Last October I listed my favourite Macintosh Applications in this blog [01.10.2008]. I am now listing my favourite open source applications. The difference is that while I have been a Mac user since the early 1990's, I am only really starting as an open source user. This is that often some of the software that comes on a Mac is just great and it discourages use of some open source software. Why use Audacity if you have GarageBand? If you want to web author, just use iWeb! If you want to create a pdf then OSX does it as part of the printing phase!
This list is a work in progress and based initially fairly heavily on the recommendations of others. I am also establishing a page of useful links on my website in the near future. Thanks to Pia Waugh for her recommendations and those from the Twitterverse, particularly, Michelle Dodd who has a great wiki on the subject. Here's the resource page I am building up too.
I will be one of a panel presenting at an Open Source day for teachers next month, [as opposed to Freeware or Shareware]. More news on that in a future blog.
So here's my list so far.... Those that have an asterisk* [after the platforms they run on] are those apps I haven't used, but come highly recommended.
[As with any software recommendations in my blog, what I write about is my opinion only and I take no responsibility for anything going wrong with your computer, server, network etc.. Please read the conditions and product disclosures and EULA for each application. Always exercise care and caution!]
Client Software
Operating Systems
Various versions of Linux [ I've installed Ubuntu on my MBP]
Edubuntu [Education version of Ubuntu]* http://www.edubuntu.org/
Word Processing
OpenOffice [Mac / Win / Lin]
Bean [Mac]
Neo Office [Mac]*
Word Processing Viewers
Open Document Viewer [Mac / Win / Lin]*
Visioo-Writer [Win / Lin]*
Presentation / Multimedia / DTP
OpenOffice [Mac / Win / Lin]
Scribus [Mac / Win / Lin / Other ]*
Programming / Gaming
Scratch [Mac / Win]
Database
OpenOffice [Mac / Win / Lin]
Spreadsheets
OpenOffice Calc [Mac / Win / Lin]
Open Document Viewer [Mac / Win / Lin]*
Typing
GNU Typist [Lin]*
Tux Typing [Mac / Win / Lin]
Primary Curriculum
GCompris - math, science, ICT skills, literacy and more. A huge suite of applications for primary ages students. Best used under Linux but also works under Windows and Mac.
Tux Paint - great for drawing and stamps [Mac / Win / Lin]*
Tux Math - excellent adventure games based on math [Mac / Win / Lin]*
Childsplay - another suite of applications for young children [Win / Lin]*
PDF
PDFCreator [Win]*
Images
GIMP [Mac / Win / Lin]*
Inkscape [Win / Lin]*
Paintbrush [Mac]
DV /Animation
Pencil [Mac / Win / Lin]
VLC Media Player [Mac / Win / Lin / Other ]
Virtual Dub [Win]*
Perian [Utility for Mac Version of QuickTime]
Mind Mapping / Concept Mapping
CMap Tools [Mac / Win / Lin / Other ]
FreeMind [Mac / Win / Lin]
Podcasting
Audacity [Mac/Win/Lin]
Web Browsing & Authoring
Mozilla Firefox [Mac / Win / Lin]
Camino [Mac]
SeaMonkey [Mozilla Composer] [Win / Mac / Lin]*
Amaya [Win / Mac / Lin]*
Nvu [Win / Mac / Lin]*
Website Downloader
HTTrack [Mac / Win / Lin]*
SiteSucker [ Mac]
ScreenCasts
CamStudio [Win] *
3D Virtual World & IWB
Eduism [beta]
eMail
Mozilla Thunderbird [Win / Lin]*
Instant Messaging
aMSN [Mac/Win/Lin]*
File Compression
7-Zip [Win]*
RSS
Juice Receiver [Mac / Win / Lin]*
FTP
FileZilla [Win]*
Cyberduck [Mac]*
Anti Virus
ClamAV [Mac / Win]*
ClamWin [Win]*
Web Conferencing
Dimdim [Mac / Win / Lin]*
Server Software
Operating System
Ubuntu Server [Lin]* Just getting a Moodle Server set up a my school, it will run on Ubuntu Server.
Internet Cache
Squid Proxy [Mac / Win / Lin]*
Blogging
Wordpress.org [Mac / Win / Lin]*
eMail
Squirrel Mail [Mac / Win / Lin]
NMail [Lin / Win / Other]*
CMS
Moodle [Mac / Win / Lin]* - Just getting a Moodle Server set up a my school.
Joomla [Mac / Win / Lin]*
