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Posts Tagged ‘Linux’

Abiword–Open source alternative to MS Word

Abiword is a free/open source word processor application. It looks very similar to MS Word and comes with a plethora of features like spell checking, interactive rulers and tabs, styles, fine and replace and image support. It is also compatible to some extent with MS Word and can open RTF and .doc files. The software is very lean and has low memory footprint.

Abiword is definitely an alternative to costly products such as the MS Office suite. It is also a good alternative to OpenOffice which requires better hardware to run. Abiword can be installed on all Linux distributions.

When it comes to the interface, the software is very simple and straightforward. The learning curve is very low and the user can become very well versed with the software is just a few hours of using it. Additional functionalities can be added to the software by using plugins.

Abiword supports multiple languages. It can also check spellings and grammar in these languages–required foreign language dictionaries can be installed during software installation.

Abiword is available for Windows, Linux and FreeBSD. Since the software is open source, it is also be compile and install the software from source on all these platforms.

The latest version of Abiword features several improvements. It now integrates with AbiCollab Web service which allows users to share documents easily.

[Download Abiword: http://www.abisource.com/]

If you are like the average computer user, you will have very limited idea about Linux. For most average computer users, a computer is all about the various flavors of  Windows. However, there is more to computers than Windows alone. If you are curious, Linux may just be the operating system for you to tinker, play and learn with. However, Linux is a bit difficult to use at first. And this is what stops most people from opting for this free, versatile and flexible operating system.

Linux (pronounced LI-nuks or LI-nooks) is a free computer operating system. Actually, Linux is just the kernel i.e. the core of the operating system. Most Linux distros contain thousands of free software applications. Linux is open source software. This means that the underlying code is freely available for everyone to view, modify and distribute (even sell!). You may be aware that computer applications are developed using a programming language. Operating systems are no exceptions.

Migrating from Windows to Linux can be a bit daunting. If you are used to the user interface provided by Windows, you will have to put in some effort to get used to the new interface. Linux distributions commonly contain more than one user interface. For example, you can install KDE, GNOME, FluxBox, XFCE, etc. on most Linux distributions. Some of these look similar to Windows. However, some can be quite different and you may find them a bit difficult to use.

Most software that is available for Windows has open source alternatives on Linux. For example, for Internet Explorer, you have Mozilla Firefox, Photoshop has GIMP and so on. However, the main issue here is that in some cases, the free software do tend to lag behind. For example, there is no real alternative to Photoshop. GIMP works but it lags behind Photoshop in many features.

When it comes to Linux, it is not all about money. It is about a unique intellectual culture. And this culture relies on sharing on information and helping others. You can readily get a taste of this by posting your doubts and queries to Linux forums such as http://www.linuxquestions.org. There are always people to help and you will find help. However, you have to try to find your own answers first. Remember, there is no guru elsewhere! You have to find your own guru inside you!

To get started with Linux, check out www.Ubuntu.com. Ubuntu is one of the most popular distributions today. It is also very user friendly. See www.distrowatch.com for more Linux distros.