If you have a business that requires simple tasks like editing and printing documents, then you need the best computers with free software.
Also the desktop computers that are intended for daily office work are the ones that are part of the entry level range of hardware performance.
These computers usually are cheaper and they also need less hardware resources to complete office tasks.
Read More: Find the best dedicated business computers
Cheap computers goes best with free software
If your work at the office resumes to document editing, sending and receiving emails or browsing the internet then free software is what your company needs.
Some of the free Operating Systems that are recommended to be used are:
- Ubuntu
- Ubuntu mate
- Debian
The Operating Systems mentioned above are based on Linux and they are absolutely free to use.
Installing a free Linux based OS is easy and it comes with the advantage of having free apps built in so you can get the work started.
Use Ubuntu with free apps for your business
We recommend installing Ubuntu Desktop because it is one of the easier OS to handle for office work. This OS is recommended because you can install many Office related apps.
Ubuntu has the advantage of giving users a great desktop environment experience, also packing all the free apps you need to use to manage your business.
After you install Ubuntu, you can use default apps like:
- LibreOffice
- Mozilla Firefox
- Thunderbird (email client)
These apps are absolutely free and easy to use. Also you can find apps in Ubuntu store that you can easily install on the computer. Here are some example of free apps that can be installed from Ubuntu store:
- Sublime text editor
- Slack
- GIMP
- Inkscape
- Microsoft Edge
- Skype
- Telegram
- VLC
You can also install Google Chrome on Ubuntu from the official website:
Download Google Chrome for Linux (Ubuntu, Debian)
If you need to use other apps like Whatsapp, Microsoft Teams or Outlook, you can easily install them as PWA (Progressive Web Apps).
Must Read: How to install Whatsapp as PWA (Progressive Web Apps)
Use Windows 10 Pro with free software
If you prefer to use Windows instead of Linux on your computers, then you have to buy the Windows license.
For companies and for any business the Windows versions to be purchased are the Windows Pro Edition. This is because those licences are the one that are eligible for business. You cannot use Windows Home Edition on the company computers because this version is only eligible for home use.
Free software is also available for Windows as it is for Linux. This means that instead of Microsoft Office, you can always use LibreOffice or OpenOffice. You can find alternatives for almost any paid app you use.
Here are some free apps alternatives to paid apps on Windows and Linux:
- LibreOffice, OpenOffice – available for Windows and Linux, alternative to Microsoft Office
- Thunderbird – available for Windows and Linux, alternative to Outlook
- GIMP – available for Windows and Linux, alternative to Adobe Photoshop
- Inkscape – available for Windows and Linux, alternative to CorelDRAW
- Openshot, Shotcut – available for Windows and Linux, alternative to Adobe Premiere