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When you’re setting up a business of your own at home, it’s easy to overlook the cost of software–it can add up fast.  In some cases, you simply can’t get around the fact that you have to buy a copy of Photoshop or Final Cut Studio or ProTools (or whatever).  But there may be other applications you need for which you can substitute open-source alternatives and save a bundle of money.

Cost-saving example

Here’s an example of what we’re talking about:  suppose your bread-and-butter application, the one that you use most of the time, the one that you’re an expert on, is Photoshop.  You’re definitely going to buy Photoshop.  You also occasionally do some word-processing, maybe a spreadsheet now and then, and on rare occasions, you need to make presentations–that sounds like a job for Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Powerpoint).  In addition, you need a way to manage your business finances, so you could use Quickbooks, or MYOB, or Quicken or something similar.  Occasionally you get work that requires you to manage a larger project, so from time to time you need something like Microsoft Project.  So you could be looking at costs similar to these:

Photoshop           $600.00
Microsoft Office    $300.00
QuickBooks          $160.00
Microsoft Project   $450.00

Total:            $1,510.00

Depending on what sort of computer you have, you might be looking at more cost for the software than you spent on your machine!  Now consider the same list with some open-source alternatives for MS-Office, QuickBooks and MS-Project:

Photoshop           $600.00
OpenOffice                0
GnuCash                   0
OpenProj                  0

Total:              $600.00

By substituting open source alternatives for the software that isn’t your main business tool, you’ve saved more than half of the potential cost, and that’s money that you can probably put into buying some great plug-ins or other add-ons for Photoshop, or maybe a new graphics tablet.

osalt.com - open-source alternatives

osalt.com–finding open-source alternatives

There is a LOT of free, open-source software out there.  Some of it is great, some not so great.  You can search the repositories like SourceForge.net and Freshmeat.net, but there a lot to wade through.  One of the best places I’ve found to search for open-source software is osalt.com.  At osalt.com you’ll find a directory of open-source alternative software, organized into categories such as business, graphic applications, multimedia and audio, and much more.  You can search for a commercial package, and if there are open-source alternatives for that package in osalt’s database, you’ll see a list.  Each entry provides you with a basic description of the package and its features, shows where to download it, and points to the application’s Web site.

OpenOffice, GnuCash, OpenProj

In the example above, I found all three of the open-source packages listed at osalt.com.  OpenOffice is a great alternative to MS-Office, and comes with a whole suite of applications, including Writer (for word-processing), Calc (for spreadsheets), Impress (for presentations), Draw (for drawing and graphing), Math (an equation and formula editor), and Base (a database tool that also builds forms and reports). Runs on Windows, MacOSX and Linux.

GnuCash is open-source personal and small-business financial and accounting software.  It will help you manage your income and expenses in all your accounts; keep track of customers, vendors, and projects; help you with invoicing, AR/AP, and even communicate with your bank (if the bank supports the OFX DirectConnect and HBCI standards).  GnuCash can import data from Microsoft Money and Quicken, as well. And it is available for Windows, MacOSX and Linux.

OpenProj is intended to be an alternative to MS-Project. It can import MS-Project project files, and does pretty much all of what you might expect–Gantt charts, network diagrams (PERT charts), and more.  Available for Windows, MacOSX and Linux.

Open-source caveats

Yes, I know some people will warn you to stay away from open-source software on the general premise that you get what you pay for.  There is some truth to this, to be sure.  Some open-source software is not well-supported, but I would argue that the communities that are involved with the development of the packages that have been out there for a long time, such as OpenOffice and Gimp (a Photoshop alternative), are very helpful and supportive.  This is true of all of the most popular open-source packages.  You might have to spend a little time in support forums asking questions in order to get the help you need, but the difference in price between MS-Office and OpenOffice more than makes up for that.

Not all open-source software is as mature and stable as OpenOffice, so you will occasionally run into trouble.  But if you stick with the packages that have been out there for a while, and around which there are well-developed support communities, chances are you’ll do just fine.

Some people like to remind us that “open-source” doesn’t necessarily mean “free”–while this may be true in some contexts, particularly where additional development is necessary, for the average user of open-source applications, “free” really does mean “free.”  If, at some point down the road, you decide that you really need the commercial software (and you might), you’ve at least saved some money for a while by getting by with something that was free as long as you could.

(If this has been helpful to you, Diggs and Stumbles are always much appreciated!)

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Steve Jobs’ announcement last week of slick new Apple laptops plunged me briefly into serious hardware envy (Steve: you had me at “unibody enclosure”), but the economic upheaval of the past few weeks really has me thinking more soberly about how I can make the stuff I have last much longer–especially my laptop computer.

It is becoming more and more likely that you are using a laptop computer right now, too, so here are some tips for how to extend the life of your laptop:

1.  Be gentle with your laptop

Photo credit: topgold

I will confess to being a bit anal about how I take care of my laptop, but I’m convinced mine will last a lot longer than some because I take extra care not to treat it too roughly.  A laptop computer is a dense package of sensitive and expensive electronics, and should be handled carefully.  If you pick it up by the lid, for example, you may put too much stress on the hinge, which could shorten its working life.  And if you drop it, well, duh.

At the very least, get a padded sleeve for your laptop–something to protect it from dings and scratches and such when you stick it in your briefcase or backpack.  Better yet, invest in a good padded laptop carrying case, bag, or satchel.  Move it from place to place gently.  Don’t put too much stress on the lid.  For heaven’s sake, don’t just leave it lying on the floor, or it might get stepped on accidentally, which would most likely end its life right there and then.

2.  Give your laptop a safe environment

Photo credit: alex_lee2001

Laptops essentially like clean, reasonably dry places that aren’t too hot or too cold.  Don’t leave your laptop locked in a hot car for very long in the summer time, or on a bitterly cold winter day–either extreme in temperature is generally a bad thing.  My laptop’s specs include a storage temperature of -13 to 113 degrees Fahrenheit, but the interior of a car during the summer sun can be much hotter than 113 degrees here in Kansas.  And the operating temperature range is more restrictive:  50 to 95 degrees Fahrenheit.

Dirt and other particulates, and water and other liquids are also enemies of your laptop; enough of either one in the wrong place inside your laptop can pretty much ruin your whole day.  If you spill a cup of coffee on your open laptop, all is not necessarily lost, but you can save yourself a lot of trouble by being careful not to let that happen.  My lovely wife likes to use online recipe sites when she cooks, which is very cool, but I cringe every time I go into the kitchen and see her running a hand mixer in a bowl of something gooey, with her laptop on the counter right next to it.  I’m reasonably certain that one of these days I’m going to have to figure out a way to get pumpkin bread batter out of a MacBook keyboard or USB port.

3.  Handle your power adapter carefully.

Photo credit: Marcin Wichary

Perhaps the most vulnerable part of your laptop, aside from the screen, which we’ll get to, is the power adapter.  When your laptop is plugged in, someone tripping over the cord can jerk the laptop off your lap or table, or goof up the connectors on the laptop or the adapter, or both.  (Current Apple laptops solve some of those problems with their “Magsafe” power connector that just snaps away from the machine when the power cord is pulled.)

Kinking the power adapter cord can also fray or break one or more of the conductors inside over time, causing potential failure, so be careful how you wrap and store the cord.  Once, while sitting reclined in a recliner with my laptop, I inadvertently allowed my power cord to get caught in the recliner’s footrest mechanism, then nearly sheared the cord in two when I lowered the chair’s footrest.  I’ve also seen a power cord so kinked and frayed that it shorted out and essentially burned in two.

Audio professionals coil microphone cables to extend their life–coiling your power adapter cable can have the same effect.  Replacing a power adapter can cost you over $100 for some laptops, so taking a little extra care with your adapter can save you some money.

4.  Be gentle with the screen

Photo credit: AMagill

The display on your laptop is another of its more fragile body parts, and you will do well to keep pointy things away from it.  The outer layer of plastic is usually soft, and can be scratched, dented, or even punctured if you aren’t careful.

If you are one of those people who just can’t keep your fingers off the screen, you’re going to have to clean it from time to time, and when you do, don’t use harsh detergents or solvents, and don’t spray the cleaning fluid directly onto the surface, or it might drip and seep into places around the edges of the screen where wires and stuff shouldn’t be getting wet.  Instead, spray it onto a clean, lint-free cloth, and wipe the screen down gently with it.  The stuff your eye doctor gives you to clean your eyeglasses with is just fine, although you can probably buy special stuff just for computer screens at your local computer store.

5.  Treat your battery well

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The life of a modern laptop battery is basically a matter of how many charge/discharge cycles it can experience before it begins to lose the ability to hold a charge for long.  The battery in my MacBook Pro, for example, is designed to keep up to 80% of its original capacity at 300 charge/discharge cycles.  After 300 cycles, the battery will begin to keep a charge for a shorter and shorter length of time, and eventually it will have to be replaced.

Most current laptop batteries use lithium technology, which means there is no memory effect, but it’s still important to allow the battery to charge completely (overnight is good) the first time.  Apple doesn’t recommend leaving the power adapter plugged in all the time, so apparently  it’s a good idea to use your battery until it needs charging.  That said, it is also important not to allow your battery to go completely dead, because this can shorten your battery’s life over time.

New laptop batteries aren’t cheap–I’m looking at about $100 when mine finally gives up the ghost–but replacing the battery gives your machine a new lease on life.  And there is also a chance that a replacement battery will have more capacity than the original–this was the case when my daughter’s iBook battery needed replacement after two and a half years of college.  The replacement battery we bought from OtherWorld Computing provided 20-30% more capacity than the original equipment battery.

6.  Buy more memory

Photo credit: teclasorg

If your laptop computer has the capacity for more memory than you have in it now, a great way to improve it and make it useful longer is to go ahead and upgrade the memory.  Max it out, if you can.  Memory is generally pretty inexpensive right now, and in most cases, depending on how you use your computer, having more memory can improve your computer’s performance.  I’ve been very happy with the memory I have bought from both OtherWorld Computing and Crucial.  Both of these sites have great prices and they make it easy to figure out what kind of memory to buy for your system.  They also provide installation instructions and technical support.

7.  Buy more disk storage

Photo credit: leo!

After installing more RAM, you might get another performance boost by installing a larger, faster disk drive, and this can improve your user experience noticeably.  When I bought my current laptop about 10 months ago, the largest internal hard disk I could get for it was 250 GB.  Now I could get a 320 GB laptop drive.  Who knows–in a couple of years, I might be able to get a 1 TB or larger drive for it.

8.  Clean out the dust and lint and gunk

Heat is one of your laptop’s biggest foes, and the designers went to all sorts of lengths to figure out how to dissipate the heat from the processor and other components.  Over time, dust and lint can accumulate inside the machine, slowing the flow of air over the CPU heat sink and through the fan vents.  If you’ve got the chops to open your machine and clean this gunk out yourself, go for it.  If not, you can probably get this done professionally for a fairly reasonable cost.  You can try blowing it out with some canned air, but that could just push it deeper into your machine.

9.  Pay attention to ventilation

Photo credit: alykat

While we’re on the subject of temperature, let me suggest that you pay close attention to the ventilation of your laptop.  Note the location of the cooling fan vents, and make sure that when your laptop is on your lap, those vents are not obstructed.  If you use your laptop in bed (some people do), make sure the blankets or sheets aren’t blocking those air vents, or your machine could get dangerously hot.  When you’re using the laptop as its name implies, on your lap, the kind of clothing you’re wearing could block cooling vents, too.  The best surface for a laptop is probably not a lap, but rather a smooth, hard table surface.  Just pay attention to this, and you’ll be fine.

10.  Consider a docking station

It’s not uncommon for a laptop user to have an external monitor, disk drive, keyboard and mouse on their desk for use with their laptop, and if you are moving your laptop in and out of that environment every day, it’s a hassle, and it can wear out the connectors for those ports over time.  You might want to check into obtaining a docking station for your laptop, if one is available for your particular model.  This allows you to leave all of the other devices plugged into the dock, and you can quickly and easily connect your machine to (or remove it from) the dock, with a bit less wear and tear on the connectors.  Some laptops have a special docking connector so that you don’t have to use your regular peripheral connectors at all when you’re plugged into the dock.

11.  Buy an extended warranty

Photo credit: newrafael

Sure, it’s a gamble–it’s a lot like buying insurance: if you never need it, you feel like you paid a lot of dough for nothing (except maybe a little peace of mind).  If you have a problem and the warranty covers it, it was definitely worth the cost.

But in my opinion, an extended warranty on a laptop may make a bit more sense because laptops are so much more fragile, and often more expensive to repair, than their bulkier desktop brothers.  If you’ve spent a lot of money on your laptop and you need it to last for three years, you should probably at least look into  the extended warranty.

12.  Don’t lend it, don’t lose it

Please understand that I am typically a reasonably generous person, and I am generally willing to help a fellow human in need if I have the means and the opportunity.  With that said, I suggest that if you rely on your laptop as your main (or only) computer for your business, don’t lend it to someone unless you really, really trust that person to take good care of it.  I try to take good care of my laptop, but someone I loan it to might not.  Since it’s the chief tool for my livelihood–I can’t afford to let someone else goof it up, or be careless with it and let it be damaged or even stolen.

I never leave my laptop unattended in a public place–no matter how inconvenient it is for me to pack it up and lug it to the restroom with me at a coffee shop, I will do that, because I can’t afford the loss of the machine and I can’t afford the loss of the work I’ve done that is stored on the machine.

And that leads me to my final word of advice:

13.  Back it up.

Okay, so maybe backing up your laptop doesn’t necessarily extend its life–but it will mean that your data and all your hard work can still live on after your laptop dies.

This shouldn’t have to be said any more, because every single one of us has heard stories of horrible situations where people lost tremendous amounts of work because they didn’t have their data backed up.  If you’ll take the trouble to figure out how to do regular back-ups of your data, you’ll avert countless headaches somewhere down the road.

This isn’t rocket science–it’s actually pretty easy these days, and cheap, too, because external hard disks are inexpensive and very high-capacity.  I was guilty of not doing backups regularly for many years, and I got lucky, until my old PowerBook G3’s power supply circuitry decided, literally, to burn up.  I was able to salvage the hard disk, fortunately, but needless to say, I’m a believer in backing up.  And now that Apple has Time Machine, it’s pretty much a no-brainer for me–I just plug in an external hard disk and forget about it.

If you’re a Windows or Linux user, there are plenty of products out there that can make backing up simple and painless.  You might even find something for free that would meet your needs just fine, if you don’t want to use what comes with your OS, but even if you have to pay a little for a good backup utility, don’t let that stop you.  It’s worth the time, the trouble, and the money to back up your work.

Bonus tip

In the spirit of one of Apple’s early computer manuals, I should mention that it is a good idea not to defenestrate your laptop computer.  Unless you really have to.

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