Hints and Tips #127: Technology Term: Open Source, Apps for iPhone and iPad,App Search Service for Members
In This Summer Vacation Issue:
- New App List Department - App Docent
- New for bobology Members: Free App Search Service for Members Available Now
- Technology Term: Open Source
New Department - App Docent
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App Docent is a new department that I'm introducing this month. During the latest round of classes in July, I heard from many students in my iPhones, iPads, and I'm Lost classes that finding good apps is one of their biggest frustrations. With over 500,000 apps available, it's overwhelming to try and narrow down the list.
The App Store is somewhat organized, but the tabs for Featured, Categories, and Top lists aren't always helpful for someone looking for an app with specific features. What students told me they want are app recommendations. The new App Docent department includes lists of apps I've found very useful and that I recommend in my classes to students. These lists will expand over time since I'm always trying out new apps. |
Technology Term: Open Source
I've done quite a few Blogging and PC Performance classes so far this summer and software is a topic that comes up often. When discussing software, I'll use the term "Open Source" in classes to describe a software product. Just what is Open Source and what does it mean?
Software is a set of instructions for a computer that accomplishes a task. Most computer users are familiar with many types of software, such as the operating system for a personal computer, the emissions control computers for cars, and applications that do work for us like word processors, email, or spreadsheets. Software tells computer hardware what to do.
Without software, computers, smartphones, tablets, etc. are all pretty dumb. Software is usually written by people (and I say usually because there is software that can write software) called programmers. Companies hire programmers to create commercial software products for sale, and these products are called commercial software. When you buy a physical product, like an item of clothing, you own the item. It becomes your property, and you have ownership. This means you can give it away, sell it, or put it in the trash. You don't "buy" software.
Software Licenses
Let me explain a little more about open source. When you pay for the software, you are really purchasing a license to use the software product. You don't really own the right to the orginal software code, only the right to use the software on one or more computers, depending on how the license is sold. You may have a physical media, like a DVD or CD, but you don't own the software itself, only the right to use it according to the terms of your license. This is way almost all commercial software is sold.
The license usually allows you to use the software for your own personal or business use, or on a certain number of computers. But a commercial license doesn't allow you to include the software in any other software product for sale. This requires a reseller or OEM (orginal equipment manufacturer) license from the software company. With a reseller or OEM license you may be able to purchase the right to include the software in your own product, depending on the license terms available from the software company. You would pay a different fee for using the software as part of another product. In fact, this is how Google licenses their Android operating system to smartphone manufacturers. They pay Google a fee for each device that uses Android.
This "license" is what Open Source is all about. Open Source software carries a license which usually prohibits the sale of the Open Source software and any products which are developed with the Open Source software as part of the product. Open Source software efforts developed as a result of programmers wanting to write software code and share that code with other programmers. These programmers are often referred to as the Open Source community, and Open Source is defintely a community effort. The idea behind it that since a community contributes to the software, no company can claim ownership and control the software. While an Open Source product may seem risky as a result of an all volunteer effort, it can often result in higher quality, more flexible software products, with new features and capabilties added quickly. Examples include Word Press for blogging, Open Office, an alternative to popular word processing, spreadsheet, Mozilla Firefox, one of the most popular browsers, and the Linux operating system.
People and organizations make money with Open Source by providing services, support, and complete solutions, but any product with Open Source software usually includes a free license to use the software.