I am a very fond supporter of free and open source software. I have been using Linux and open source software for almost five years. The experience was very satisfactory aside from it being very educational. I have saved a lot ever since I used free and open source software and turned that savings into buying new and better hardware instead. Realistically there are hundreds if not thousands of free productivity software available out there. Due to its abundance it may be hard for a new switcher to find exactly what they need. WHDb has created a list of the most used proprietary software and their free alternatives. Here is what WHDb has to say:

The following fifty proprietary programs are listed in no particular order within broad categories along with their open source alternatives. In some cases you could probably write your own book on frustrations with the proprietary programs shown here. In other cases, you’ll discover that the open source alternative isn’t quite up to snuff yet. And, in other cases still, you’ll learn that some proprietary programs are real gems, but that the open source advocate can replace those gems with equally shiny objects from the open source repertoire.

Click here to read the full list.

One of the worst nightmare for computer technicians after doing a hard disk reformat and reinstalling M$ Windows or M$ Office is finding out that they have lost the product keys. The certification of authenticity that came with the original software is lost. This scenario will push some techs or end users to use pirated keys or just use some cracks to activate Windows or Office. But that’s not the only solution. If you have found out that you have lost your certificate of authenticity or product keys, you could use these tools to retrieve it before deciding to reformat your computer.

RockXP

RockXP allows you to retrieve all Microsoft product keys. It also has the ability to backup and restore activation files. It even allows you to change your Windows XP product key. Some advance features also allow you to retrieve MSN, XP login and password or display system password. It is a standalone program and no installation needed. When running this program some anti virus software may identify it as a security threat. But this program is clean and mean.
Download RockXP here.

Magical Jellybean Keyfinder

The Magical Jelly Bean Keyfinder is a freeware utility that retrieves your Product Key (cd key) used to install windows from your registry. It has the options to copy the key to clipboard, save it to a text file, or print it for safekeeping. It works on Windows 95, 98, ME, NT4, 2000, XP, Server 2003, Windows Vista, Office 97, Office XP, Office 2003, and Office 2007 (the MJK beta release as of this writing). This tool is also a standalone program and no installation required.
Download Magical Jelly Bean Keyfinder here.

The result of six months of heavy development and testing, 2008 includes all the latest software and many enhancements over previous Mandriva Linux releases. You will find KDE 3.5.7 and the new GNOME 2.20 already integrated, a solid kernel 2.6.22.9 with fair scheduling support, OpenOffice.org 2.2.1, cutting-edge 3D-accelerated desktop courtesy of Compiz Fusion 0.5.2, Mozilla Firefox 2.0.0.6, and everything else you’ve come to expect from the latest Mandriva Linux release. We have integrated a reworked hardware detection sub-system, with support for a lot of new devices (particularly graphics cards, sound cards and wireless chips). Also, the addition of new features and ongoing improvements to the renowned Mandriva tools continues, including a wizard to import Windows documents and settings, the new network configuration center, and improvements to the Mandriva software management tools.

Read the full announcement

Download Mandriva 2008