Dave's Download

Audio: A Home Office on the Cheap

By David LaGesse

Posted: March 10, 2009

It no longer costs a bundle to set up a home office. That's particularly good news in a hard economy, where newly unemployed find themselves having to look for a job or take on freelance assignments at home. Free software and Web services are just a few of the ways that tech can save us money these days.

A Home Office on the Cheap

I spoke this weekend with WTOP about a couple of places to find free replacements for Microsoft Office. My favorites include Lotus Symphony from no less than IBM, and one assembled by volunteers called OpenOffice.

Other free options include Google Docs and Zoho, which offer online software that does just about everything a job seeker would need. Also online are free fax services, including Faxzero and K7.

Free Fax

GotFreeFax.com is another website that lets user send free fax online to the US and Canada. User can either upload a PDF/Word file or enter text to fax. Plus, it does not add Ads to user's fax, which makes it suitable for faxing formal documents.

James @ Jul 25, 2009 16:47:29 PM

Free Fax

http://www.GotFreeFax.com is another website that lets user send free fax online to the US and Canada. User can either upload a PDF/Word file or enter text to fax. Plus, it does not add Ads to user's fax, which makes it suitable for faxing formal documents.

James @ Jul 25, 2009 16:47:03 PM

Microsoft replacement software

I not only use Open Office rather than MS Office, but also Picasa (from Google) rather than MS Picture Viewer, Eudora rather than MS Outlook Express, and Mozilla Firefox as a web browser rather than MS' Internet Explorer. All are more reliable, less prone to virus intrusions and generally just better designed and easy to learn. In fact, now that I look at the programs I normally use, just about the only MS software that I run is Windows XP and I'm seriously considering going to Linux for the same reasons.

Jim of TX @ Mar 10, 2009 15:23:59 PM

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Dave's Download

Our in-house gadget guru, Senior Writer David LaGesse, checks out the latest technologies and gizmos, from computer software to GPS systems -- and reports back to you in plain English.


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