Today, I…/Go FOSS!

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In addition to that, I’ve been scouring the web for FOSS (Free and Open Source) app alternatives to my current setup. Besides the obvious browser choice, here’s a shortlist:

  • Newsreader: I’m back with FeedReader. RSSOWL is also open-source, but its a memory hog, and there’s no option to use a browser other than IE; FeedReader doesn’t offer that option, but at least its light, and has an alert feature.
  • Download Manager: WackGet. Had a few days with both FreshDownload (an old favorite), and FreeDownloadManager. Wackget reminds me of the simplicity of Foobar. Paired with Flashgot, it also offers seamless Firefox integration.
  • Photo-editing Software: No, I don’t need a replacement for Photoshop CS2. I need a basic editor, with color palette management, which I greatly need for CSS editing of sites. The newest version of GIMP for Windows appeared fo have screwed up my install of Gaim, so I’ve instead reverted to GimpShop.
  • IM: Gaim for Windows, what else. There have been some sporadic issues with the Google Talk network, but I can live with that.

FOSS for Windows Wishlist (still researching, downloading, and testing):

  • Antivirus. Currently using AVG Free Edition
  • Personal Firewall. Currently using ZoneAlarm.
  • Dictionary. Currently using WordWeb.
  • Media Player. Currently using Winamp.

One thing on my FOSS wishlist that I can’t seem to find a suitable substitute for would be a basic, tabbed text editor for HTML, CSS, and barebones word processing. I’m currently using TextPad, which is pretty neat shareware. Suggestions?

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