You Don’t Have to Embrace Microsoft to Learn
I’m a big fan of open-source technologies because they’re free, customizable, and well…open.  But its not uncommon to run into problems at some universities if you’re a Mac or Linux user.  Microsoft is still the dominant platform at many schools around the country, and you sometimes have to make certain adjustments.  Below are some useful work-arounds for those who simply don’t care to shell out big bucks to use MS-based programs.

Open-Source Alternative to Internet Explorer
No doubt you’ve heard of Firefox.  I love this browser because it is infinitely expandable.  But sometimes you’ll run across sites that are IE only.  This is especially true for science-based or business-based classes that require certain forms, games, and online simulations.  Fortunately, Firefox has a useful add-on that lets you install a IE tab within Firefox.

Open-Source Alternative to MS Office
Word, Excel, and Outlook are the workhouses of the corporate and education sectors, and with good reason.  These three products are loaded with great features.  But if you’re resistant to paying the extra money, try OpenOffice.org (PC/Linux), NeoOffice.org (Mac), Google Docs, or Zoho for word processing and spreadsheets.  In my humble opinion, nothing beats Thunderbird for desktop email access.

Media Players in Schools
Depending on the type of program you’re doing, you might need video or audio for your computer.  Windows Media Player is a fine tool, but the codecs are messy, and the digital rights management (DRM) can be burdensome.  For my money (which is $0), VLC player is the best player out there.  It can run just about any file…with or without codecs.

Ultimately, I have no gripe with Microsoft.   They make great products (usually).  But competition and options are great as well.  The more open-source technology we have, the harder Microsoft (and yes Apple) will have to work to satisfy consumers.