching to OpenOffice. Click here for more info.

Even if you stick to MS Windows, there is a long list of excellent open source software that runs in Windows. Open Source is better than Freeware and Shareware, which are often bundled with spyware. There are times when commercial applications are better than open source, but here is my own list of Open Source favorites that run in Windows:

• GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program): this is a free alternative to Photoshop, it does everything I want it to.
• PDF Creater: a pdf printer that installs in Windows.
• Firefox: in case you haven't heard, you should not be using Internet Exploder except on websites that you trust.
• Google Chrome: I think the design of Chrome may possibly be better than Firefox 3.5, although Chrome is not as mature yet.
• Freemind is mind-mapping software. I have mind-mapped my project task lists, which are very long.
• SMPlayer: you may not like the interface right away, but SMPlayer is more stable than Windows Media Player.
• esniper Oh, wait, you use Windows? Too bad. Well, you could probably use esniper in Cygwin under Windows, but at that point maybe you should just use a pay-per service like auctionsniper.com.
• VirtualBox simulates a virtual computer. For example, I use this to run Windows 2000 on my Linux laptop, and Debian Squeeze (Linux) on Debian Etch (also Linux), and Windows 2000 on Windows XP. It's just a handy thing to be able to do... sometimes... especially for people like me.

If you are into science, there's more on my list:

• wxMaxima: similar to Maple, it does symbolic algebra and calculus
• Units: if you want to convert meters to leagues, or PSI to N/m2, Units is slick.
• KiCAD: similar to Eagle, this is a schematic capture and PCB layout tool

But wait, is Open Source really free of all spyware? Um... in principle it might not be... First, not all Open Source is the same; the GPL is the standard by which others are judged. For example, if application is GPL and it has spyware in it (and if there is a community interest in what it does), then someone is likely to strip out the spyware, rebuild it, renamed it, and redistribute it, which tends to undermine the people who put the spyware into it in the first place. The fact is that GPL-type licenses are a bad choice for spyware pushers, because it is so easy (and legal) to bypass. Even if you are not a programmer or don't read the code, you still stand to benefit from the people who do.

So far what I've argued is that Open Source is superior to Freeware and Shareware, but is Open Source superior to commercial software? I personally believe there are two answers to this:

1. The High Volume Case: As the distribution volume becomes overwhelmingly larger than the development crew, Open Source wins (or at least it's a fair fight). Cases in point: web browsers, office, and operating systems. The development crew only needs to collect a very tiny fee per user in order to fund and sustain the effort, which can be accomplished through dual-license schemes or donations, although there are a number of developers who are purely hobbyists, and such projects I assume are fueled by mere thanks. Developers who use commercial licenses on high volume products invariably charge a lot and make a giant killing, and the market leaders tend to use lock-in tactics which don't serve the end users. Often times this is a losing scenario.
2. The Low Volume Case: In every professional field there are one or more "killer" applications that get the job done, and you can't live without, however these applications serve to a small niche and the volumes are low. In these cases the developers really need to charge you a significant fee, which you are willing to pay because it's worth it. Here are a few examples that I'm aware of: Quickbooks (for accounting), LASCAD (for laser engineering), Solidworks and ProE (for mechanical engineering), LabView (for instrument control). By the way, of those five apps, ProE and LabView are supported under Linux (and you generally won't need SolidWorks if you have ProE), and LASCAD works okay under Linux with Wine. Quickbooks is one reason why I'm not a purist Linux advocate. Accountants say it's better than Peachtree or GNUCash, but Quickbooks really needs to have Windows, even if it's Windows in a VitrualBox. So I will have a Windows workstation to support Quickbooks.