Computer users may spend hundreds of dollars to equip their machines with software. But thanks to freeware and open source software that can rival high-priced software, those on a student budget may not have to choose between buying a software program and eating.
Freeware and open source software are both free programs but the primary difference is that open source allows anyone to see and modify the program’s code whereas freeware products may be owned only by a specific company.
Sam Crow, an EMU Computer Lab student tech assistant, said the application OpenOffice could help students do their schoolwork, such as viewing and writing Microsoft Word-compatible files, PowerPoint presentations or Excel spreadsheets. OpenOffice comes from the StarOffice productivity suite created by Sun Microsystems for the Linux
open source operating system but has since expanded to an open source option for Windows and Mac operating systems.
Crow said many students can get along fine with an entirely open source and freeware computer set-up by using a Linux operating system and OpenOffice, which can accomplish most students’ tasks. For PC users Crow also recommends OpenOffice, but he thinks the
out-of-the-box AppleWorks suite functions better than OpenOffice for Mac users.
However, Crow said many student users may be discouraged from complex installations and lack of familiarity with the user interface, particularly with Linux, which has many variations or environments that can affect the user interface or may have completely different ways of navigating from Windows or Mac systems. But there are Linux environments that are similar to the Windows XP interface — SUSE and Mandrake from Red Hat in particular are available commercially, for a price.
University students can also benefit from picking up the DuckWare CD from the Microcomputer Services helpdesk at 151 McKenzie. The DuckWare CD contains many freeware programs including OpenOffice and the CD-burning software BurnAtOnce, which makes copying data onto a CD as easy as dragging and dropping the desired data onto the CD icon. Other sites like www.download.com and www.tucows.com list programs in every category and gives users the option to look only at free programs.
Business major Craig Cooper said when he bought his PC laptop, the only software he purchased for it was Microsoft Office.
“My PC came with a Microsoft word processor but when I got the computer, I upgraded and bought the Office Professional Edition so that I could get Excel and Powerpoint too,” Cooper said. “Those are important for me because I’m a business major.”
Cooper said he was discouraged from getting more software because of the high price of many programs and also because he had no need for extra programs. But that hasn’t stopped Cooper from downloading full programs from peer-to-peer Web sites that let users download entire programs with registration codes so they can use the product as if they had bought it in the stores.
“I usually try and find the
software instead of buying it, but usually you run into problems and it’s not as easy to find a good source,” Cooper said.
Holly Jones, a journalism major who recently bought an Apple iBook, said she also only bought Microsoft Office for Mac and said the only other product she’d buy is Photoshop. Her iBook is mainly used for basic work on campus and listening to music at home. Jones said if she wanted software and couldn’t pay for it, she would not try to download it because she would not know where to look and because downloading computer software is wrong.
But thanks to the educational discount software the University Bookstore provides for faculty and students, the high prices that may steer some students clear of software are marked down to be more affordable, Aaron Shelton, the computer division manager at the bookstore said.
“I see many students in here buying software after they get a refund check from Financial Aid and they use the money to buy computer accessories and software,” Shelton said. “Software discounts usually depend on the manufacturer but it’s usually about half off of what it usually sells for.”
Among the highest software purchases is Microsoft Office, which packages Word, Excel and PowerPoint for students who need word processing, spreadsheet and presentation software. The package typically retails for just below $400 but sells at the University Bookstore for only $150.
Apart from Microsoft Office, Shelton said the next biggest seller is Adobe Creative Suite, which packages Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign software together and usually sells for $1,000 — at the Bookstore, the Creative Suite is $400.

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