Blog 10: Awesome Linux Apps!

So you’re considering switching to Linux from Windows or Mac, but you’re not sure it’s such a good idea because the operating system may not be compatible with various mainstream programs. Well, don’t let this stop you. After searching through various Linux/Unix websites, I found a plethora of programs available to you, many of them FREE! And the fact that they’re free is just the icing on the cake.

Let’s start with the OpenOffice.org suite. This office suite comes loaded with great, useful software. The suite contains Writer, Calc, Impress, Draw, and Base. Writer is similar to Microsoft Office’s Word program, but it’s even better because it is absolutely free! The Calc program is like Microsoft’s Excel Spreadsheet; Impress is PowerPoint’s equivalent; Draw is similar to Paint, although I must admit, it seems to have more tools and options than does Paint; and finally, Base reminds me of Access. All in all, OpenOffice.org is the free version of Microsoft Office…need I say more? For a nice review on OpenOffice.org, see the video at the end of this post. OpenOffice.org is available here.

Next is a program so wonderful, you’ll wonder why you don’t already have it installed on your machine—Virtual Box. Virtual Box is a program that works like VMware Fusion. It allows you to run a separate instance of an operating system, within a window on your main hard disk. This could be useful in a variety of ways, such as running Windows on a Mac, OS X on Windows, or either of those operating systems on a Linux machine. This provides users with a variety of options where they are not limited by the current operating system they currently run. What’s the best part of this software? Two things: it runs on Windows, Linux, Mac, and OpenSolaris, AND, you guessed it, IT’S FREE! I downloaded this bad boy as soon as I found it. I have included a video covering how to use this program, down below. Virtual Box is available here.

Finally, we arrive at my all time favorite program: Dropbox! This is probably the best invention ever conceived. It was created by the brilliant minds over at MIT and has since become one of the most excellent programs I have ever used. I have embedded a video about this down below. It explains what it’s all about and why it’s good to have. In a nutshell, Dropbox synchronizes any files you select and makes them accessible to you over the net, on your PC, or even your PHONE! It is an incredible find and I highly recommend it. I have personally used it on group projects at school and the workplace. It takes the stress off of the possibility of losing your files because it basically removes this possibility. This tool is available free of charge for the first 2GB. However, you can receive an additional FREE 250MB of space by using this link when you choose to sign up: https://www.dropbox.com/referrals/NTU1NzcyMTk?src=global0 or http://db.tt/DVNeD6G

Here is a screenshot of Dropbox running on my PC (at left). And below, there is a screenshot of Dropbox running online. As you can see, it is easily accessible to you no matter where you may be. It is truly a "must have" program. The main dropbox website is available here.




The world of Linux has so much to offer, these programs are only the tip of one humongous iceberg! 

~~~