Is getting open source software a good idea?

Is getting open source software a good idea? My husband and I are buying a laptop (a Dell) for his nephew in Brazil. I can get a refurbished one for pretty cheap but it doesn't come with anything except the Microsoft XP Pro OS. Brazil is an open-source country so do I need to put Freeware or OpenOffice.org on it? Also, if we do get the open source software, how compatible will it be with programs like MSN Messenger and such? The less money we have to spend, the better, but we want to make sure we get the right software for him (and us so we can talk to him). Would it be better to get one without an OS as well, and get something else instead? I would be setting it all up for him here as I don't really know how tech-savvy he is. If you have any other ideas, please feel free to share. Thanks!! Software - 8 Answers Random Answers, Critics, Comments, Opinions : 1 : Like anything that you get for free you have to be careful. You get what you pay for. 2 : if he isnt really tech savvy, then get him closed source. open source is for people that know what they are doing. 3 : yes ur on the right track imo ... get the OS with it or that will just be a headache ... u could pirate an OS but thats illegal :) .... anyway, yes , open source will be fine ... openoffice is fine ... almost anything u want to do u can get freeware for ... and there shouldnt be any incompatibility problems if u stick to popular freeware ... 4 : Do you actually understand the concept of Open Source Software? The only thing that differs from closed source software, is the price and the fact the code is open. You can put anything you like on the Laptop. If you don't want to pay, use open source software. If you can't find it in Open source, then you'll have to pay. Things like OO (Open Office) will work fine with closed source software like MSN. 5 : YES!, openoffice is amazing.. msn messenger has nothing to do with the opensource software you install, it runs on its own within the windows enviroment. if you plan to dump windows then get ubuntu, it's a great linux distrobution. i can't remember the name of the chat client that's on linux but it basically does all the chat programs in one (yahoo,msn, icq, aol, etc..) it's really cool because you only have to have one portal to talk to people on different services :) EDIT: i see someone thumbdowned the guy that said opensource is for people that know what they are doing, that can be partially true for some programs, i mean mounting drives and crap like that isn't something a windows user can do right off the bat. 6 : It's a very good Idea, but the key is getting the files from a good source like OpenCD. And you can get some good Opensource software from sourceforge.net (but be careful that the project is mature and WELL KNOWN) this cuts the threat of viruses way down. Filter Require Development Status Mature 7 : There are a whole range of open source programs and programmers. Many are better built than proprietary programs, many are not. I would recommend OpenOffice as an office suite. It can do almost anything normal people need out of Microsoft Office and is very compatible. Check out Google for a number of Google supported programs such as Picasa, a photo program. For hard core graphic editing, Gimp is comparable to the best proprietary software. And, of course, I'd install Firefox for a better browser experience. One other category is malware. These programs are free or have free versions (for personal use) but are not open source. For a firewall, I use ZoneAlarm. For antivirus I use Avast but I have also heard a number of good things about AVG. For spyware I use SpyBot Search and Destroy and AdAware. For system file defense, I use WinPatrol. As far as IM, I don't use is so I can't speak from personal experience but I've heard good things about Miranda. If you want to replace Outlook, I would recommend Thunderbird (by the same group that develops Firefox) although I keep my mail online at Yahoo Mail so, again, I am not speaking from personal experience. As another person recommended, if you want to get away from MS entirely, Ubuntu is the easiest Linux distribution to use. I would not be afraid of open source. One person mentioned viruses but you should not see any of these at reputable sites like Sourceforge. What you will see, and what you need to look out for is programs that are not ready yet. Open source tends to release code that is still in testing so that it can be tested by a broader group of people. Look for programs that have gotten past version 1. I would also recommend searching reputable magazines like PC Magazine or PC World for some of their articles on open source and other free programs. Good luck. Who knows, you might find some programs for your own use. 8 : I've been using open-source software for quite some time. Many items are quite good. I use OOo, Clam, Firefox, Tbird, among others, no problems, great performance and benefits. I keep up with their forums and even keep installing the latest "betas" and "release candidates". Clam is *very* good about catching viruses. Firefox is a very good browser, and Tbird (plus calendar add-in) is very good for email - if you use offline email. And none is incompatible in file format with "regulation" products! (I've kept copies of "regulation" products around just in case, but don't really need to...) Go to sourceforge.net for ideas on most open-source software How well could I live in brazil with 100K? Why are semitic race the best when it comes to mon... 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