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    What Software Do You Purchase?

    Discussion in 'Windows OS and Software' started by ProntoR2, Dec 1, 2007.

  1. ProntoR2

    ProntoR2 Notebook Consultant

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    What software do you all use that you cannot replace with freeware? You might be surprised that much of the best commercial software nowadays (with a few exceptions) can be replaced with freeware (legally free software). There's that HUGE thread in this forum which gives you a taste of that.

    The only things I find difficult to replace are:

    -Windows (Vista Home Basic and XP flavors) - It's all but required since I can't get myself to leap to linux.
    -Office 2007 - It's only $60.00 for a student with at least 0.5 credits and a .edu email, and it's got more to it than OpenOffice.

    P.S. I'm not referring to stuff you illegally download and don't pay for... I'm curious about what you find irreplaceable in terms of paid software.
     
  2. Lithus

    Lithus NBR Janitor

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    Games. A bunch of games.
     
  3. FearTheTerp

    FearTheTerp Notebook Consultant

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    Microsoft Visual Studio
     
  4. nate_ohio

    nate_ohio Notebook Consultant

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    I bought my first piece of software in a few years just recently. It was Kapersky Internet Security. I just like the piece of mind hourly updates give me.
     
  5. bmwrob

    bmwrob Notebook Virtuoso

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    OSX, and Kaspersky AV. I like Linux (though I'm still early in the process of learning) and even on occasion still use XP (Kaspersky), but can't give up my Mac or OSX.
     
  6. thnksfrthmmrs

    thnksfrthmmrs Notebook Evangelist

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    Photoshop! I use Elements, and I've tried GIMP but with a learning curb like that I couldn't figure out how to do a lot of things.
     
  7. DamnYouBlueScreen

    DamnYouBlueScreen Notebook Consultant

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    In my case, I'd say Visual Studios 2005 Pro....
     
  8. gerryf19

    gerryf19 I am the walrus

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    OK, trick question....can it be used/old?

    For example: I bought an old sealed Photoshop 7 off ebay, but I could not push myself to order it new.
    I bought a program called spacemonger (great little utility) this year
    I bought a program called Acronis True Image
    Games
    Windows XP
    Microsoft Office 2003 (I will not get 2007--I tend to skip every other version)
     
  9. LIVEFRMNYC

    LIVEFRMNYC Blah Blah Blah!!!

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  10. Sam

    Sam Notebook Virtuoso

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    Software for me that freeware just can't replace?

    Microsoft Office 2007
    Adobe Photoshop
    Video editing software
    Games
     
  11. Lithus

    Lithus NBR Janitor

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    Are you kidding? Open Office!
     
  12. Thomas

    Thomas McLovin

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    GIMP 2.4 is a major improvement but, you can't replace Photoshop.
    Anyways MS Office also. OpenOffice is still a good alternative though.
     
  13. Gintoki

    Gintoki Notebook Prophet

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    I'd have to say MS Office 2007, and Vista.
     
  14. sprtnbsblplya

    sprtnbsblplya Notebook Deity

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    I get my OS'es for free through my school.
    Other stuff:
    Photoshop for my DSLR
    Telescope autoguiding software (insanely overpriced but necessary)
    Games
    Office '03, tried '07 and wasnt impressed enough to switch
     
  15. Miths

    Miths Notebook Consultant

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    I purchase graphics software (just for hobby purposes) - CorelDRAW X3 (including Photo-Paint), Carrara, Poser, Painter and a few others over the years.

    My HTML editor (AceHTML Pro) - today though I just found what looks to be an equally powerful freeware alternative (PSPad).

    Occasional utilities, scripts etc. used on or during creation of some of my websites.

    Games.

    But there is definately a ton of fantastic freeware for just about any task - often (but not always) just or almost as good as paid alternatives.
     
  16. jin07

    jin07 Notebook Deity NBR Reviewer

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    Never had to buy any software since my mom gets MS office for free. Beyond that, everything I use is freeware.
     
  17. System64

    System64 Windows 7 x64

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    Office 2007 -> Never be replaced by Openoffice.
    Vista -> Until Linux gets better and greater (sorry :D)
    The rest of the software i'm using are freewares.
     
  18. n0elia

    n0elia Come on Haswell...

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    Vista
    Office 2007
    Nod32
    eTrust PestPatrol

    Combine Nod32 and PestPatrol and you're secured against anything :)
     
  19. BHD

    BHD Notebook Deity

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    MS Office
    Zone Alarm security suite
    SRS Sandbox
    HL1 + TFC
    HL2 + TF2
     
  20. Fewmets

    Fewmets Notebook Consultant

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    Also, for anyone who is looking to record music relatively seriously, some form of Protools/Cakewalk/Adobe Audition (among a few others) is probably in order; Audacity isn't bad, particuarly for open-source freeware, but those have some features that can't be ignored if you want to do some serious recording.
     
  21. jtmat

    jtmat Notebook Evangelist

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    Expression Web... although, I've used dozens of open source and paid (Dreamweaver, etc), I keep going back to EW.

    Fireworks... I have photoshop as well, but FW is what I use the most... paint.net (getpaint.net) is a great alternative....

    Xara... several open source alternatives, and paid alternatives, but I keep on using this software... right mix of ease of use and it simply works...


    Far as videos and audio, I like Audacity... but it can't hold a string to Camtasia Studio. http://www.techsmith.com/camtasia.asp .

    And several other programs:

    MS streets and trips
    pdanet
    Indigorose's AMS 7 and setup factory
    Roxio 7.5 (for xp) or Nero 8 (for xp or vista) [I have both, use both... I like both...]

    etc, etc.... I could go on and on.... lots of software that does not have a good free or paid alternative