Practical advantages: a user's view

• Common free software is obtained at little cost
• It is often well maintained and standards compliant
• It probably does not do strange things behind your back
• You can have it changed or customised by anyone
• You can learn by looking at the code and studying it
• You are FREE! You can give it to a friend, copy it from your office to your home computer, you are not obliged to accept obscure end user agreements to use it legally