Dipping a toe in the pond
Welcome to the world of Open Source Software. The surprising thing is that it doesn't look very different to any other sort of software. If you had two good quality applications running side by side on the screen, and one was Open Source, there's a good chance you wouldn't be able to spot which was which.
But, there's a big difference you can't see on the screen: Open Source Software normally doesn't cost anything. Install it on as many computers as you like, totally legally, without paying a penny. That makes trialling the software easy. No worries about licensing, expiring trial periods, adverts or spyware. Just download the software, install it on a PC alongside your current applications and give it a go. Most Open Source applications run on a range of operating systems (Windows, Mac OS X and Linux, for example).
Don’t forget that there is also lots of software available to run on webservers – website content management systems, virtual learning environments, timetabling and resource allocation/room booking systems, even fault loggers for your IT helpdesk! A large proportion of the software that supports the phenomenon of Web2.0 is OSS., From a user’s perspective, these web applications work in any browser so you can try them without altering your desktop PCs at all.
Of course, just like any other application, an Open Source application won't be quite the same as its alternatives. That's true whenever you change applications (and sometimes when you upgrade from one version to a newer version, such as the upgrade to Microsoft Office 2007 from earlier versions).
The best approach is to go in with the right expectations. You'll probably be able to figure out the basics of a new application without any problems and, like all software, getting the most out of it and exploring the more esoteric features is likely to need some additional personal effort or external training (whether that's from a book, a formal course, an Internet guide, help from others on this site or in the wider open source community, or something else). Software that performs a more complex task, such as 3D modelling, video editing or generating mathematical formulas, is likely to be harder to learn, but how-to guides are often available.
