A different aspect on software piracy:

http://www.tuxmagazine.com/system/files?file=Piracy.pdf

Ted.

Doesnt really hurt open source financially though. But this is so true, actually all I use is open source, well to be more correct freeware, except my anitvirus, but most freeware ones kinda suck right now. Like this author points out everybody uses photoshop, rarely ever looking and Gimp, which I use, but Im not really gfx. The microsoft office was a bad example though, openoffice is the best, I dont know why anyone would install that on their computer when openoffice is well supported and just as good for free. I agree with this author support the free.

about free antivirus.. i have long searched, tryed lots of av softwares and ended up with free avira antivir (personal classic) i can just recommend it.. it only shows one window with comercial offer of avira softwares after it updates itself. Awesome AV imho, worth trying out if you look for free solution

Kinda bloated statements by the author. Taking his examples..

I tried GIMP (namely Gimpshop!: http://plasticbugs.com/?page_id=294 ),

but it's buggy and indeed misses important features.

And OpenOffice.. sometimes I even need it, coz it has features, which

M$ Office hasn't - but sadly it uses to be vice versa.. so..

Poor argumentation, but I like his point of view..

Doesnt really hurt open source financially though. But this is so true, actually all I use is open source, well to be more correct freeware, except my anitvirus, but most freeware ones kinda suck right now. Like this author points out everybody uses photoshop, rarely ever looking and Gimp, which I use, but Im not really gfx. The microsoft office was a bad example though, openoffice is the best, I dont know why anyone would install that on their computer when openoffice is well supported and just as good for free. I agree with this author support the free.

I agree, I'd use Openoffice over microsoft office any day.

I did use Gimp on a Linux platform (Mostly because it was the best for Linux, without Wine), but never on Windows.

Well, I did use it once on Windows, but switched back to Photoshop.

And for Antivirus, there is AVG, which is imo one of the best Freeware antiviruses there is

And I do believe piracy of commercial software hurts opensource alot, since most people use the pirated commercial software instead of the opensource. Eventhough the opensource version could be as good, if not better, than the commercial.

I use alot of opensource/freeware software, the only thing I use that is commercial is Photoshop.

And of course my WinXP version, lol

Actually somtimes the price tag makes the program appear superior itself. A family member of mine is a lan administrator at a business. They have quite a bit of classified information running through their servers. While free AV and other security tools where considered they were refused based on the only fact that IF something went wrong and information leaked, they could be sued. And the defense of "We purchased the best protection we could" versus "We trusted all this private information to some free program we downloaded from the internet" would help them in court if disaster struck.

The name and price tag are common with trust. So it seems. And this "industry standard" is on the industrial level much more than the home user level. Many people use computers at their jobs and use the big name programs there. Then on their home computer install what they use at work. I think the illusion of purchasing trust is what hurts open source.

Testing and support of the software comes into play alot as well. It also doesn't help that many things start free/os and then end up finding ways to draw money from you or force in some cases. Puts a shadow on them all in a way.

My 2 cents..