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Steve Coates
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Joined: 17 November 2014
Location: Canada
Posts: 798
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| Posted: 03 September 2024 at 6:43pm | IP Logged | 1
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Anyone using open source software? I'm looking for alternates for the big subscription bases software companies like Microsoft and Adobe.
I'd prefer something which doesn't require internet connections, subscriptions or constant updates to function.
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Dave Kopperman
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 27 December 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 3346
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| Posted: 03 September 2024 at 6:53pm | IP Logged | 2
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100% depends on what you want to do. Google covers most of Microsoft Office stuff online (and the formats are even compatible), but that's of course, online. But it is powerful and it is free.
There's a long-term open source Photoshop alternative called GimpShop that people who love such things love. As far as things like InDesign or Illustrator, no idea what's out there.
Edited by Dave Kopperman on 03 September 2024 at 6:54pm
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Steve Coates
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 17 November 2014
Location: Canada
Posts: 798
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| Posted: 03 September 2024 at 7:07pm | IP Logged | 3
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Thanks Dave!
To be clearer, I want personal experience advice.
Years ago a search of such things would result in first hand accounts, now every thing is "The 10 Best Photoshop Alternatives." by some large online magazine like PCWorld. Almost all of them live their life on-line and don't have any way to relate to someone who doesn't want to be connected and updated with the latest and greatest.
Software I'm looking to move away from are Photoshop, Illustrator, Acrobat (Professional), MSWord and MSExcel.
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Jason G. Michalski
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Joined: 03 June 2019
Location: United States
Posts: 101
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| Posted: 03 September 2024 at 7:24pm | IP Logged | 4
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Hi Steve,
OpenOffice is a local installation that allows you save your files offline like the early versions of the MS Office Suite. It's great and 100% free.
GIMP is an excellent free Photoshop alternative
Not sure about Illustrator. I've tried to find an open-source alternative to Adobe Standard and Professional and I've had no luck.
Hope this helps.
Jason
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Steve Coates
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 17 November 2014
Location: Canada
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| Posted: 03 September 2024 at 7:52pm | IP Logged | 5
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I tried GIMP some time ago (years). I found it a little tough, never got really into it. And I wasn't serious about changing. Not working much now and see no reason to keep giving Microsoft and Adobe my money.
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Athanasios Kollias
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Joined: 27 September 2021
Location: Greece
Posts: 290
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| Posted: 03 September 2024 at 10:01pm | IP Logged | 6
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Scribus is a neat InDesign alternative.
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Jason G. Michalski
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| Posted: 04 September 2024 at 1:33am | IP Logged | 7
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I tried GIMP some time ago (years). I found it a little tough, never got really into it. And I wasn't serious about changing. Not working much now and see no reason to keep giving Microsoft and Adobe my money.
******************
Then OpenOffice is probably your best option for a MS Office suite alternative that doesn't depend on a cloud solution.
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Michael Roberts
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Joined: 20 April 2004
Location: United States
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| Posted: 04 September 2024 at 1:57am | IP Logged | 8
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Not open source, but if you are looking to move away from Adobe’s subscription model, there’s Affinity, which is a $165 one-off payment for a suite of their equivalents of Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign.
Their free trial period is six months, which will give you enough time to figure out if it does what you need.
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Paul Reis
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Joined: 16 April 2004
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| Posted: 04 September 2024 at 4:24am | IP Logged | 9
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for Word, Excel, Powerpoint clones (as well as their own format) that you use/store offline: i recommend LibreOffice - i've used it for ages - (https://www.libreoffice.org/) - totally compatible with Microsoft programs, FREE - and easily automated / incorporated with many programming languages (if you go that way)
... just noticed - they have a LibreOffice vs OpenOffice comparison here https://www.libreoffice.org/discover/libreoffice-v s-openoffice/
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Mike Baswell
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Joined: 02 May 2004
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| Posted: 04 September 2024 at 11:53am | IP Logged | 10
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Pixlr is a good Photoshop alternative and Nitro Pro will serve most of your Acrobat needs, although its interface is clunky.
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Chris Blaise
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| Posted: 04 September 2024 at 12:25pm | IP Logged | 11
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I also hate the subscription based model.
It may not be helpful advice, but I've stuck with Adobe Creative Suite 5 and never went with their cloud service. I was able to install it on my current laptop when I purchased it last year. Obviously that may limit what you're able to do with newer features, but for my purposes I've not found a reasonable, functional alternative.
Also, if you pay for Microsoft Office desktop, you won't have to pay for it on an ongoing basis. I'm currently on Office 2021 and may follow what I've done with Adobe Creative Suite if what I've heard about the changes to the latest Outlook are true.
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Steve Coates
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 17 November 2014
Location: Canada
Posts: 798
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| Posted: 04 September 2024 at 1:38pm | IP Logged | 12
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Microsoft Office is a little more difficult to be rid of, as some of my clients use it, especially Teams for remote meetings and conferences.
I have software and computers from many years, so even if I cancel the Adobe subscription, I will still have access to older standalone application.
My greatest PMO is the constant calling home. I notice the lag in response with Photoshop and Acrobat even on small files.
Any move is going to be a long process, I have years and years of files locked into software. |
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