Options Presented by Free and Non-Free Productivity Software

Mar 12
11:32

2008

Sam Miller

Sam Miller

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Productivity software is very much needed in the business setting. This is because it provides users ways and means of achieving satisfactory levels of productivity.

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Productivity software has become one of the common things in the digital world. Though common,Options Presented by Free and Non-Free Productivity Software Articles it is also one of the useful inventions that have ever been introduced.

Productivity software makes the simple act of writing articles and other word documents a breeze. Making payrolls through the use of certain applications can also help you compute and create charts in few simple steps. Productivity software has also made report presentations more possible.

These are just some of the many wonders that productivity software can do. And it does not only give you an advantage for getting the job done in a neat way. It can also motivate you to be creative by using the tools and features integrated in the program. You can make effects on sales presentations, for instance. You can add pictures on your reports. It is also possible for you to create charts and summary reports using the productivity software.

Productivity software has become more valuable to entrepreneurs than ever. Its application can ensure a satisfactory level of productivity in an office environment. Personal users have also seen worth in utilizing the software application for their personal businesses.

Also known as application software, productivity software can be used in offices and in personal desktop. Software applications may be acquired with a price or at little or no cost. Two categories of productivity software exist today. They are proprietary software and free software.

Proprietary software is the term coined by free software community. This type of software comes with certain restrictions on the application. For instance, you cannot modify the software because it comes with private modification rights. You cannot reproduce the codes being used by the program as well. Copyright makes these restrictions legally enforceable. The patents and software license also prevent other parties from making unscrupulous practices using the kind of software application.

Productivity software with the characteristics of proprietary software is associated with a price. Because of the involvement of price, many consumers, such as entrepreneurs, may think twice in choosing different proprietary software products. They likely go for the product that can provide desirable results or are more popular. Most of the productivity software used in businesses and individuals are classified in the proprietary software group.

Contrary to proprietary software is free software. This software can be utilized, modified, and studied without any restrictions. It can be reproduced and redistributed without any restrictions, legal, technical, or both. The source code of the software can be made available to any user.

Free software has been alternatively known as open source software. It can also be called in other names such as software libre, free and open-source software or FOSS, and free, libre and open-source software or FLOSS.

Unlike proprietary software, free software can be made available free of charge. It means there is little to no cost in acquiring the software or in the redistribution of a copy. This makes this kind of software more advantageous than closed source software of proprietary software.

You can make comparisons when you have the chance to use software applications of each kind. An example of productivity software that is closed- source software is Microsoft Office, while OpenOffice.org may be a best example of free productivity software.