Free: that’s the magic number. At least, it is when it comes to PC software. Why break the bank populating your PC with applications when enterprising individuals and organizations have created a raft of software that does the job adequately for not a single dollar down?
Now, we’re well aware that there are several different categories of free software. There’s the stuff that comes from the open-source community, which is usually a little rough around the edges, owing to its many-cooks approach. But open-source software has its own advantages: Sometimes it’s home to experimental features that those in the commercial market might hold back on; sometimes it’s designed for a niche that commercial developers can’t profit from. There’s also that slight guarantee that your software is going to stay free—while it might take an age to update and basically come with no warranty, open-source software suddenly attempting to dig around in your wallet is a rare occurrence.
The other side of the coin is “free” software, in quotation marks. There’s a swathe of it in this list, but we’ve done our best to dodge anything too feature-light. Essentially, as has been the case for decades, software publishers often offer a taste of the goods in an effort to get you hooked enough to buy the real thing. Often, that taste is adequate on its own. Sometimes, it’s not really a taste for you as much as it is for the business market, where expensive per-seat licenses can be a real moneyspinner. You can have the software, but these guys need to pay.
Denne historien er fra November 2019-utgaven av Maximum PC.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra November 2019-utgaven av Maximum PC.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Google Gemini vs. ChatGPT
Which LLM currently holds the crown?
Frostpunk 2
Endure a blizzard of tough choices and lasting consequences in the survival city builder sequel
Elgato Facecam Neo
Always sees us in the best light but lacks focus: 8/10 boyfriend, er, camera
Elgato Wave Neo
The Kanye West of mics: Easy to get into, but a little weird
Razer BlackWidow V4 75%
Solid and compact, with hot-swappable switches
Razer Wolverine V3 Pro
Razer's pro controller is even better than Microsoft's
Acer Predator GM712
2008 called, it wants its projector back
AndaSeat Kaiser 4 XL
A chair as big and as comfortable as they come
Gigabyte F027Q2
Speed is of the essence with this OLED screen
Acer Nitro 14
AMD puts on a good show, but it still lacks punch