Here’s my choice of top free software for web professionals, across all the platforms. If you have any other suggestions (and I’m sure there’s plenty of quality programs I’ve left out), please leave a comment :
-
Cross-Platform
-
GIMP
Often cited as the best free alternative to Photoshop, this is at least a highly capable image editor. Although unfortunately for a design tool, the interface can all seem a bit clunky and it gets in the way at times.
-
Inkscape
A very decent vector image editor. Similar to Adobe Illustrator, and a much nicer interface than the GIMP. Recommended.
-
Synergy
This nifty little application allows you to share one mouse and keyboard with other machines on your home or office network. So when I’ve got my Windows laptop propped up beside my desktop iMac, I can move control from one machine to the next by simply ‘moving the mouse’ from one screen to the next. Really good.
-
-
Windows
-
Crimson Editor
I’ve tried many a text/code editor for Windows (such as the amicable Notepad++ and HtmlKit) but I keep coming back to Crimson Editor. It’s simple, no fuss, highlights my code and works well with my FTP Client and has distinguishable tabs (looks at you, HtmlKit!).
One thing it doesn’t do is code auto-compleation – and that is missed at times. Still recommended.
-
SmartFTP
I still haven’t really found a decent free/open-source FTP client for Windows, so I use this one. It’s free for non-commercial uses and costs $50 for a professional licence.
-
Putty
A small, free, telnet/SSH client for Windows. Does the job well.
-
-
Apple OS-X
- I’ve found it extremely difficult to find decent free software for OS-X, but there certainly is a number of reasonably priced and very good software options out there. I use Coda for text editing and FTP access. It costs $79 for a licence and is, in all honesty, totally worth it.
-
Linux (KDE)
-
Quanta+
A really decent, though quite bulky, code editor for KDE. Includes every feature you could want, and then some. If you use KDE, get Quanta+.
-
See also : Firefox Plugins for the Web Professional
Don’t forget Notepad++, my editor of choice
I’m loving the latest inkscape too, they’ve finally added docking.
I mentioned Notepad++ in the ‘Crimson Editor’ paragraph.. only to say that I prefer Crimson
Although Notepad++ is indeed a fine editor.
Yeah I noticed that a few seconds after posting.
gg eyes, and gg the lack of an edit button
I have to say though, it’s amazing how far free software has come.
When I got my first PC in 1997, I’d get nothing for free… the closest I’d come was shareware which was either time-limited or feature-crippled, or a PC magazine that’d have a free full version of something as part of a promotion.
Now look at what you can get.
Hard times for shareware developers though I’m sure.
Regarding FTP programs, I’ve been using the same install of ‘Coffeecup Free FTP’ since about 1999, pretty basic, but it was an incredible find at the time.
More recently I’ve been using FileZilla, which I find excellent.
Inkscape is well nice. I was having problems with the Gimp crashing on my machine, but Inkscape is rock solid.
Yeah I love what they’ve done with Inkscape lately in adding docking capabilities to the tool pallets.
Actually, the whole floating toolbar idea is my number one reason for not liking The Gimp.