Software Subscription Fatigue?
Free & Less Expensive Software Alternatives
Even though there are lots of useful applications provided by the platform vendor when buying a computing device these days, many people find they want a bit more from the software. That’s where third-party developers come in. We download free and paid apps from Apple’s, Microsoft’s, and Google’s app stores—and from the web—and install them on our devices to do things that the platform vendors may never even imagined users wanting to do.
Software developers obviously want to make a profit, and there has been a growing trend to offer software as a subscription in order to establish a steady income stream so they can continue to improve their apps. For some people using the software regularly, it may be a good solution for both parties. For others, it could become a money hole if the software is no longer useful.
Fortunately, there are often lower-cost or free, open-source options to many of the mainstream software tools. Another option is to take a second look at the provided apps from the platform vendors and seeing if they are adequate for your tasks. Join the MVCUG officers as they share a number of options for leaving big subscriptions behind and continuing to be productive and get the most out of your devices.
The Mountain View Computer Users Group (MVCUG) meets from 9:00 a.m. to noon at the Cochise College Downtown Center, 2600 E. Wilcox Drive in Sierra Vista. We meet in classroom E105. Park in the southern end of the east parking lot, come up the ramp to the east entrance. If the door is locked, follow the instructions on the MVCUG sign. Once inside, follow the signs to the room. A map is available here.
Coffee, donuts, pastries, and bagels are free, but we appreciate your donations to help offset MVCUG expenses. All meetings are recorded and available for members online. If you are a paid member you will receive an email with the video link two to three weeks after the meeting.