The presence of a computer onboard is almost universal these days, whether it is used to navigate, run an entertainment system or simply keep the captain connected to the office or the rest of the outside word. But it's not without hassles and costs.
The truth is that most boaters want to be out on the water, not spending hours figuring out what software they need, to say nothing of the expense involved in buying commercial applications and keeping them updated.
Buying an office suite, a photo editor and a web design suite will set you back several hundred dollars. Why not rely on free alternatives that are often just as good – and sometimes even better. While many may equate free software with low-quality products, these days that is no longer the case. The advent of the "open source" movement, in which software developers collaborate to create free applications, together with the Internet's no-charge culture has given rise to a generation of high-quality software that can be downloaded for little or no cost. And you don't have to be a hacker to get it.
Free programs now exist that will allow you to transact over email or instant message, edit photos, play music, create spreadsheets and other office documents and even manage projects. Switching to these free alternatives can shave hundreds of dollars off the cost of outfitting your boat with a computer – money that every boat owner can use elsewhere (though probably still on the boat).
In some cases, free programs have even become market leaders. Mozilla's free Firefox web browser is the best example. Mozilla pioneered "tabbed" browsing, and was among the first to offer a wide variety of "plug in" features for its browser, which competes with Microsoft's commercial Internet Explorer application. The result is that Firefox is now the browser of choice for a large percentage of the Internet community and many websites – including this one – were designed using it. It is powerful, stable and the price is right.
While it is true that boaters have some special computing needs, navigation and portability among them, there are applications that serve those needs too. There are programs that will allow you to download and view marine charts, track budgets or spare parts on a spreadsheet, plan trips on a calendar and even navigate the boat – all for little or no cost.
You do have to be careful. Some of the online offerings suggested here may have privacy implications, and you should always be cautious when storing sensitive data or handing out personal information. Most products are open source or otherwise licensed for free personal use and some can also be used for business, but be sure to check the licenses to stay within the law.
No matter what software you choose, remember to back up your data. Hard drives die. Boats sink. Mistakes are made. Data gets deleted. With more and more of our lives stored digitally, the information is both easier to work with – and easier to loose.
But in general, using high-quality free software is no more risky than buying a product online, and most of us have done that for years. Like all projects on a boat, you should make a plan when you intend to change or upgrade software. Read the instructions, give yourself enough time to complete the installation and do not abandon the software you have been using. Like all marine systems, software can require troubleshooting in order to get it to work properly. If you anticipate this in advance, it will mitigate any frustration.
One bonus is that many of these programs are supported by a community of users and developers, who are usually willing to answer questions and walk through problems. Communication generally takes place via online forums, where you can post questions and get answers. So if you encounter difficulties, find the forums and ask your question!
INTERNET SOFTWARE
Most early free software offerings are what can be considered Internet Access Software: browsers, email clients and similar applications. Many of these have matured into stable products and, in some cases, market leaders.
