Many don't know that there are compelling open source software solutions for Microsoft Windows. Besides the free and open source Mozilla Firefox web browser, which is widely known, used and definitely part of this top 10 list, there are many more undiscovered FOSS-on-Windows treasures and Randall Kennedy with itbusiness.ca has picked out another 9 applications he believes all Window users must have.

FileZilla

A full-featured Windows FTP client, FileZilla makes interacting with FTP sites an efficient, productive process, Kennedy writes, advising users to look past the ancient exterior and discover one of the most powerful FTP clients available on Windows, Mac OS X, or Linux.

VirtualBox

Considered a serious contender in the classic desktop virtualization space due to Sun's development of the technology originally created by InnoTek GmbH, VirtualBox means "there really is no reason ever to pay for desktop virtualization software again," Kennedy advises. "VirtualBox 3.0 is that good."

OpenOffice.org

This full-featured office productivity suite is designed to compete with commercial solutions from Microsoft and SoftMaker, as well as SaaS offerings from Google and Zoho. Kennedy does mention a lack of reliable import/export capability for Microsoft-formatted files as one reason hindering adoption of OpenOffice.org. Otherwise, it is a powerful business productivity solution.

Firefox

More than 30 percent of Web surfers run some version of the Firefox browser, cites Kennedy, who says this is an attestant to its quality and the power of public perception since Mozilla.org is not using traditional advertising methods. Firefox is noted as the example of what a community-oriented development process can achieve.

Paint.net

This solution is freely available, but without source code. Nonetheless, the article describes it as a hidden gem. Paint.net possesses sophisticated image editing capabilities, including layers and a complete plug-in system for adding image effects and support for various file types.

Media Player Classic

Kennedy affirms this as a must-have tool for those serious about media. He prescribes: "Simply download MPC from its SourceForge.net Web site and run the program (no installer is required). You are immediately able to play a variety of formats, including MPEG/MPEG-2/MPEG-4, DivX, Xvid, and CD/VCD/DVD media -- all without installing any external codecs."

TrueCrypt

It provides many of the same features as Microsoft's BitLocker -- full disk encryption with separate key-based recovery -- and more like true pre-boot encryption of all volumes. For Kennedy, TrueCrypt is actually better than BitLocker for many reasons: support for more encryption protocols, more varied encryption scenarios (such as hidden volumes), more flexibility in how and when you can encrypt data, on-the-fly handling of volume encryption, option to create a decoy file system volume in parallel to the primary one, and works on virtually any modern NT-based variation of the Windows OS as well as Mac OS X and Linux. Overall, this FOSS utility is flexible, offers broad platform support and is supported by an active development community.

PDFCreator

Hosted on the SourceForge Web site, PDFCreator installs as a virtual printer driver under Windows, allowing for the dynamic generation of PDF output from virtually any Windows application. A broad range of Adobe PDF options are supported. Kennedy concludes its "a great alternative to Adobe's pricey Acrobat product."

7-Zip

7-Zip, according to Kennedy, is everything you could ever want in a basic file compression solution. It's got speed, reliability, and supports a wide range of formats.

ClamWin

This anti-virus solution provides a somewhat comprehensive shield against the majority of common malware threats. It does not offer real-time execution monitoring and a manual scan needs to be initiated. Suggested for veteran users needing a good basic level of protection.

FOSS-on-WINDOWS

"There's no doubt about it, the FOSS-on-Windows landscape is full of hidden gems waiting for you to discover. Some, like TrueCrypt and VirtualBox, are real diamonds in the rough: enterprise-grade solutions that deliver many of the same bells and whistles of their commercial brethren, but for free," Kennedy concludes. "Others, like Firefox and OpenOffice.org, are already legendary, and their strong followings ensure their continued development and support at levels that rival the best proprietary solutions. If your idea of open source is limited to Linux and Firefox, you really owe it to yourself to check out some of the tools detailed above."

More Information

10 must-have free, open source software downloads for Windows - Kennedy's article [...read more...]

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