Recently I calculate the money of software I paid. It is an amazing number - Over 1,000 US$. Once new software comes out, if we need to upgrade it, we must pay much for it. So I need to take consideration of this and cut the cost.
Later this month I'll be canceling my subscription to a leading security suite that runs on two of my home-office PCs. I'll replace it with Microsoft's freeSecurity Essentials, which I've been using on my notebook since I bought it two years ago. I realized several months ago that I simply no longer needed to spend money for the convenience of an all-in-one security app.
That got me thinking: Is thereanysoftware that the average PC user needs to pay for? Most of us bought our current operating system--usually
Windows 7 orMac OS X--as part of the purchase of the computer itself. Do-it-yourselfers have Linux as a free-OS alternative.
The programs we use for work, such as
Microsoft Office2010 and specialty apps likeAdobe Photoshopor Intuit'sQuicken/QuickBooksaccounting software, are likely provided by our employer. (People who work from home and/or for themselves have to buy their own software, but they can at least write off the cost of the programs they use in their work.)
What about all those commercial security suites and system utilities? I search online and found that there are some product keys sold from some online store that is cheap. So I try one and it is successful. Perfect!!
ExcludingMac OS X Snow Leopard(number 8 on the list) and two
Windows 7Home Premium upgrades (standard and three-user family pack at 10 and 11, respectively), only two titles on Amazon's top 20 have no free equivalent that I'm aware of: Honest Technology'sVHS to DVD Deluxe, which tops the Amazon list, and Nuance Communications'Dragon Naturally Speaking, which comes in at number 18.
Here's a rundown of Amazon's top-selling programs and their free counterparts.It's no surprise that
Microsoft Office 2010 takes four of the top 20 spots on software-sales list: Office 2010 Home & Student is number 2,
Office 2010 Home & Business is 12th, Office for
Mac 2011 Home & Student Family Pack is 13th, and Office for Mac 2011 Home & Student 1 Pack comes in 17th.
Now each time I will go to the retail store to looking for the discount suites. So I can save money without pay more on the Microsoft Store. My favorite site is Softwaretake.com
