Do you actually ever pay for Proprietary softwares?

[jaycoder]

Do you actually ever pay for Proprietary softwares?

[Finalzone]

Not really. When I buy hardware, proprietary software are included. Only software I pay are usually for games or items on sales.

[ilja]

If I need one I pay. If there is a free alternative, I prefer to use it. I don't really like GRUB as the main bootmanager, so I bought a long time ago a commercial one (I think about 20€). So now I just select not to touch the mbr and never expierience problems with dual-boot :p

[ghaefb]

Nop. Not for a single one...

[fjleal]

Religiously no! ;)

Why should I? There are free alternatives for almost everything! If I had to use proprietary software I'd pay for it, but I haven't.

[Jman]

Sounds like we're using free as in free beer (http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html).

I haven't paid for any software in a while. The possibilities of software you can modify and tinker with if you want to are fascinating. I like at least knowing a general idea of how it all works, instead of a black box you can't open.

The fact that is being given away is a bonus.

[Prometheus]

Pretty much the only proprietary software i buy are games. Lets face it, big, proprietairy games are lots more fun usually and cooler looking than free ones (tux racer excluded).

[Varkk]

Yeah the only software I buy is games, others comes bundled with stuff I have bought, although usually that stuff is crippled versions of windows software and usually under linux there is a better free alternative anyway. E.G With my DVD writer I got some DVD writing software which was crippled from the normal retail version, K3B is better anyway so I use that.

I have bought RedHat linux 6.0 7.3 and 9 does that count?

[Ug]

Not really. ;)

I've bought Cross Over Office in the past to help with migration (but thats only a tweaked wine). I also buy games, which are one thing which I believe should remain as closed source, as lets face it open source games leave something to be desired.

I also normally donate to the projects which I particularly like. I've donated to FedoraNEWS, the Gnome Foundation, the Mozilla Foundation, GIMP and Open Office.

[rogerdugans]

Yes:
I pay for games, for one thing.

I also am more than happy to contribute to projects that I use which need support.

And lastly, I run two Windows machines as well as the linux boxes- much of the software on those two computers is freeware, but to get best performance in the windows world, it is often necessary to buy commercial programs so I do.

[hugo]

As a Computer Science student I get great discounts on Microsoft software. I got Windows XP pro and Studio .NET for free. Which is great since I only needed to use windows for my .NET projects anyway.

[ewdi]

I actually paid for couple software i use daily :p

iglooftp (linux)
slickedit (linux)
CrossOffice 3 (recently)
and vmware

:p

[JonR]

Desktop/Office - Have bought MS Office in the past but now use OO.
Programming - Have bought VB VC++ in the past but now use Java/NetBeans
Specialist - Still expecting to pay for Music Typesetting s/w (currently Finale).

Most of what I do is covered by OpenSource now but once you get beyond the mainstream tasks you've got to recognise you may have to purchase.

[Ug]

CrossOffice 3 (recently)
and vmwareBoth of those are bundled in the Mandrake 10 Powerpack, if i remember rightly.

[msimplay]

i try to get the free alternative most times but sometimes proprietary software is too good :)

[fifthecho]

Yes, actually I make a point of purchasing every piece of commerical Linux software I could possibly need just to add another increment to the statistics of how many people will buy software for Linux in a (albeit feeble) effort to show big companies like Adobe, Macromedia, and big-name game developers that there is a demand.
*Nod*

[yur1022]

As a ... student ... I got Windows XP pro and Studio .NET for free.

Well, very likely, your school has a deal with Microsoft to bring them to you. (AFAK, the Univ of Texas system has such a deal with Microsoft and paid some millions of $.) Your tuition/fees cover (at least substantially, if not all, I believe) the deal between your school and Microsoft. So, they are not really free in that sense ....

yur

[neton]

You are killing the egg my friend.

Q: Who pays your bread each day ?

A: Yes we must pay for all that brings us bread each day. We are all workers but we work against us.

C&C

[neton]

You are killing the egg my friend.

Q: Who pays your bread each day ?

A: Yes we must pay for all that brings us bread at home. We are all workers but we work against us.

C&C

[imdeemvp]

if i could get the crack i would crack it :D but not no more since linux provides all my basic needs and most of the time you can actually get the full version from kazaa...

i do pay for my games :) and i did paid for xp :(

[bamboo_spider]

In India If we one were to pack a windows machine with say the OS (not bundled)Abobe Page maker, Photoshop, MS office . Anitvirus software. CD / DVD writing software and may be a few smaller propietory software it would cost as much as a entry level desktop. Its absolutely insane, and then there is Linux with all that and more and its free wityh magazines and maye f you buy it then it costs as much as the Windows OS home edition.

[kosmosik]

yes I do. try using pirated software in your workplace... it won't lead you far :)

in home I don't have Windows and i own very little commercial software (games mostly)... when I used to work on Windows I got everything for free from my school via MSAA

[crackers]

Your tuition/fees cover (at least substantially, if not all, I believe) the deal between your school and Microsoft. So, they are not really free in that sense
Actually, yur - you and I are also helping pay for it. UT is part of the University of Texas School System - which is supported by the State of Texas - which we pay taxes to in various guises and forms. Universities get their money from a lot of different places - and most of the time, it's not specified what that money is to be specifically used for. Grants are the obvious exception.

As to the original question, yes, I pay for proprietary software when I need it. I buy CrossOver to use Office (employer's site license, since I only use it for work stuff), and I buy games (for Linux). Other than that, I don't pay any licensing fees because I've found that Free/OSS works pretty durn swell for me.

And do not mention Microsoft to the wife - she's the radical in the family.

[cavedweller]

If you count xbox then yes I bought one for my boys and it came with two games last year for christmas. They are 9 and 11 years old and live with their mom four hours from me they. They are into video gaming and that is what they wanted. What MS software I use for my satellite gateway I got from a friend of mine that gets 2 sets of enterprise software from MS each month for supplying support for them. He gives me one of his licenses. If it wasn't for that we wouldn't have the satellite service. We simply refuse to pay for a bunch of money for nothing. We would rather pay for a commercial linux distro, than pay alot of money for an os you have to spend alot more money on to be able to really use it.

[sailor]

I bought Mandrake 6.3 (i think) which i was never able to install...I found it the other day in the back of the closet...

[crackers]

I just threw out a bought-and-paid for RH 6 last week...

[imdeemvp]

I just threw out a bought-and-paid for RH 6 last week...

i have a box of RH8 should i do the same???? :D

i just might keep the stickers for my pc's... :rolleyes:

[bamboo_spider]

I just threw out a bought-and-paid for RH 6 last week...

IS it a joke , I don't get it :confused:

whats wrong with the bought and paid RH 6 or any other ???

[David]

hehe, I guess I'm the exception. I've paid a good grand for software to date. Yes there are open source alternatives but they're not as good. Period.

[crackers]

IS it a joke , I don't get it :confused:

whats wrong with the bought and paid RH 6 or any other ???
Because it's really, really old - and shows that I've actually shelled out money for Linux, I guess. I don't know, it just seemed to fit in with sailor's comment...

[sailor]

Because it's really, really old - and shows that I've actually shelled out money for Linux
this was my first attempt at installing linux...(it was Mandrake 6.0 I paid $29.99) .I was never able to get it installed....the partitioning utility that came with it got caught in a loop and trashed my harddrive...needless to say I wasn't too happy with linux at that point...I wanted to nail it to the wall and throw darts at it...:p