15th August 2008, 02:43 PM
I've been using OpenOffice and Mozilla for a while now, and it is certainly better than the equivalent Microsoft apps. You don't get support built in (i.e. someone in India to ring up) but you can use web fora, etc to get answers for your queries...
Not all the charitable organisations are necessarily bigger, RedEarth. If OA (or anyone else) put some time into developing open source applications specific to archaeology, it will be of benefit of the whole archaeological community. I'm a big fan of open source.
I think a lot of it depends of having the time and inclination to learn a little about computers. I was once working for a company where I was suddenly the computer 'expert' because I was about 15 years younger than everyone else, and willing to read an instruction manual. One of the senior managers informed me that he didn't see the point of computers for anything apart from email and word processing.
Anyway, BAJR has a guide to software at http://www.bajr.org/BAJRResources/Software.asp
Not all the charitable organisations are necessarily bigger, RedEarth. If OA (or anyone else) put some time into developing open source applications specific to archaeology, it will be of benefit of the whole archaeological community. I'm a big fan of open source.
I think a lot of it depends of having the time and inclination to learn a little about computers. I was once working for a company where I was suddenly the computer 'expert' because I was about 15 years younger than everyone else, and willing to read an instruction manual. One of the senior managers informed me that he didn't see the point of computers for anything apart from email and word processing.
Anyway, BAJR has a guide to software at http://www.bajr.org/BAJRResources/Software.asp