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Free Desktop Apps For Internet Marketing

by Kirk Ward
12 replies
I've just had to replace several computers and am reinstalling or replacing all the apps on those PC's. The big hassle is that I was operating under Win XP and the new machines are all Win 7, which has caused me to lose quite a bit of my productivity (if I ever was productive).

Things like Microsoft Office 2000, Adobe Elements 3 and other applications won't install under Win 7 for a lack of compatibility.

I've decided to replace them with as many free and open source applications as I can, because I am frustrated with the lack of backward compatibility and have decided not to buy any more proprietary products unless there is simply no alternative.

I've installed Firefox browser, Thunderbird email, Open Office, FileZilla, and the Gimp graphics editor, plus Irfanview image editing and GlobalFind text string search and replace utility among others.

I'm looking for suggestions for every other need imaginable, such as how to do video and audio recording, PDF editing and conversion (to and from graphics) or anything that you can think of that I haven't.

Got suggestions? Post them here, please.

Thanks,
Kirk
_____
#apps #desktop #free #internet #marketing
  • Profile picture of the author Michael Truong
    Google up your queries:

    Top 40 best free windows 7 utilities

    I hope this helps

    (I can't post you the direct link yet as I'm currently under 15 posts - but it will be the first result in the SERPS)
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    • Profile picture of the author Kirk Ward
      Originally Posted by Michael Truong View Post

      Google up your queries:

      Top 40 best free windows 7 utilities

      I hope this helps

      (I can't post you the direct link yet as I'm currently under 15 posts - but it will be the first result in the SERPS)
      Boy, do I feel dumb. Didn't even think of Googling. Came here first. (Always remember, "The Warrior Forum Is Your Friend!")
      Signature
      "We are not here to sell a parcel of boilers and vats, but the potentiality of growing rich beyond the dreams of avarice."

      Dr. Samuel Johnson (Presiding at the sale of Thrales brewery, London, 1781)
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  • Profile picture of the author BobJutsu
    Dude, office 2000? Elements 3? How old were your 'puters?

    Anyway, if you are going to be making the switch to open source anyway...why not ditch windows alltogether and give linux a go? I've been running *Nix boxes for a long time, and despite having a bit of a learning curve, it is totally worth it in the end.

    In fact, I'll be loading up a new installation of fedora on one of my boxes...join me?
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    • Profile picture of the author Kirk Ward
      Originally Posted by BobJutsu View Post

      Dude, office 2000? Elements 3? How old were your 'puters?

      Anyway, if you are going to be making the switch to open source anyway...why not ditch windows alltogether and give linux a go? I've been running *Nix boxes for a long time, and despite having a bit of a learning curve, it is totally worth it in the end.

      In fact, I'll be loading up a new installation of fedora on one of my boxes...join me?
      My "puters" were almost as old as I am. And, I think I had migrated the apps over several replacements, until Win 7 crapped them out.

      I have thunk seriously about Linux, but there is so much to learn in this Angstrom based world that I absolutely have to limit the new stuff I learn. Learning Linux based desktop apps would be a bit overwhelming for someone as stuck in the mud as I am wont to be.

      Thanks Bob.
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      "We are not here to sell a parcel of boilers and vats, but the potentiality of growing rich beyond the dreams of avarice."

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  • Profile picture of the author Tom B
    Banned
    Originally Posted by Kirk Ward View Post


    Things like Microsoft Office 2000, Adobe Elements 3 and other applications won't install under Win 7 for a lack of compatibility.



    Thanks,
    Kirk
    _____
    Kurt, your post made me giggle a little.

    Your plans were to use Office 2000 until the year 3000?

    I believe adobe elements is on version 8 compared to your 3. lol

    Why would any software company continue to support such older versions? It makes no sense at all.

    The cost of software is a business expense.

    I have no problem with you going with free software but have to laugh at your rant that software companies don't support older programs.
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    • Profile picture of the author Kirk Ward
      Originally Posted by Thomas Belknap View Post

      Kurt, your post made me giggle a little.

      Your plans were to use Office 2000 until the year 3000?

      I believe adobe elements is on version 8 compared to your 3. lol

      Why would any software company continue to support such older versions? It makes no sense at all.

      The cost of software is a business expense.

      I have no problem with you going with free software but have to laugh at your rant that software companies don't support older programs.
      Thomas,

      It wasn't a "real" rant. I don't care if software companies don't support their older programs. That is, after all, how they make their living. Selling new stuff. I was able to migrate to new installations each time a machine fried, and since the apps already met my needs, and I already knew and understood them, it was a lot easier and cheaper than upgrading.

      It does bother me about the Windows operating system not allowing backward compatibility. That thing is up to how many gazillion terabytes of programming now, and they can't remember how to run what they once ran? That's dumb.

      I have been wanting to migrate away from MS and "MS vested" products for a long time. This just became the most opportune time.

      The open source world is not the end-all and be-all some folks want it to be, but I'm thinking it'll meet my needs. After all, I was still doing quite well with Elements 3. Not much need for modernity in the accounting world.

      Cheers
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      "We are not here to sell a parcel of boilers and vats, but the potentiality of growing rich beyond the dreams of avarice."

      Dr. Samuel Johnson (Presiding at the sale of Thrales brewery, London, 1781)
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  • Profile picture of the author BobJutsu
    It does bother me about the Windows operating system not allowing backward compatibility. That thing is up to how many gazillion terabytes of programming now, and they can't remember how to run what they once ran? That's dumb.
    The problem isn't that they don't try and make things backward compatible, they do. But if a program runs on a different architecture than the operating system, no amount of "remembering" will make it run correctly. They try to offer as much emulation as they can, but in the end only so much workaround is possible. Same reason you can't run many of those apps on Linux...different architecture.
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    • Profile picture of the author Mmfh
      You said you wanted to edit PDF files, Open Office works good for that and I think you said you already have it.

      One thing I might point out although I don't know exactly how Win 7 looks at its software, I'm running Vista and had used XP for several years before that. Vista has a compatibility mode to where when I install a older program I can install it in Compatibility mode and it runs fine.

      Some of your software is pretty old so might not work for you and also Win 7 might not have that ability but I thought I would bring it up.

      Good Luck!

      Mm
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      • Profile picture of the author Kirk Ward
        Originally Posted by BobJutsu View Post

        The problem isn't that they don't try and make things backward compatible, they do. But if a program runs on a different architecture than the operating system, no amount of "remembering" will make it run correctly. They try to offer as much emulation as they can, but in the end only so much workaround is possible. Same reason you can't run many of those apps on Linux...different architecture.
        I totally understand. And in Win 7, the architecture has pretty much changed in the security area.

        Originally Posted by Mmfh View Post

        You said you wanted to edit PDF files, Open Office works good for that and I think you said you already have it.

        One thing I might point out although I don't know exactly how Win 7 looks at its software, I'm running Vista and had used XP for several years before that. Vista has a compatibility mode to where when I install a older program I can install it in Compatibility mode and it runs fine.

        Some of your software is pretty old so might not work for you and also Win 7 might not have that ability but I thought I would bring it up.

        We tried compatibility mode for some of the stuff. It seems it was even too old for that. I also think that the Office 2000 stuff was blocked by the Office trial that is pre-installed on the PC. Didn't feel like struggling too much after the first couple of install failures on each. Realized I had probably milked my apps for all I could. I mean, using Office 2000 until 2010? That's pretty significant. I'm right proud of myself.

        Probably could have milked it longer if I had left the Win XP downgrade alive instead of going ahead and activating the Win 7. I did that because the reviews had been good and I figured it was a good time to switch. The incompatibility issues are making me do more switching than I expected however. I still haven't figured out how to use Gimp or make it work with GhostScript.
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        "We are not here to sell a parcel of boilers and vats, but the potentiality of growing rich beyond the dreams of avarice."

        Dr. Samuel Johnson (Presiding at the sale of Thrales brewery, London, 1781)
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  • Profile picture of the author Steve Garratt
    Kirk, I think the same way that you do. Why should I need to change an application that has served me well for years just because I had to get a new machine with the latest version of Windows on it.

    What really gives me the hump is that it's allways the Microsoft apps that aren't compatible. That has to be deliberate. Most other things work fine.

    My solution - VMWare Workstation. It's an application that runs on any flavour of Windows and Linux and it emulates a PC. You can install XP into a virtual machine and then install all your favourite apps into it. It works great. You can also run multiple machines on your desktop all at the same time. I often run several virtual machines at the same time.

    Before I paid for VMWare Workstation I used the free VMWare player to run virtual machines. I loved it so much that I upgraded.

    Hope this helps.
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  • Profile picture of the author Kirk Ward
    Haven't used VMWare before, but it sure sounds attractive. I think I'll give it a go as I muddle through. I like Elements 3 better than GIMP it seems. I'm used to it.
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    "We are not here to sell a parcel of boilers and vats, but the potentiality of growing rich beyond the dreams of avarice."

    Dr. Samuel Johnson (Presiding at the sale of Thrales brewery, London, 1781)
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    • Profile picture of the author Steve Garratt
      Originally Posted by Kirk Ward View Post

      Haven't used VMWare before, but it sure sounds attractive. I think I'll give it a go as I muddle through. I like Elements 3 better than GIMP it seems. I'm used to it.
      I use VMWare virtual machines for everything and they work very well. I believe that the latest version of the free player allows the creation of new virtual machines. It didn't before but it wasn't difficult to make one. VMWare workstation has a 30 day trial and if you go that way don't pay until the last minute because you will get it cheaper. I learned this after I paid full price but it is worth it.

      I run XP and Ubuntu virtual machines regularly. They are almost better than the real thing and you can take the virtual machine file and run it on another PC.
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