www.public-software.in
Public Software for the Public Sector
FOSS applications
FOSS alternatives to Proprietary Software
Application area
Proprietary
Free software*
Download
Operating system
Microsoft Windows
Ubuntu GNU-Linux
http://www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu/download
Word Processor
Microsoft Office - Word
OpenOffice.org - Writer
http://download.openoffice.org/index.html
Spread Sheet
Microsoft Office – Excel
OpenOffice.org - Calc
http://download.openoffice.org/index.html
Presentation
Microsoft Office – Powerpoint
OpenOffice.org - Impress
http://download.openoffice.org/index.html
Email client
Microsoft Outlook
Mozilla Thunderbird
http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/
Internet Browser
Microsoft Internet Explorer
Mozilla Firefox
http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/
Archiving
Win-zip
7-zip, Peapod
http://www.7-zip.org/download.html
Media
Windows Media Player
VLC Player, MPlayer
http://www.videolan.org/
Graphics
Adobe Photoshop
GIMP
http://www.gimp.org/downloads/
PDF
Adobe Acrobat
PDF-edit
http://pdfedit.petricek.net/en/download.html
* There are alternatives as well to the products suggested here. for e.g. there are other GNU/Linux distributions as well - Debian, Fedora, Mandrake etc
Multinational vendors often suggest that private software is of 'good quality' and has 'support' and training facilities, whereas free software is of poor quality, is unreliable and has no training or support facilities. However this generalisation is unfounded and simply based on the fact that most people have not used or been exposed to available alternatives. The majority of software purchased in India (and elsewhere) is the operating system of the computer coupled with an office automation package. In this respect, free software is as good as proprietary software. The Governments of many countries have taken specific policy decision to go for Open Office and GNU/Linux. In India, Kerala and Tamil Nadu and many other states have taken clear policy decision to opt for free softwares like Open Office and GNU/Linux. The table above gives some of these options
|
Application area
|
Proprietary
|
Free software*
|
Download
|
| Operating system | Microsoft Windows | Ubuntu GNU-Linux | http://www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu/download |
| Word Processor | Microsoft Office - Word | OpenOffice.org - Writer | http://download.openoffice.org/index.html |
| Spread Sheet | Microsoft Office – Excel | OpenOffice.org - Calc | http://download.openoffice.org/index.html |
| Presentation | Microsoft Office – Powerpoint | OpenOffice.org - Impress | http://download.openoffice.org/index.html |
| Email client | Microsoft Outlook | Mozilla Thunderbird | http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/ |
| Internet Browser | Microsoft Internet Explorer | Mozilla Firefox | http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/ |
| Archiving | Win-zip | 7-zip, Peapod | http://www.7-zip.org/download.html |
| Media | Windows Media Player | VLC Player, MPlayer | http://www.videolan.org/ |
| Graphics | Adobe Photoshop | GIMP | http://www.gimp.org/downloads/ |
| Adobe Acrobat | PDF-edit | http://pdfedit.petricek.net/en/download.html |
* There are alternatives as well to the products suggested here. for e.g. there are other GNU/Linux distributions as well - Debian, Fedora, Mandrake etc
Multinational vendors often suggest that private software is of 'good quality' and has 'support' and training facilities, whereas free software is of poor quality, is unreliable and has no training or support facilities. However this generalisation is unfounded and simply based on the fact that most people have not used or been exposed to available alternatives. The majority of software purchased in India (and elsewhere) is the operating system of the computer coupled with an office automation package. In this respect, free software is as good as proprietary software. The Governments of many countries have taken specific policy decision to go for Open Office and GNU/Linux. In India, Kerala and Tamil Nadu and many other states have taken clear policy decision to opt for free softwares like Open Office and GNU/Linux. The table above gives some of these options
Digital archiving of audio content through FOSS
UNESCO releases manual for community radio managers
12-03-2009 (New Delhi)
UNESCO Office in New Delhi has published Digital archiving of audio content using WINISIS and Greenstone software: a manual for community radio managers. This self-instructional handbook is aimed at helping managers of community and FM radio stations, public service broadcasting agencies and any other organizations that deal with audio files create prototype archives of digital audio documents.
12-03-2009 (New Delhi)
UNESCO Office in New Delhi has published Digital archiving of audio content using WINISIS and Greenstone software: a manual for community radio managers. This self-instructional handbook is aimed at helping managers of community and FM radio stations, public service broadcasting agencies and any other organizations that deal with audio files create prototype archives of digital audio documents.
