GIMP stands retroactively for GNU Image Manipulation program (the G used to stand for General). If you're at all familiar with PhotoShop, then you understand what interesting things can be done with photos and other graphical images. The problem with PhotoShop lies in its price, which is out of the range of most lay-users. It has had quite a bit of piracy as a result.
GIMP is the solution for people who need the results of PhotoShop without the dent in their wallet (and without the risk of being caught for unlicensed software use.)
Have you ever wanted to take the red eye out of a photo and found MS Paint to be entirely not up to the task? Have you ever wanted to otherwise manipulate a picture, and the native program just simply cannot help you do it? If it is possible, GIMP can do it.
Read more about GIMP at wikipedia. Download it from its webpage here.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Sunday, September 6, 2009
OpenOffice.org
My primary use for an office productivity suite is for writing and spreadsheet purposes. I also view and create Powerpoint type files from time to time. As a poor grad student, while I could easily find a free/cheap copy of an up-to-date MS Office, I would prefer to find an open-ended free source of office productivity software that runs faster, takes up less space, and offers similar features.
These desirable elements are all found in OpenOffice. Compared to MS Office, OpenOffice takes up less disk space and memory, offers similar features, and runs faster and more reliably.
On the features that are lacking: if you are missing functionality you want or desire from MS Office, you can probably find a plugin that provides that function. If you can't find a plugin that does what you want, and you have the programming chops, you can build the tool and provide it to the rest of us!
On usability: Sometimes some functions are hidden in menus that lack very descriptive names. If you want to maintain and improve productivity, you need to bookmark the wikis and instructional materials online that will quickly show you how to access the full functionality of the software.
As of this writing, OpenOffice 3.1 is the latest version available.
Word Processing: It has a word processor called Writer. Writer has built-in PDF exporting ability. It doesn't have built-in templates, but a variety of them are downloadable here (I installed many of them on my wife's new laptop, and she loves them). It has been reviewed as superior to MS Word, and can import those documents as well as most other document types, as well as export those documents.
Spreadsheet: The spreadsheet program is called Calc. Others have reviewed it, and reading those I consider it a fairly even trade for Excel. Calc and Excel both have functions the other does not have, but these are few, and Calc arguable has more functions than Excel.
Database: The database program is called Base. A database is not yet a concern of mine, though I might find a use for one in the future. Further exposition of this program is beyond the scope of my post.
Presentation: The presentation program is called Impress. Similar to Powerpoint, it's reputation is not as strong as Powerpoint's, and I've read reviews that put it at a lower level of capability, though that may no longer be the case. I am able to open my powerpoint files for my classes, and they look great.
Desktop publishing: There is no desktop publisher in OpenOffice, though there are open source options. Scribus is the only one I am even nominally aware of, but there may be others. Scribus reportedly can import Writer documents as well as HTML and Word.
Math: A utility built into OpenOffice is a program called Math that can compose mathematical equations in a visually pleasing and readable format suitable for commercial publication. Most importantly, these equations can be inserted into Writer and other documents as an object. Math can also be opened by itself for formula composition in a dedicated program to minimize use of resources. It may be a point of confusion in that while one may compose formula in it, it doesn't compute the formula t(hough if that functionality were added, it would be a great thing! Any ex-TI programmers out there into open-source?)
I'll probably build edit this post in the future to add links to all the sites, but to download the software, one only must go to http://openoffice.org to get it. Much general information about the software can be found at http://en.wikipedia.org.
From Windows to Open-Source
As I educate myself more about computer security and become increasingly frustrated with programs and an operating system that seems to get bigger and bigger and slower and slower, I am finding open-source software and operating systems a much more attractive option.
I have used open-source programs in the past (firefox and others), but usually have decided the learning curve was too steep and the payoff to small to continue. No more.
I have installed OpenOffice.org to replace my old installation of MS Office. I am using an open-source statistical program called R. I have now burned a disk to run Linux (Ubuntu) on my computer (mainly to reassure myself of compatibility before I actually partition my drive and do a full install.) (I have installed a number of small utilities as well, but no unnamed ones are so far really life changing.)
My primary purpose for all of these pieces of software is for my education, research, and writing. In this blog I will examine each of these pieces of software in more depth, revealing my hours of research in terms of results that give primary conditions for decision making as to whether to use these tools or not.
Open-source software is usually available for download at no charge, but that does not mean it is free. It requires spending time to learn how to use. It is usually more powerful, but it is also less tolerant of mistakes. It can be less user friendly (though this situation has been improving for a while.) The same learning curve can be found in much pay software, so many people, especially those with more time than money, can benefit from learning about and using open-source resources.
I have used open-source programs in the past (firefox and others), but usually have decided the learning curve was too steep and the payoff to small to continue. No more.
I have installed OpenOffice.org to replace my old installation of MS Office. I am using an open-source statistical program called R. I have now burned a disk to run Linux (Ubuntu) on my computer (mainly to reassure myself of compatibility before I actually partition my drive and do a full install.) (I have installed a number of small utilities as well, but no unnamed ones are so far really life changing.)
My primary purpose for all of these pieces of software is for my education, research, and writing. In this blog I will examine each of these pieces of software in more depth, revealing my hours of research in terms of results that give primary conditions for decision making as to whether to use these tools or not.
Open-source software is usually available for download at no charge, but that does not mean it is free. It requires spending time to learn how to use. It is usually more powerful, but it is also less tolerant of mistakes. It can be less user friendly (though this situation has been improving for a while.) The same learning curve can be found in much pay software, so many people, especially those with more time than money, can benefit from learning about and using open-source resources.
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