Meet the world-wide economic crisis head on. Stop paying for software! A world full of high-quality software that you don't have to spend a dime for is out there. If you've just spent your entire computing budget on a Mac only to find that you need software to do anything interesting, this is the book that will show you how to get what you need without wreaking havoc on your finances.

Packed with the practical, hands-on guidance and technical know-how that you've come to expect from Apress, the Expert's Voice, Mac OS X on a Dime takes you on a tour of the very best, zero-cost software in each of the many categories that matter to the typical Mac user. Learn to edit photos on the Internet without having to install any software at all. Find out where to get a free office suite for word processing and spreadsheet work. Whatever your need, Tony Mobily, publisher of Free Software Magazine, guides you through the exciting and often confusing world of zero-cost computing.

• Saves you money by showing you how to meet your computing needs at zero-cost
• Saves you time by pointing you directly to the best-of breed in each software category
• Saves you work by illustrating the most commonly performed tasks with each zero-cost option

Before you go buy that $400 office suite, or worse, before you borrow it from work, stop! Let this $25 book show you how to save hundreds of dollars in expensive software. Learn all about the free tools that the digerati use to make their lives better, and stop paying out the nose for software. Don't spend a dime!

What you’ll learn

• Find and install the best zero-cost software available.
• Learn about software as a service and take advantage of photo editing, calendaring, e-mail, and other functionality delivered at no cost, anywhere, from any computer via the Web.
• Manage your money using the Quicken killer, rock-solid, full-featured, zero-cost finance software that puts your finances in order with just a few clicks.
• Harness the power of OpenOffice and Google Apps for your word processing and spreadsheet (and presentation too!) needs.
• Communicate with your friends through zero-cost voice calls, e-mail, and instant-messaging.
• Establish a presence on the Web through blogs and social networking sites such as Facebook.

Who this book is for

Mac OS X on a Dime: Free (and Low-Cost) Software Alternatives for Penny Pinchers is aimed at students, small-business owners, retirees, educators, and just plain regular folk who aren't blessed with large budgets, who must squeeze a dime's worth of value from every penny they earn.

Buy this book if

• You're tired of spending hundreds of dollars on commercial software only to end up paying all over again as you get caught in the "upgrade treadmill"
• You are a student or retiree on a budget
• You are a small-business owner needing the power of technology, but without the expense
• You want to save money and have fun at the same time
• You want to try out all of the coolest software without spending a dime