FREE SOFTWARE RESOURCES
Stephen
Filarsky ART CAREER EXPERTS
As an
artist in business, you have income and expenses. Your goal is to keep as much of your income as you can. After
all, the work you do is not to enrich Microsoft or Adobe, Windsor Newton or Golden Acrylics! So to help you in that
goal, here is some information about saving money (lots!) on software.
When I
booted up that first computer back in 1996, I wanted to know how everything worked.
The whole
concept was brand new and I wanted to know all about the drawing and photo editing programs. Every new program
required learning new skills and developing new ways to think. I tried to think like the machine. ( They say that
you have to think like a fish to catch one. I have tried thinking like a fish, but I still don't catch
any.)
After a
while, the glitches weren't opportunities to learn more, but problems that had to be solved. The software became
more and more complex. They started coming out with features that I didn't use for more and more money. New
software became something to dread. By the time I paid for it, installed it and then figured it out, I was just
back to where I had started! .
So I
became a advocate of appropriate technology.
Appropriate Technology is a fancy name for an old concept. Use what you have or, “If it ain't
broke, don't fix it!”
I tried to
avoid updating programs that worked fine and still did what I needed. For instance, I still use Photoshop Elements
3 ( Adobe is now on 7) and CorelDraw Photopaint 7 ( copyright 1996 ) I get by well with them for what I need to do
in those programs.
I used the
same thinking of appropriate technology when I needed a word processor that I could use to communicate with mac
users. A database was required to keep track of our clients collectors and prospects
So what to
do? I looked at Microsoft Office but it is still retailing for just under $400. Now as artists, everything we
purchase means that an art product of ours has to be sold. I think long and hard before shelling out chunks of
money for something I might not need. There is a tendency in this computer age to “get it
all!”
It so
happens that in the course of corresponding with friends, the solution presented itself! We had sent emails with
attachments to them using our free Microsoft Works program. But, they could not open them on their Mac computers!
They suggested I try OpenOffice.org.
I had
heard of it but hadn't really looked into it. To my pleasant surprise, the files open in Mac or Windows. And the
suite includes a word processor, a database, a spreadsheet, a presentation program, a drawing program and a program
for mathematical formulas. Quite an impressive list and these are full featured programs.
So, how
much for this program? Zero! Zilch! $0. You can download it for free at OpenOffice.org
OpenOffice.org
3 is the leading open-source office software suite for word
processing, spreadsheets, presentations, graphics, databases and more. It is available in
many languages and works on all common computers. It stores all your data in
an international open standard format and can also read and write files from other common
office software packages. It can be downloaded and used completely free of charge for
any purpose
So get in the habit of working with Appropriate Technology! Save your money! Don't spend if you don't have to. And don't buy more
technology that you will not use. |
OpenOffice.org and check it out. Save some big
money on software!
|