Switching from Windows to Linux: an app-centric view

David M Williams
Monday, 03 September 2007 11:00

Business IT - Open Source

Previously in ITWire we put forth the view that one reason people stick to Windows is because they have to run specific applications that only exist for that platform. We’d like to introduce you to two tremendous web sites which help find open source equivalents for proprietary Windows software.

One obvious example is Microsoft Word. This single piece of software could well be the #1 Windows app of all time but yet there’s no version of Microsoft Word for Linux. However, although Word itself does not come in a Linux flavour, the actual task Word performs – namely word processing – is effortlessly reproduced in several packages, the best-known being OpenOffice.

Another good example is dia, which serves as a tremendous open source diagramming and flowcharting tool for those who would ordinarily seek to use Microsoft Visio. Although dia has been available for several years and is completely free, it has not received significant publicity. Consequently, people who depend on this functionality possibly have not considered operating system alternatives to Windows.

We here at ITWire want to help anyone with this dilemma, and ensure people have all the information available that helps them determine which operating system is best for them, on the most level playing field possible.

Here’s two excellent web sites that help in this mission. The first, LinuxAppFinder, strives to make known new open source apps, categorising them by functionality. The second, osalt (“Open Source as alternative”) lists open-source apps according to the proprietary Windows application which is most similar.

We’ll discuss these two sites, then use them to find recommendations for switching from two very well-known and popular commercial programs: Adobe Photoshop and DreamWeaver.