 |
Add
Remote Backup Services to your existing business, or start a profitable Internet-based
online backup service for a high profit recurring revenue stream.
Click here for more
info. |
| Recent
Articles |
Google
Lends Voice To Search
There is a better way to perform a search query on Google via a mobile phone than
tapping a lengthy string of numbers, and that would be by speaking normally to
the search engine.
Time
Warner Cable Eyes Google-Style Ad Auction
This whole ad auction thing is taking off. Though Verizon denied that its Yellow
Pages auction was inspired by Google or other search engines, Time Warner Cable...
Taiwan
Prez Slams Google and Yahoo
During an annual remembrance of a famous Taiwanese free speech activist, Taiwan
President Chen Shui-bian gave Google and Yahoo a proper smack...
Honda
Links Up With Google Earth
New Honda Civics in the Japanese market will have the capability to retrieve traffic
information using Google Earth. The service, called the InterNavi Floating Car
System...
Is
Google Forsaking The Webmaster?
Google may be tired of Webmasters taking advantage of its sensitive algorithms
through link abuse and repeated keyword digs. With no one else to turn to, the
engine that launched a million splogs...
Google
Tests Mobile Web Ads In Japan
Google has just wrapped up a successful test for advertising via mobile phones
in Japan, according to Bloomberg. The Japanese mobile phone market, more robust
and advanced than the US market...
Microsoft
Open Port 25 To Hackers
For once, the correct definition of hackers applies here; the new Port 25 website
from Microsoft offers communications from the company's Open Source Software Lab.
|
|
04.12.06
How FOSS Might Benefit Your Small Business
 By
Charlie Trumpess
Starting a small business or working from home takes time and costs money. After
you have done all the groundwork, such as a business plan, marketing strategy
and finances, you will probably start thinking about the cost of PCs and software
licenses.
At this stage, you might have just quit your day job, have no customers, no income, and a whopping-great bank loan to keep you awake at nights.
Buy the right computer at the right price
Before rushing out to your local computer store, it's worth making a checklist of tasks you are likely to need a new PC or notebook to perform. This requires no technical knowledge whatsoever. Any decent computer sales person will be able to translate your needs into features and functionality. The Internet provides a wealth of opportunities to compare prices, brands, delivery schedules, special offers and freebies. And don't be afraid to haggle, even online. The PC market is highly volatile and extremely competitive. Everyone wants to make a sale. Of course, if you just want a bog-standard, cheap PC then visit Dell.com online or give them a call.
The Software Dilemma
Having wrestled your PC out of its cardboard and polystyrene cocoon, assembled it and switched it on, you now have to consider what software applications and utilities you might need. In an ideal world your software choices would be determined by your business needs rather than the depth of your pockets. However, the reality is that most small businesses simply cannot afford everything they need. Instead, they tend to purchase 'point solution' products that meet specific needs; buy cheap alternatives to familiar brand names; or use illegal, pirated copies of popular applications such as Microsoft Office Suite (a path we strongly recommend you avoid). But there is an alternative.
What All the FOSS is About
As your monitor flickers into life, it will be immediately clear what operating system your computer uses. My Dell, for instance, came loaded with Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition. Having established what operating system your computer uses, you can now go in search of Freeware and Open Source Software (FOSS). Freeware is proprietary software offered for free by the vendor, usually under certain terms, conditions or restrictions. Open Source is a community or movement of not-for-profit programmers, developers and users dedicated to sharing, developing and improving the code or DNA of an application for everyone's benefit. To learn more about FOSS visit the Free Software Foundation website at www.fsf.org or the Open Source Initiative: www.opensource.org.
Assuming your using a Windows operating system, your computer will need to protect itself from viruses, hackers, spyware and adware. Your computer might have come bundled with any number of applications including free firewalls and anti-virus software, which is great. If not, then before you do anything, especially venture onto the Internet, you will need to get some protection.
Free Safeguards The Internet is teeming with a whole multitude of nasties, such as destructive, self-replicating viruses, vicious migrating worms and deceitful, back-stabbing Trojans. You will also have to contend with insidious, sneaky spyware and adware.
Adware, as the name suggests, infiltrates your computer and displays annoying pop-up advertisements without your consent or control. Spyware is designed to collect and send your personal information to third parties without your knowledge. These applications can be after anything from data on your purchasing habits to stealing your credit card and bank details.
Before you use the Internet it's advisable to protect yourself and your computer from attack. Of course, you won't have to worry about viruses if you have already plumped for a Linux operating system.
ZoneAlarm stops intruders from accessing
your PC; makes your PC invisible to hackers; and blocks spyware and Trojans from
communicating with the Internet.
Read
the Full Article
About the Author:
Charlie Trumpess is a marketing
communications copywriter with over a decade's corporate experience. Today, as
Charlie-the-Copywriter,
he provides copywriting and marketing services to small and medium size businesses
across the globe. |
