+ End the tyranny of vendor lock-in
+ Reduce your software and support costs

The next time you find yourself sitting beside Bill Gates on that flight to Seattle (economy class, of course), ask him what he thinks of Ubuntu or OpenOffice. Then stand back and watch the pretzels fly.

Ubuntu is an operating system that replaces Windows. It's fast, elegantly designed and easy to use. It's also virus-free. I'm so stoked about Ubuntu, I bought the t-shirt. Although my wife won't let me wear it in public.

OpenOffice is an office suite that reads and writes Microsoft Office documents and pretty much operates the same way as Word, Excel and Powerpoint.

A typical OpenOffice window. Look familiar?

Both Ubuntu and OpenOffice are free. They are Open Source software projects available under the GNU General Public License. You never have to pay a dime. So how do these companies make money? Through support contracts, training and other ancillary services and products. And both companies are doing quite well thank you.

Ubuntu and OpenOffice aren't alone. There are thousands of Open Source software titles available. Some of them you know - FireFox, Android, Picasa. Some of them you may not know but should. Plex is a superb multi-media and home theatre application.  GIMP is a free replacement for Photoshop.

But back to Ubuntu for a moment. I have way more to say about it. After all, I bought the t-shirt. Here are my three favourite things about Ubuntu:

1. It runs on crappy old computers. Drag that 8 year old piece of junk out of the closet, install Ubuntu and it'll feel like the latest Mac.
2. It's virtually virus-free. I added "virtually" because, some day, I'm sure someone will come up with a virus. But, as of this writing, not one single virus for Ubuntu has appeared in the wild.
3. You can install it on a CD or USB memory stick. Not sure if you want to wipe out Windows and convert to Ubuntu? You don't have to. Just install on a CD, boot from it and try it out for while.

Have I got you thinking? Remember the last time you upgraded Windows? Vista or Windows 7 perhaps? Remember how disappointed you were? Remember how much it cost you in terms of time and money?

Give Ubuntu a shot. At the same time, boot Internet Explorer and Microsoft Office out the window. Check out their free, Open Source alternatives.

If you need help or guidance, you know who to call.