Open Skies

There are many sources of software on the web, and most of them offer freeware (and Open Source), but today I thought I'd have a quick look at one of my favorites (SourceForge) and a newbie that seems very impressive (Open Source Living).

Interestingly, they seem to me to be at two ends of the spectrum as regards range of software they link to, and the methods they use to help you find said software.

Open Source Living is a pretty new player in the game.  I came across it on Digg the other day, and I must admit Im impressed by the range of software they cover.  The categories make it easy to find a relevant application, and the tight, limited selection means that you're not overwhelmed.  A range of platforms are covered.  OSL has a nice, clean look, and I can see it becoming a favorite of mine.

Sourceforge has been around for years.  It has over 165,000 different projects on its books, ranging from fully developed and polished application suites to apps that are, frankly, still in alpha, and that you may well need to compile yourself.  Some projects are highly active, others may have been moribund for years.  Pretty much any application need yo may have stands a very good chance of being covered, in some for or another, and for some platform, within SourceForge.