7 Step Consulting

Using Open Source to Lower Working Costs

I am a huge fan of using open source software to make yourself more productive and to lower your working costs.

Here’s a list of things I use to blog for this website that are free or open source:

• Linux. I currently run Kubuntu, a version of Ubuntu, on my laptop. Cost? Free.
• A lot of the following programs come installed on Ubuntu/Kubuntu, but are still available for you Windows users out there:
  • Firefox. Why have a terrible internet experience with IE? I absolutely love Firefox and have been using it for years.
  • Gmail. Access your e-mail anywhere. Just remember to POP/IMAP a backup to your computer once per month. I lost access to my Gmail account for a weekend a while back. It was a rough day with a lot of panic. I did a backup immediately after I got access.
  • Every other Google tool.
  • Open Office. It’s like Microsoft Office, but absolutely free. There are not many details missing that you would notice compared to Office. A great, great tool.
  • WordPress. Of course if you are into blogging, you need a blogging platform. WordPress is free to install on your hosted server space. The most flexible and popular tool out there. Good stuff.

That’s just the beginning of this list, but I use the above tools every day. What about you?