Free Software For Students

Say a student asks me for advice about buying a new computer. He or she wants to have something powerful and portable and, very important, not too expensive. Lately I always find myself recommending the Macbook. It used to be the iMac, but the Apple laptops are so affordable these days and seriously capable. But what about the software? Isn’t mac software expensive? Well, it can be, but if you do a little research you will find out that there is a lot available, for free!

In this months edition of Wired Magazine I read a great story by Chris Andersen on how companies like Google offer so many great services for free. This doesn’t mean they are not making any money. They’re either making money on a different product they offer, or are investing in what might earn them money in a later state, like their GOOG-411 service. Read more