Open source desktop software - pros & cons 0
In my pile of new (electronic) “to read” items, I noticed that Inc.com published a few articles about the pros and cons of using open source software.
Own the Code
The Open-Source Advantage
The Hidden Costs of Open Source
Although, for the most part the Inc.com articles explore open source enterprise software (the stuff you use to run a company), I’m mostly interested in desktop applications. I do think these articles are worthwhile to get a perspective on where enterprise software is going - and how open source fits into the business and technology trends.
Loyal ScrappyUntechie readers know that I’m a big open source software fan. Open source software is typically FREE. Popular open source software usually has a bunch of groupies (developers) willing and able to provide bug fixes, enhancements, add-ons, and customizations - much of it for FREE and some of it for a nominal cost.
Here are a few comprehensive directories of open source applications:
SourceForge.net - Software Map
OSDir.com - Open Source Software Directory
Free Software Foundation - Free Software Directory
Google Directory - Open Source Software
Or, to test the water, here are a couple of the big players in the open source space who have relatively stable, reliable products. In other words, you probably can ditch your current software and still be OK.
Mozilla.org Products - web browsing, email
OpenOffice.org Product Suite - word processing, spreadsheet, presentation, database, drawing
Here are my pros and cons of open source - oriented towards you making an informed decision when to embrace open source and when to avoid it.
Open Source - Pros (when to consider open source)
* When you or your organization has significant financial constraints…
Open source applications are usually FREE or close to it. For a small business, this can mean saving hundreds of dollars in software licenses - or thousands of dollars if you have several computers. If you can’t afford to spend money on fee-based software, look at the open source alternatives to free up your funds for other purposes.
* When you have a lot of computers or some computers that are used for very generic purposes…
Open source tends to be ideal for large institutions with lots of computers (for example, schools, libraries, or nonprofits) that could not even conceive of allocating so much of their limited resources for software. For smaller entities, if you have a PC as an emergency backup, reserved for guest use, or for classroom training - you should seriously consider whether it is worth purchasing a lot of software for those PCs. Open source software can give you the flexibility to use traditional desktop applications on those PCs without investing a dime in software.
* When you need to use an application infrequently…
When you use an application once or twice, you can usually get away with installing a trial version and letting the trial period expire after 30 says. If you need comparable functionality once a month or so and don’t see the benefit to buying the fee-based application for such infrequent use, open source can be the answer.
* When you’re not afraid (or even like) to ask questions in online forums…
Open source applications tend to attract users and techies who like to help out one another. You’ll usually see busy online forums with people posting questions - and, in many cases, quickly getting answers. Traditional fee-based software doesn’t seem to build the same community of enthusiastic supporters. (If, on the other hand, you’re ok with contacting that big software company in Washington state for help with their applications, by all means… enjoy. I have never found them to be as responsive as the open source community.)
* When you’re not afraid of an occasional bug (or bug fix)…
Don’t let bugs in open source applications scare you. It’s not that there are more bugs; folks involved with open source are more willing to release quick, frequent patches to fix bugs than sellers of traditional fee-based software. You may even find yourself reporting a bug once in a while to help improve the products, once you get the hand of open source.
* When you like to customize your software (or remove quirks)…
Nearly every open source application out there has numerous loyal developers who create add-ins, plug-ins, hacks, templates, and you name it! If something does not work the way you want it to work, there tends to be someone else out there who not only had the same problem, they wrote code to fix it. Bear in mind, when you install this free code, there is no guarantee that it will work. (There is no guarantee that the software developed in Washington state will be flawless either.) Mozilla Firefox web browser is one of the best examples of having numerous FREE, reliable add-ins available.
* When you need to see how your applications or emails open using other programs…
If you or your company design websites, emails, or other content that people view using their PCs, you should have a lot of the most popular open source software on your computer. Why? You need to make sure that the content and formats that you’re using work well with the most popular open source software. Not every software out there… just the big ones at a minimum.
Open Source - Cons (when to avoid open source)
* When you need to prepare content for external consumption…
If you need to share documents or contents with others in specific file formats - with precise formatting or performance, open source alternatives may not be right for you - even if the open source software claims to be fully compatible. For example, if you have to send a resume in Microsoft Word (.doc) format, I would be reluctant to prepare the document in OpenOffice.org Writer and save it as a .doc file. I’ve tried that with resumes and it’s not always pretty. (Sure. You can send everything as an Adobe PDF - only under the assumption that they will never need to edit it on the other end (or have the software to do so). If your company or client uses templates designed for a specific application, be careful about using open source alternatives instead.
* When your clients require you to use perfectly compatible software…
Some clients have requirements related to compatibility, file formats, security, or use of their networks. Make sure you don’t break the rules - because it can only come back to bite you later if there was a problem because you used any software (open source or fee-based) in violation of their IT standards. Ask questions when you start work with a new client to be on the safe side.
* When you don’t want to learn about different file formats…
Although many open source applications use (or can use) the same file formats as their traditional fee-based competitors, the open source applications sometimes also have their own file formats - or the structure of the data they store is different. You may never need to learn about all this… however, if you accidentally save something in the “wrong” format or someone sends you something in the wrong format, be prepared to figure out how to convert it.
* When you’re afraid of change…
If it’s going to drive you nuts that the menus and buttons are in different places than what you’re used to using, stay away from open source (or anything new, for that matter). Often, open source applications either have to do things differently in order to avoid patent conflicts or because they developers are actually trying to make the program easier to use than the fee-based competitor.
* When it will annoy your company’s IT staff or tech support…
Don’t violate company policies or annoy your tech support if you don’t have good reason to do so. They’re willing to help - when you follow the rules. If you rely on internal tech support or you use a PC owned by someone else, check with the IT department to make sure that they will still help you if something goes wrong. (The same could be true, however, with installing traditional fee-based software that the IT department will not support.)
* When you’re scared stiff that a program might crash…
I can’t say that open source software is any less reliable than traditional fee-based software. If, however, you could not stand walking down a different path than those around you (less and less different everyday), open source is not for you. In my opinion, for example, Mozilla Thunderbird crashes more often than Microsoft Outlook. Well, sort of. Microsoft Outlook seems to lock up PCs more often (so you have to completely shut down), whereas Mozilla Thunderbird crashes with no consequence other than reopening the program. Your choice.
Still skeptical about open source? Take a look at what Information Week reported about the European Union finding comparable productivity between fee-based and open source software. No surprise there.
Please add any questions or first-hand observations as comments on the blog. It’s great to hear what your experience with open source software has been.
All is well.

























