That free-lunch feeling

Ever got that feeling that there’s no such thing as a free lunch? Well, there probably isn’t. Somewhere down the line someone will work out a way of monetizing everything we do.

However, if anything can be described as a free lunch these days, the operating system Ubuntu – may just be one such beast.

Who’s behind Ubuntu – and if it’s free, how do they make money?

Ubuntu is supported by a company called Canonical Ltd, with a staff of more than 500 people and offices in over 30 countries, it has the needs of both large and small organizations well covered. From corporates, which is where it does most of its business through providing cost-effective technical services and support, to small-business users and consumers who can get free community advice if the need arises. Ubuntu would appear to have the virtue of being one of those very rare creatures: a sustainable free lunch. Almost as great an idea, in fact, as a 0% balance transfer and other seemingly too good to be true financial transactions.

Ubuntu is not only free software, free as in beer; it’s also free software, free as in speech. The licensing model used is called open source: the biggest companies in the world are involved in similar projects. From IBM to Google and from Wikipedia to Red Hat, the players out there using open source are the very biggest. Anyone who decides to start using open source software will find themselves in excellent company.

So how would I benefit from using Ubuntu?

Ubuntu is an operating system, the engine of your computer. It makes sure all the different hardware and software understand each other, communicate and function. You’re probably used to paying for your operating system and then getting regular upgrades; you’ll also pay for your word-processor and office suite; maybe even pay for your video-editing and photo-retouching software.

If you know a little about installing software, with Ubuntu you get your operating system, your word-processor and office suite, your video-editing and photo-retouching software, your email client, your browsers and a whole lot more for absolutely nothing. As long as you’ve got a broadband Internet connection, you’ve got Ubuntu and all the above for free. What’s more, you get the regular upgrades for free too.

Use Skype or Google to get free phone-calls and video-conferencing? You’ve got that too. Like  Twitter? No problem either. Use Firefox or Google’s Chrome browser? Both available (only difference is Google’s browser goes by the name of Chromium).

In fact, most of what you can already do on the software you’ve been using for years, you can do for free on the software that comes with Ubuntu.

You might be thinking what’s the point of me changing what I use? After all, I’ve already paid for it! True enough and maybe now’s not the time for you. Maybe what you really need to do right now is bookmark this post and come back to it in a year’s time. It’ll come in handy when that moment arrives. When you discover your current operating system isn’t current any more or your version of your office suite doesn’t work with that new type of file your customer has sent you.

If truth be told the real costs behind the software you’re using aren’t the upfront licenses you pay. The real cost is a hidden one which simply never goes away.

What are the real costs of not using open source software?

In one phrase, vendor lock-in. The files you generate contain data which belongs to you. But what if the vendor stops selling the software you’re using to open those files? Or decides you can’t carry on using the program without upgrading? Or changes the format without consulting with the customer? Or any number of other strategies?

With software like Ubuntu, this doesn’t happen. Ubuntu uses international standards available to everyone. Even if your manufacturer goes out of business, your business doesn’t. You won’t have to pay for data to be transferred from one format to another, because the format it’s already in is all you’ll ever need.

So how do I start?

Remember, no one’s suggesting you throw away all your hard-earned software. Use it until it wears out as that’s what it’s there for. However when it comes to the day you need to pay for an upgrade, come back to this post and reread its lessons. Surely something about getting a real free lunch will appeal to you and so you’ll try out Ubuntu. With its hundreds of free software products, its free upgrades, its free video-conferencing and its zero vendor lock-in … what more could you ask for?

Convinced enough to try?

Go to the download page here if you’d like to try your hand at following the installation instructions – or try it out in the cloud for a seamless online trial.

Abigail Wallace is a writer and researcher currently living in London. She has been working on a freelance basis for over five years and this has given her a chance to work across many difference industries. She specialises in technology, web development and design writing but enjoys a vast range of different subjects including the most quirky out there.

Yaro Starak is an up-and-coming marketer who plays in both print and digital arenas.  His recent blog post, How to Get Coverage in Print Media, provides a detailed blueprint for generating frequent coverage by print media outlets.

By systematizing your efforts for dealing with print media, you can build a following among writers who cover your niche.  When writers wish to consult an “expert” for a quote, they may call on you based on the strength of your press releases.

If you write a blog regularly, consider re-purposing appropriate blog postings as press releases.  Using this tactic will keep your writing load manageable while feeding the press quality material.

Not a bad video for 15 minutes work with a new tool.  I’m sure anyone could produce quick videos in less than ten minutes with a little practice.

All I did was upload several images, use the text tool to generate text slides, and then allow the program to generate the video. I was impressed with its ease of use and the quality of the final product.

Recently, Google announced that it was continuing free telephone calls for U.S. callers to the U.S. and Canada through the end of 2011.  That’s good news for anyone who makes a significant number of telephone calls.

To receive Google’s free voice and video chat feature, or to find more information, visit http://gmail.com/call.

One of her more interesting observations is the continued growth of review web sites. Entrepreneurs can not only use reviews of their own products, but can also increase their visibility by reviewing other businesses, both local and online.

Starr’s article is definitely worth a quick read for new social marketing ideas to implement in 2011.

In particular, I found 5 SEO Tips… to be a great article, not only for SEO beginners, but also for veterans who might be thinking about refocusing their SEO efforts.

Twitter for Businesses… examines a number of external Twitter tools to make managing this platform simpler and less time-consuming.  In addition, readers might want to check Elance’s article entitled Twitter 101 for some key methods to integrate Twitter with their marketing in 2011.

Finally, How to Ditch Distractions and Stay Focused when Working Online speaks to a challenge that most online business people face on a daily basis.

The initial census data set, displayed graphically below, can point us in new directions. For more detailed information, check the following resources:

• U.S. Census Bureau web site
• 2010 U.S. Census Web Site
• The Blog of the Census Director

To view the data below in full-screen mode, click the icon in the upper-right corner of the window.

“We are all faced with a series of great opportunities brilliantly disguised as impossible situations.”……~ Anonymous

To find the Annotation Tool, follow this procedure:

1. Pull down the menu underneath your user name in the upper right corner of the screen
2. Highlight “My Videos” which will provide a list of all the videos you have uploaded
3. Choose a video by clicking on its title
4. In the light gray menu bar just below the YouTube logo, select the “Annotations” button

For a better effect, a full-page front or end plate can be displayed with full artistic effect. Simply create the graphic in your favorite graphic program, then use Sony Movie Studio, or a similar tool, to insert the graphic into the video. Will devote a future blog post to describing this procedure.

Todd Sattersten, author of The 100 Best Business Books of All Time, has a newly published FREE e-book with some very interesting ideas about pricing.  If you are interested in arriving at the optimal price for your products or services, Fixed to Flexible is a good read.  At 37 pages, it’s also a very quick read…  Feel free to download, print, and distribute to others (for free, of course!)

Fixed to Flexible – The Ebook