Freeware
Because of the learning curve for new software, most of us resist upgrading. I use WordPerfect 5.1 for DOS to write. I export to WordPerfect 8 for typesetting. It was designed for Windows 95. I use 1984 IBM-AT keyboards: the clickety-clack boards.
Then there is the fear of installing something new and having it eat your files for lunch.
But Linux-based freeware is now becoming tempting. For teenagers who are just starting out, they can do without a lot of expensive software. They should. As long as you're at the beginning, you might as well stick with something that will be free for life. There is now a lot of support for these products.
I found a list of free software substitutes for Adobe, Mac, and Microsoft products. I was amazed at how much there is.
For us oldsters, it may be too late to switch. But for grandkids, home school students, and a few hundred million Chinese and Indians, these make sense.
For a complete escape from Windows -- which makes more sense when you look at the cost of Vista -- there is Ubuntu. You get the whole thing for free: operating system, plus hundreds of programs.
Vista isn't selling. Buyers are waiting for updates. This is forcing down the price of new computers. There is a glut. Bill Myers had a good report on this a week ago.
Check out some of these deals!