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Released Oct 29, 2026, 7:00 AM EDT
Ismar is a Senior Author at How-To Geek. He formerly worked as an author, editor, and basic supervisor at a material company before signing up with the group in 2023.
He started his composing profession in 2021 after finishing a bachelor’s degree in English Language and Literature. Beyond How-To Geek, Ismar has actually added to Red Stag Fulfillment and Authority Hacker. He has actually likewise dealt with numerous SEO tasks to assist customers enhance their search presence.
Ismar has actually been around Windows PCs considering that the age of 3, so family and friends naturally picked him as the resident tech assistance. His tasks typically include tinkering, such as dismantling mechanical keyboards and video gaming mice to mod his precious equipment.
He likewise takes pleasure in pressing hardware to the max through overclocking while remaining on a sensible budget plan. A passionate player, Ismar has actually logged countless hours throughout numerous categories, consisting of first-person shooters, RPGs, racing video games, and roguelites.
When he is not at his desk, he is most likely checking out other individuals’s phones to find their peculiarities and functions or try out the most recent AI tools.
In his spare time, Ismar takes pleasure in hanging out with his partner, exercising at the health club, playing guitar and bass, cooking premium meals, and taking a trip. Above all else, he’s a happy feline owner.
I’m a big fan of totally free and open-source software application. Whether it’s an efficiency tool or a home entertainment app, open-source apps are frequently amongst the very best, if not the very best, services.
At the exact same time, I’m a die-hard Windows addict and play lots of video games that simply aren’t offered on Linux. I came up with a concept: let’s see what life would be like if I utilized Windows as my base OS however ran just open-source apps. The entire experience was much more pleasurable than I might’ve prepared for.
Open-source apps let you enhance Windows without leaving Windows
More option on your desktop
Individuals typically associate open-source apps with Linux due to the fact that the OS itself outgrew the free-software motion and ended up being a stepping stone for lots of trying to find an alternative to exclusive software application.
I’ve personally constantly been more of a Windows guy, despite the fact that I’m not a huge fan of the OS or the business behind it. Whether it’s for work or individual usage, I’m simply utilized to Windows, and the truth that the majority of apps and video games simply deal with it without me needing to think of it is a substantial plus.
Simply since I have no objective of changing away from Windows for the foreseeable future does not suggest I can’t provide whatever else in the open-source world a shot. I currently utilize some open-source apps on my home server, phone, and PC, and they’re a few of my preferred apps out there. My day would look really various if I didn’t have Jellyfin or the Breezy Weather app to inspect the projection on my phone.
Part of the reason FOSS (totally free and open-source software application) tends to be so terrific is that individuals who add to these jobs really appreciate the experience and wish to make it much better for everybody, with earnings taking a rear seat. Possibly the most significant advantages are the liberty, personal privacy, and self-reliance from exclusive apps that can pull the carpet out from under you through organization choices such as putting formerly totally free functions behind a paywall.
I took half an hour to discover the finest open-source option for each exclusive app I utilize on my Windows PC, and hence started my experiment.
I put open-source options to my daily apps to the test
The web internet browser switch made the greatest impression
As an author, the 2 crucial apps on my PC are my web internet browser and the app I compose in, which is presently Obsidian. Chrome has actually been my main web browser given that 2009, and whenever I changed, its familiar user interface and unequaled efficiency brought me back.
When I set out to change it with Mozilla Firefox, an internet browser I had not utilized in 17 years, I anticipated a quite huge change. To my awe, it was among the most convenient switches I made. I merely imported my settings and passwords from Chrome, and within seconds, Firefox was beginning to look like the familiar internet browser design.
As I utilized it throughout the week and logged into my accounts, the experience was terrific total. The only small disadvantage was that Chrome was a little much faster on some sites I do not normally go to, while the majority of others felt simply as quick in Firefox. Most importantly, Firefox utilized a portion of Chrome’s CPU and RAM, particularly as I kept including more tabs.
When it comes to Obsidian, I changed it with Joplin, among the very best FOSS note-taking apps. It supports Markdown and even has native rich-text assistance, which Obsidian does not have. After including a couple of light-weight plugins and getting utilized to the brand-new design, Joplin effortlessly combined into my everyday regimen.
Apart from searching the web and writing, I likewise periodically take screenshots and modify pictures. ShareX changed the mix of Windows’ integrated Snipping Tool and Screenpresso that I utilized before. Similar to with Joplin, it took me a couple of days to get utilized to the brand-new design, however it ultimately combined into my workflow. I especially liked a few of its integrated tools, such as the color picker and ruler, which mainly changed Windows PowerToys for me.
When it comes to picture modifying, I have not in fact utilized Photoshop in years– GIMP has actually been my go-to image editor for a while now. It’s a remarkably effective editor that supports layer-based modifying, though I primarily utilize it to retouch images. I’m most likely the only individual who didn’t get thrilled about the vibe-coded Adobe suite due to the fact that GIMP was currently doing whatever I required.
Music was a little harder to change. This is due to the fact that Spotify provides an enormous, ever-growing brochure and curates playlists for me every day. Luckily, I’ve currently been dealing with growing my own music library powered by Jellyfin, so as long as I keep including fresh music, I must have the ability to change Spotify with Feishin entirely.
A few of Windows’ own apps are the very best argument for looking somewhere else
Even the integrated tools have space for enhancement
You most likely do not believe much of Windows’integrated apps. For the a lot of part, they’re quite fundamental and do the job. When you begin digging, you’ll find out that there’s an open-source option for nearly anything, even things you do not usually believe of.
I’ve currently pointed out Snipping Tool, however this list of changeable apps consists of even things like File Explorer, Task Manager, and Windows Search. I’ve currently utilized Files, System Informer, and Flow Launcher in location of these, and they’re all much more feature-packed than what Windows needs to provide. They’re a power user’s dream.
Files is most likely my favorite of the lot. It looks and works much like File Explorer however includes a couple of cool functions on top, like a dual-pane view for searching folders side by side, column view, an effective archive supervisor, and extra modification choices.
The only app I had not attempted to change previously, mainly due to the fact that I actually like it and am utilized to it, is Photos.
Undoubtedly, I’m a bit partial to Photos and utilize it thoroughly to search my gallery and crop, resize, and retouch images that do not require much work, so this was a difficult one to break. I attempted a couple of apps before ultimately choosing ImageGlass.
The very first thing I discovered was simply how fast it was. I believed my PC was slowing Photos down when the app needed to open numerous high-resolution pictures at the exact same time, however it ended up that the app was to blame. Cropping and resizing pictures took me a long time to get utilized to, as the procedure is a little bit various from Photos.
You do not require to change to Linux to enter into FOSS
After going through this little experiment, the greatest takeaway for me was simply how simple it was to change from exclusive apps and Windows’ integrated tools to open-source options. Firefox was the most significant surprise, Joplin seemed like a natural replacement for Obsidian, while apps like ImageGlass, ShareX, and Files enhanced my everyday experience with the OS.
The point is, open-source apps have actually come a long method, so if there are apps you utilize routinely however have some complaints with, now is the time to see if there’s an open-source option.
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