Free Download A Day

Everybody pretty much agrees that monopolies aren't the best way to run things. While it may make sense on have only one water company in town, there are a lot of other areas where more competition would probably be a good thing.

Gnumeric, the Gnome Office Spreadsheet, is another way to avoid the pitfalls of being locked into one software supplier (and you know who you are) but to still maintain compatibility with your peers.

Licensed under the GNU General Public License, Gnumeric is a fully functional standalone spreadsheet. Not designed to be a clone of "Brand M", it reads other popular spreadsheet formats, while allowing you to customize it so that you can work the way you want to. Gnumeric is designed to be able to handle even the largest spreadsheets fast, and its accuracy is the stuff of legends.

Along with all the functionality of the name-brand spreadsheet, Gnumeric boasts over 150 additional functions, in addition to all the graphing functionality you would expect, and page formatting and drawing objects.

Gnumeric is a Linux app.

Download Gnumeric

A polar bear is a Cartesian bear after a coordinate transform.

Not too many graphing jokes out there, but we've always liked that one. And speaking of graphing, we've found a great place to download almost every graphing format imaginable. Free Online Graph Paper has a huge collection of customizable graph and grid paper downloads, all available in PDF format. Ranging from plain vanilla graph paper to paper with only dots instead of lines, five-line music staves to accountant's ledger paper, to calligraphy and Chinese character guides. Many of the grids are customizable, allowing you to select colors, and even decide whether the heavier index lines should be every five lines or ten lines and so on.

All you need to do is to find the type of grid you're interested in, enter your specific details, and download the resulting PDF file. The author even says that if you need a type of grid that isn't already featured on the site, send him an email and he may give it a try.

Since all these grids are in PDF format, they're compatible with any system that supports an app to read the files, meaning that just about anybody can take advantage of them.

Download Free Online Graph Paper / Grid Paper PDFs

Way, way back when the earth was new and MS-DOS (and its cousin PC-DOS) was the name of the game, Lotus Development created a state-of-the-art integrated application that featured a spreadsheet, word processor, database manager, graphics app, and communications program called Symphony. Much more efficiently coded than most of today's bloatware, the entire app would load into memory when you booted your PC/XT and pop up for you when you pressed a hotkey.

DOS is almost forgotten, and Symphony certainly is–or was until now. IBM Lotus Symphony is now available, and it's free for home, school, and business.

Like its ancient namesake, the new Symphony is a suite of applications that features a text editor/word processor, a presentation manager, and a spreadsheet tool. Symphony uses the Open Document Format (ODF) for its files, and fully supports Microsoft Office file formats, allowing you to import- and export your data, as well as the ability to export to PDF files as well. Macros written for the Office platform aren't compatible with Symphony, and vice versa, but Symphony does have its own macro language that allows you to automate repetitive tasks to speed you on your way.

IBM Lotus Symphony is available for Windows (XP or Vista) and Linux platforms, with support for OS X promised in the near future.

And who knows: if they can bring Symphony back, can the DeLorean be far behind?

Download IBM Lotus Symphony

With a name like "TaskJuggler", this application sounds like another calendar and PIM app that lets you create "to do" lists. That couldn't be further from the truth.

TaskJuggler is a full-featured, industrial-grade project management tool, like Microsoft Project, but without the $600+ price tag. You can use it as a planning tool to allocate resources, and as a reporting tool to track your progress and see how closely you're sticking to your schedule.

All you need to do to get started is to enter your project outline and any specific constraints that you have, and TaskJuggler will work within those parameters to tie all the pieces together. Rather than having to provide all the details at the start of your project, you can add and change the particulars "on the fly" as you progress, not unlike the approach taken with Extreme Programming or Agile Project Management.

You can generate reports in HTML and XML formats, and export to CSV files is supported, so that you can easily import project details into your office productivity tools.

TaskJuggler is a Linux app licensed under the GNU GPL.

Download TaskJuggler

GnuCash is a full-featured personal and small-business accounting tool. As a double-entry system, you ensure that you can track the dollars from one end of the app to the other. Since it uses a checkbook-style register, you already know how to enter transactions for cash and checks, credit cards, as well as deposits, stock transactions, and all.

Along with keeping track of your personal income and expenses, functionality is included to track customers and vendors, including invoicing and bill paying, making it easy to keep track of all your small business transactions.

Built in reporting capabilities make it easy to see where your money is going; the integrated graphing facility makes helps you to better understand just what is happening with your finances.

With its statement reconciliation window, you don't have to dread balancing your checkbook any more. You can even print checks from GnuCash, and scheduled transactions make sure you don't miss any important payment deadlines.

GnuCash is available with an installer for Windows; in addition, you can install it on OS X, Linux, and just about any other platform.

Download GnuCash

Rainlendar is a cross-platform calendar app that only takes up small amount of on-screen real estate while giving you all the bells and whistles of other calendar tools. It supports multiple calendars, so you can keep track of personal stuff, work-related dates, and even a list of ballgames or TV shows you don't want to miss. You get a list of this week's events, so you can be ready for that 8:00 am meeting tomorrow before you get to work. You can build a to-do list to keep track of tasks you need to take care of. And of course there are alarms to make sure you don't forget anything.

Skins allow you to customize Rainlendar's appearance and behavior, as you can include new buttons for added functionality.

Rainlendar is a free application. There is also a paid version available that adds support for Outlook, calendars shared across your network, as well as Google calendars.

Rainlendar is available for both Linux (Ubuntu 6.06 or equivalent) and Windows (Win2k) or later.

Download Rainlendar

We've all heard the stories: system crash, catastrophic data loss, no backups. I always intended to back that stuff up, I just never got around to it.

Get around to it.

Areca is a backup program that may help to give you the push you need to get started. Along with an easy-to-understand GUI for manual backup sessions, Areca also has a command line interface, so you can automate your backups with shell scripts and batch files.

Backing up to .zip files, Areca lets you store your data to your local drive, to network drives, thumb drives, or even FTP servers. You can build filters to grab just the files you want, and perform either full or incremental backups, all of which really puts you in the driver's seat as far as your backups go.

Don't become a statistic (cue dramatic music) by losing your important data. resolve to start systematically backing up your system today.

Areca Backup is a Java application, so it should run on anything that supports the Java virtual machine. The publishers specifically reference Windows and Linux systems.

Download Areca Backup

Life is complex and complicated. There's always too much to keep track of, and after a while the PostIts around your monitor, or the pile of legal pads on the floor just don't cut it any more. How are you going to keep track of all this stuff: people, tasks, dates?

Microsoft Project is the standard for managing complex projects. Paying a lot for it is also the standard, unfortunately.

OpenProj is a free, open-source project management application. Fully compatible with MS Project, you can import your existing files. For new projects, you can enter tasks and milestones, and define dependencies. Use Gantt and PERT charts to visualize your projects and timelines, giving you the information you need to keep on top of things.

OpenProj is available for Windows in an .msi installer; versions are also available for Linux and other UNIX-es (Unicies?) as well as OS X.

Download OpenProj

Repetitive Strain Injury is a serious issue for regular users of the computer keyboard and mouse, as well as for others who work a lot with their hands. While we can't help non-computer users, there is an aid available for computer users.

Workrave may help you avoid and recover from RSI-type injuries. Based on the principle of "micro-pauses", Workrave encourages you to move or reposition your hands, as well as to get up and move from your seat. By popping a reminder up on your screen, you are reminded to take a micro-pause, a rest break, or even to end your day, based on total elapsed time for the day. By breaking, or at least changing your position, you may help to avoid these kinds of serious repetitive strain problems.

You can configure Workrave to set intervals between breaks, and the length of those breaks. In addition, reminders can include exercises you can incorporate into your day

Workrave is available for Windows and Linux systems

Download Workrave

Progress is a good thing. It generally makes things better–bigger, faster, stronger. Sometimes, though, things get left in the dust. When was the last time you bought a tape for your Betamax? (Kids, go ask your parents.)

Nowhere does the steady march into the future move more relentlessly than in the computer biz. You can hardly buy a machine or application where it isn't obsolete before you get the shrinkwrap off of it. One of the latest places where this has happened in Apple's change from PowerPC to Intel chips.

Along with all great new capabilities of the x86 architecture comes a great loss–you can't run Classic Mac apps any more. With PPC machines, you always had the option of running the great pre-OS X apps out there (a particular favorite of ours is Symantec's MORE, an outliner from way way back).

SheepShaver is a PowerPC emulator that allows you to run Classic apps on your MacIntel machine. Along with the application itself, you'll need a copy of MacOS and an appropriate ROM image (info on how to get a ROM image is included in the FAQs on the application's website). Once you load it all up, you will be able to run all your favorite Classic apps on your shiny new Intel box.

SheepShaver is a Mac application, but it also has Windows and Linux flavors as well.

Download SheepShaver