Not only that, FOSS alternatives have become user-friendly enough these days to be considered as viable alternatives.

Ubuntu + Open Office, for example, has proven as sufficient substitutes to Windows + MS Office which is the standard requirement for many business functions, for when a business owner cannot afford original copies of such software products.

with a little bit of perseverance, there’s no reason to use pirated software. use ubuntu linux as your operating system. a pentium 2 on ubuntu is just as fast as xp on a pentium 4. it’s more stable(3 years running), less virus prone, and it’s free. use open office instead of microsoft office, also free. just upgrade your old machine to 256+ MB and recycle even your “old” machines. tell those software extortionists to go to “L” (Linux). firefox is more stable and safer than internet explorer and thunderbird is safer than lookout.

oh i forgot ms server on the internet installed out of the box is hacked in 4 hours costs $1000, linux takes 4 months to hack and is free.

yeah, big business can afford softwares especially the license one’s. but your only talking of things like office applications, windows operating systems and the like which you’ve listed the alternatives such as linux.

but how about the softwares that will be used by the small company, especiialy if they are involved in the engineering or technical fields??? many start up companies like those in engineering cannot afford those softwares, for example an “autodesk software, like autocadd (costing around US$3000 or more) and also other softwares they are using….

to my estimates, if i’m planning to start up my own business in engineering consulting….i may have to buy a softwares worth about US$15,000 to $20,000 which translates to about P600,000 to almost P1M…and thats for softwares only…in addition to that of your overhead costs. That’s like saying you cannot start your own business witha small capital. Its like saying that if you only have a hundred thousand for your capital, then you cannot have your start up business because your capital will only go to buying softwares, and you cannot rent a place for your business since almost 90% of your capital is alloted for software expenses. And a major factor why many of our countrymen don’t want to make their own businesses.

yes, microsoft lowers it cost for its windows package so many companies can afford it now, but what about the other softwares they need. still you havethe extravagant cost of those softwares.

so, there will be no more room for small enterpreneurs and those who would want to start up small on their small businesses.
maybe the government should do something about this problem first before making those raids on pirated softwares….they should offer some incentives for those who buys authenticated softwares like maybe some tax breaks because of the cost of buying such an expensive softwares in order for their the businesses to grow until such time they are making money.

i want to start i cafe bisnis,i jst want 2 inquire how to apply for open liscensing of 10 units if u have already d CD software of MS XP?

i don’t know about engineering software, but for graphic artists & 2d designers there are a lot of free software for linux.
sure they’re not as feature-rich as photoshop of illustrator, but they get the job done

What about open-source? I started a small cafe in the province with 6 w/s using pirated XP. Now, 5 of the 6 are running Ubuntu. I have no complaints from my customer. BTW, I don’t do games in my cafe.

for free cad software on linux ubuntu go to:
http://www.tech-edv.co.at/lunix/CADlinks.html
i agree with you. there should be different prices for 3rd world nations, but big business has no sympathy for the little guy. just use free software to protest.
even if you have xp cd you have to pay microsoft P8000 per computer installation. linux/ ubuntu is free! go figure. for
internet cafhttp://cafe-manager.qarchive.org/

let’s see here

a small busines with 10 computers running an OS and with the following applications

1 Word Processor (typing and printing jobs)
2 Spreadsheet (other financial calculations)
3 Imaging Software (greeting cards and invitation cards)
4 Anti-Virus software (for obvious reasons)
5 Gaming softwares (for obvious reasons)
6 Other support softwares (DVD Burners, anti-spywares, etc)

all software cost multipy by 10 computers = bankrupt from the start!

NOTE:
Not counted are the prices of each computer and other hardwares and other operating cost!

That’s how much you have to pay for licensed software! it’s like buying the software without actually buying it! instead, you pay the right to use something that takes no raw material to replicate!!! the prices are so absurd!

This is not to say i advocate piracy, merely, to state why piracy is so rampant.

and when u say ‘Microsoft and other firms have knocked down their prices’ what knocked down prices? they are still in the thousands!!!

Only very rich companies who have much to waste can buy those crap!

for internet cafe mgmt you can install ubuntu, firefox, open office and yahoo.
http://cafe-manager.qarchive.org/

i run the IT department of a top 1000 corporation. we have 20 large multiprocessor hp servers. we started with 6 machines on win 2000, win nt and win 2000 server. even with legit licenses, i phased out microsoft, it is on only 2 machines now. the 18 are on ubuntu, devil linux and centos. our linux firewall has been running 24 hrs for the last 3 years with no problem. microsoft needs a reset as often as weekly or at least quarterly. linux is not a memory or hard disk hog. the whole firewall and OS runs off a 720 MB cd drive so it’s hack resistant. restart it and all settings are good as new!
i’m not even considering Vista(do). if you must be a microsoft junkie buy old win 2000 licenses P1000 each and not xp or vista(do) which have built-in spyware. they tell microsoft if you have unlicensed software and report your ip address so you can be raided. you can’t even upgrade/ change your hard disk without calling microsoft singapore.
go to
http://www.ubuntu.com/
for free software

yeah there are free softwares like cadd and others like for replacement as with photoshop and illustrator, but it is not as good with those softwares i mentioned above. See here, if you have a client thats very meticulous about workmanship i dont think those alternatives are going to make your clients happy about the result of your work. Thus, you may end up losing your clientile to others. then your business will go puff…

see here, i tried those like “intelicadd” but i find it not so user friendly as those of Autocadd by autodesk and also the results are not satisfactory. what i’m saying is for your business to grow you will need those softwares no matter what.
the only thing that matter here is the cost.

also, Mr. Mel’s comments ,are good…from the start your really bankrupt with the cost of your softwares ang evrything…and you are not even operational in your business, but your capital is already gone.

for internet cafe its a different story, you can use those firefox, linux and etc. as our friends here are saying….since it only requires an operating system , spreadsheet solutions, word processors…but not in consultancy offices which you will require much more softwares like that i mentioned.

the authors of the software programs spend many expensive man-hours developing those programs to make them “user-friendly”. it is only reasonable for them to expect fair compensation for their work. how would you feel if your engineering studies and cad templates, drawings were sold to other people by former employees at 10% of your price? how does it feel to spend 2 years training employees and have them pirated by a competitor who pays 30% more just to cripple you? running a business and keeping costs down is a balancing act. but you must be legal. if you want all the advanced user friendly options you have to pay for them. you have to weigh the lost man-hours due to inconvenience of using freeware against the cost of commercial software.
but again we’re a third world country with a low standard of living and should not have to pay first world rates.
so what is an entrepreneur to do?
welcome to the world of second hand software!
go to HMR, buy 2nd hand computers with genuine microsoft license stickers. despite BSA’s claims to the contrary Philippine law does not restrict use of 2nd hand software as long as you have proof of ownership such as original installation cd/dvd and certificates of authenticity for all your machines. large companies resell their old software also. 2nd hand autocad 2007 is available for P10,000 or less and autocad 2000 for P1,500. you can use cad freeware or autocad 2000 for your junior staff to create elements and basic templates and keep 1 or 2 copies of 2nd hand autocad 2007 for yourself and senior draftsman for the specialized details. i hope this advice helps.

jay lim,

Then you have to match the customer expectation with the cost of original software. If a single license of Adobe Photoshop costs 60,000, charge your clients who demand works that can only be produced with Photoshop a commensurate fee!

Certainly 60,000 pesos is much, much cheaper than litigation and recovery costs when the BSA and NBI raids your company.

Captian hook’s suggestion to purchase 2nd hand software is, likewise, a good idea. Just make sure all the material are intact.

ALL OF YOU GUYS WERE RIGHT! YOU WERE PRETTY GOOD! BECAUSE YOU HAVE SUITABLE AND HELPFUL IDEAS! ANYHOW, IF YOU WERE ASK ME, I WILL USE PIRATED SOFTWARE STILL, THE MAIN REASON IS NOT THE COST OR THE BRAND OF THE SOFTWARE WE ARE USING BUT THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM IN OUR COUNTRY THE BUREAUCRACY. WE HAVE TOO MANY GOVERNMENT AGENCIES TO FIGHT FOR PIRATED SOFTWARE, LIKE, PNP, NBI, BSA…ETC. I DON’T THINK THEY ARE SERIOUS WITH THEIR JOBS IT’S ALL ABOUT MONEY. TSK. TSK. TSK…DID YOU GET THE IDEA!?

HOW COULD YOU BE FAIR IF THE GOVERNMENT ITSELF IS NOT FAIR.

well, i’m not saying that i am advocating piracy here. what i’m pointing is that its exhorbitant costs of acquiring those softwares in which the government should maybe do something about. maybe just give some small business incentives for those who buys those original softwares.

but as captain hook said, there’s always the secondhand store just in case someone’s is on a budget. It’s also good to know that there is a store like that offering those softwares at low prices although lower versions of the original vendor softwares.

bureaucracy is at its best with regards to mr john limjap’s comments. because some of the anti-piracy officials and their staffs are in cahoots with some businessmen. Otherwise, they have raided all the offices in makati and ortigas areas for software piracy…with their record of only 1,962 offices raided last year…i doubt it will have an effect….there’s more than a hundred thousand offices operating in makati and ortigas alone and 1,962 doesn’t count yet as a population to solve those anti-piracy campaign.

well, as my mentor once said :
“it’s not what you know, it’s Whom you know!!!”

and i think it’s true nowadays especially in the country….applicable to many.

well, i’m not advocating piracy since it’s not good for the economics of one country also.

maybe, just maybe the government would give some incentives to the small enterpreneurs who would like to venture into those kind of businesses.

anyway, it’s good to know. at least there is a second hand store that offers also softwares like that, even if it is on a lower version thought.

maybe somebody from our good congress representatives think of something to develop small businesses.

thank you

Captain Hook, Software licenses are issued on a per company basis. Licenses cannot be resold or donated to another company of different incorporators. Buying a second hand Autodesk or Microsoft software is infringement of the software EULA. Software are not sold for the value of the media, but rather the cost of the right to use the software. And also Microsoft stickers can easily be replicated and will not stand against the court. The proper contest to sofware piracy charges are the original vendor invoices.

i have to disagree with the know about. there is no record in philippine jurisprudence of a conviction for use of 2nd hand software.

even under US law, if you buy a nominal piece of hardware with the software, there is no violation.

if you know of a valid conviction, please cite the case. to my knowledge all raids were due to outright piracy (no license at all), or multiple illegal copies (licenses less than actual number of installations). in many cases BSA could not even proceed with prosecution because of the incompetence of the raiding team. the idiots from NBI stole the expensive computers with the pirated software in the warehouse and substituted them with cheaper ones. raids were made based on search warrants issued on the basis of sworn statements of disgruntled employees who had an axe to grind with their employers.

other firms agreed to settle without prosecution, because the value of confiscated computers was greater than the fine and wanted to get their computers back before NBI steals them.

you have to be a real microsoft lap dog to believe the story about copying the microsoft stickers. microsoft uses 3D hologram technology which even the pirates from China cannot copy perfectly. furthermore microsoft has sophisticated code generation algorithms to track the validation code when genuine windows advantage process is run at boot up or when loading updates. the court can subpoena microsoft executives or software experts to testify that the stickers are genuine.

lastly in recent cases where the 2nd hand software licenses were valid, the raiding team were charged and sued. the complaints were settled due to death threats, house-casing and drive bys, arbitrary questioning by the NBI agents and their police friends. and of course because NBI agents returned the stolen computers they gave to their relatives, complete with pirated games their kids installed.

i choose to not have to put up with the threat of raids and advocate open source software like Ubuntu and open office over windows and microsoft office. software piracy is still theft. use pirated software at your own risk. buying 2nd hand software us like buying a 2nd hand goods and is good to the environment since you can reuse old slower machines rather than have them go to landfills. use open source software when you can.

Click to see these cool pictures and make them screen savers:

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y13/BassistOfTheFall/WindowsInstall.jpg

also

http://news.architel.com/wp-content/images/sucks1.jpg

i have to disagree with the know about. there is no record in philippine jurisprudence of a conviction for use of 2nd hand software.

even under US law, if you buy a nominal piece of hardware with the software, there is no violation.

if you know of a valid conviction, please cite the case. to my knowledge all raids were due to outright piracy (no license at all), or multiple illegal copies (licenses less than actual number of installations). in many cases BSA could not even proceed with prosecution because of the incompetence of the raiding team. the idiots from NBI stole the expensive computers with the pirated software in the warehouse and substituted them with cheaper ones. raids were made based on search warrants issued on the basis of sworn statements of disgruntled employees who had an axe to grind with their employers.

other firms agreed to settle without prosecution, because the value of confiscated computers was greater than the fine and wanted to get their computers back before NBI steals them.

you have to be a real microsoft lap dog to believe the story about copying the microsoft stickers. microsoft uses 3D hologram technology which even the pirates from China cannot copy perfectly. furthermore microsoft has sophisticated code generation algorithms to track the validation code when genuine windows advantage process is run at boot up or when loading updates. the court can subpoena microsoft executives or software experts to testify that the stickers are genuine.

lastly in recent cases where the 2nd hand software licenses were valid, the raiding team were charged and sued. the complaints were settled due to death threats, house-casing and drive bys, arbitrary questioning by the NBI agents and their police friends. and of course because NBI agents returned the stolen computers they gave to their relatives, complete with pirated games their kids installed.

i choose to not have to put up with the threat of raids and advocate open source software like Ubuntu and open office over windows and microsoft office. software piracy is still theft. use pirated software at your own risk. buying 2nd hand software us like buying a 2nd hand goods and is good to the environment since you can reuse old slower machines rather than have them go to landfills. use open source software when you can.

Click to see these cool pictures and make them screen savers:

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y13/BassistOfTheFall/WindowsInstall.jpg

http://news.architel.com/wp-content/images/sucks1.jpg

i just heard that one of the cisco expats cannot leave the philippines because of a hold departure order.

the cisco officer stated that the routers of a certain distributor were counterfeit, had NBI raid the offices, confiscate the equipment and publish the name of the cisco distributor in the paper besmirching their reputation. unfortunately the gear was real, just imported from Hong Kong and not from the cisco office in singapore. so the injured company sued for damages, libel, perjury, malicious mischief etc.

while i don’t advocate piracy, the software companies should not act like imperialistic colonial masters. give us more affordable software options such as discounted prices for older versions, menu in tagalog, so it can’t be resold in the US or Canada. we are a 3rd world nation trying to make a living. don’t gouge us with high software costs so you can spend more feeding your pets than what it takes to feed a whole filipino family.
all the US weapons and trillions of dollars can’t even catch a lame arab on a horse. filipinos are not your lap dogs, we can bite back.

Thanks for this. Article who your writen was so important for me. Thanks again