Scot Dunn, Scott Spanbauer

Note: This review addresses v11.5 of the software.

Back when Internet Explorer was languishing without a major update, a few enterprising developers figured out how to build a tabbed interface and other missing amenties around IE's basic web-page engine. One of those products, Avant Browser, was a boon to IE 6 users, adding much-needed tabbed browsing and newsfeed support.

Note: This review covers v1.1 of the software.

Back in the day, an Internet suite called Netscape Communicator ruled the Web with its handily integrated browser, e-mail, and HTML authoring tools.

Microsoft's flagship product is feature-rich, friendly, expensive, and it doesn't run natively under Linux. Though Microsoft doesn't sell a Linux version of Office, most Linux distributions come with a variety of free office suites, and individual productivity applications including KOffice's KWrite word processor and Gnumeric spreadsheet. But nothing comes closer to matching Microsoft's suite than OpenOffice.org 2.3, which includes the Write wordprocessor, Calc spreadsheet, Impress presentation software, Base database designer, Draw vector-graphics program, and Math formula editor. All can import and export files in native Microsoft office formats, or be configured to use them by default. Windows and Mac OS X versions also available.

Note: This link takes you to the vendor's site, where you can download the correct version of the software.

Microsoft's quick-and-easy desktop publisher meets its open-source match in Scribus, which makes it easy to design newsletters, brochures, and presentation slides from scratch, or using included templates. In addition to the usual grid, hyphenation, and typography tools, Scribus lets you export your document as a PDF file, making it a good stand-in for Adobe Acrobat, too. Scribus can't import your existing Quark or InDesign projects, however.

Note: This link takes you to the vendor's site, where you can download the latest version of the software.

Ubuntu Linux 8.10, aka Intrepid Ibex, is the most popular Linux distribution available for installing on your PC, thanks to its steadily improving hardware compatibility and installation software, along with a wealth of free applications and utilities that run on any version of Linux.

But even though the bad old days of disappointing Linux installations are mostly over, putting Ubuntu on your PC can still be tricky if you haven't done it before. Many PC users have never had to boot their computers from a CD or had to partition a hard disk. And most of us take for granted that the OS will include drivers to handle crucial hardware devices such as graphics cards and wireless networking controllers.

Your business--and the computers that power it--may have started with an idea that popped into your head while you sat in front of your laptop, freeloading off of the local coffee shop's wireless network. But you can't work out of the Java Hut forever.

As your company grows and you add employees, computers, and an office to house them, you'll need a network to connect everyone to each other and to the Internet. But at this point maybe your startup crew uses a collection of Macs and PCs, with the graphics people favoring OS X, the software developers relying on the tools that come with Linux, and everybody else preferring Windows. Fortunately, these three operating systems can communicate and coexist on a single network. By using suitable off-the-shelf networking equipment and the various operating systems' built-in tools, you can connect your heterogeneous hardware to the universe in short order.

It's great to have multiple computers. On the first of them, you can install a database or crunch spreadsheets. On another, you can simply browse the Web, listen to music, and check your e-mail. Yet another can have a supercharged configuration for playing games. Sure, you could have all of your programs on the same, single computer, but some applications--such as games--can't run concurrently with other programs.

Many businesses have a different problem: They need to use applications that will run only on a specific operating system, be it Windows Vista, XP, or 2000, or maybe Mac OS X or Linux. So they maintain computers running different OSs around the office.

Artwork: Chip TaylorWindows Vista debuted to muffled applause, followed by lackluster sales. Up until June 30, cash-strapped businesses looking to avoid the cost of upgrading to new Vista-compatible hardware could still purchase trusty Windows XP. Now, however, Windows XP is available only as a costly "downgrade" from Windows Vista--if you buy a copy of Vista, you can install the 6-year-old XP operating system using the Vista license.

If that feels like a waste of your small business's precious IT budget, and you're still looking for an alternative to Windows Vista, look no further than Linux. The latest distributions are free, easy to install, and highly customizable; they harness your existing hardware without overtaxing it; and they include a wealth of productivity applications and utilities. You may already have a closet Linux expert on staff, but if you don't, paid support is usually available at rates far less than Microsoft's.

For many users, getting started with Linux is surprisingly easy. New, friendlier versions of the free operating system, such as Fedora and Ubuntu, feature straightforward menus and automated installations that make switching from Windows to Linux a relatively simple process.

But a lot of people who try Linux dump it and switch back to Windows the instant they want to get some work done, mostly because they don't know which Linux programs to use in lieu of their old Windows standbys. Fortunately, such confusion need last only a moment.

Note: This link takes you to the vendor's site, where you can download the version of the software that's correct for your Linux distribution. This program is donationware. It is free to try, but the author accepts and encourages donations towards further development.

--Scott Spanbauer

Note: This link takes you to the vendor's site, where you can download the latest version of the software.

--Scott Spanbauer

Note: This link takes you to the vendor's site, where you can read the installation requirements and instructions as well as download the latest version of the software.

--Scott Spanbauer