How to run a PC without Microsoft apps -Man manages seemingly impossible feat

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[chance33_98]

How to run a PC without Microsoft apps

Man manages seemingly impossible feat

By INQUIRER staff: Monday 05 May 2003, 15:40

A READER HAS written to tell us how he's managing his PC and his life without using Microsoft applications.

He said he's replaced Microsoft software he used to use with as much third party software as possible. However, he said, there was one additional requirement and that was the software had to be freeware.

Here's his list.

MEDIAPLAYER winamp 2.x for audio and bsplayer for video. Smaller memory footprint, more features and skinning support. www.winamp.com, www.bsplayer.com.

OFFICE Open Office, starts up slower and not completely compatible with all office documents tho. but a step in the right direction. www.openoffice.org.

IE+OUTLOOK Mozilla, that's a given (with built in email client, dunno how it would stack up to The Bat tho, probably a lot worse, but it's not microsoft. Smartftp for all ftp stuff. www.mozilla.com, www.smartfp.com.

MESSENGER trillian, neat little program that replaces all IM clients, support for Yahoo messenger, icq, aol, irc, msn and a lot faster with skinning support. www.trillian.cc

PHOTOEDITOR Part of office suite - used it before just for viewing images, since more advanced programs load so long Irfanview - loads instantly and has wider support/features. Photoeditor couldn't open a 11mb jpeg while this proggie can. www.irfanview.com.

NOTEPAD/WRITEPAD editpad. has a paid for variant that's pretty good too. Here.

SHELL Not wanting to rely on IE i replaced the shell with geoshell, now using windows98se + 95 shell for file handling and geoshell for desktop. Surprisingly stable with latest patches etc. www.litepc.com, www.geoshellx.com

He adds: "I still have a copy of IE6 on it for the DLLs that some other proggys use too. Strangely enough it doesn't crash on that line of html code. Zonealarm, adaware, cdex are also some indispensable freeware tools + the ones I got from your site (process viewer, antivirus, ...).

The end result looks a bit like this.

[Greybird]

IrfanView - loads instantly and has wider support/features. Photoeditor couldn't open a 11mb jpeg while this proggie can. www.irfanview.com

For once, a program that lives up to all its compliments. IrfanView is magnificent. Fast, quick-loading, intuitive, converts among dozens of formats, quick image editing, slideshows, previews, batch conversions. You have to try this.

[prisoner6]

bumpers for laters.

I've been looking for a new photoeditor. Not that I don't have a ton already but it seems like I'm always doing one operation with one prgram then shifitn to another program for something else. Either that or they're just way to bloated.

prisoner6

[KeyWest]

Linux.

It looks like he is still using an MS operating system. What he is doing is really no big deal. The amount of freeware out there allows you do most of what MS offers.

Just go to alt.freeware and you will inundated with info on freeware. Or google it.

[Jaxter]

bump

[Gorzaloon]

For Excel and Word compatability go to:

http://software602.com/

I run these because my Dell came without Excel, and with a crippled trial version of Word.

Better get them before Gates has them assasinated...the similarity is...surprising.

Grin.

[2penguins]

Here's an exellent photo editor. And it's free!

http://www.gimp.org/

It's a bit of a learning curve,but well worth it.

[SamAdams76]

I don't understand what the big deal is. I built a bare-bones system for my kids a few years back and installed Windows98. I then turned it over to my kids and within a few months, they had it running dozens of freeware programs. They could open up and work with MS Office documents, do e-mail, play music, whatever. And it didn't cost me an additional dime. Very similar to what this guy did.

[smith288]

The difference is this guy is probably a columnist who's 55 yrs old and thinks Solitaire is a marvel on the pc.

So his accomplishment makes him feel like a whiz.

[chance33_98]

The difference is this guy is probably a columnist who's 55 yrs old and thinks Solitaire is a marvel on the pc.

Either that or he has been using a PC mainly at work, where they force you into certain things, did the same thing at home so he could be compatible with what he had at work, and then realized one day that his company was being taken to the cleaners by not using freeware :)

[RedBloodedAmerican]

What OS? It ain't MS-free, is it? Misleading article, IMO.

[MikeD]

Bring out the GIMP!!!!

MD

[cloud8]

"...more features and skinning support."

What's "skinning?"

[B Knotts]

What is the point of running non-Microsoft apps if you're still using a Microsoft OS?

And, vice-versa, what is the point in running a Microsoft OS, if not to run Microsoft apps?

[chance33_98]

What's "skinning?"

A porn server. Just kidding. It refers to being able to change the appearance of your working environment for that program by adding 'skins' (Winamp has some decent ones).

[cloud8]

"A porn server. Just kidding."

LOL

Thanks for the reply. Totally agree with Irfanview, btw.

[Jimbaugh]

I hate Bill Gates Bump ! !!

[prisoner6]

Thanks for the link. I've d/loaded both Gimp and Irfanview so I'll be busy paling with them for a while.

Thanks again.

prisoner6

[georgiabelle]

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