Open Source vs Proprietary Software

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Open Source Software

Open source software is a model of software development which allows permitted use of its source code.

Open source software

Open source projects are projects where the source code used to create the project is made publicly available.
Anyone can legally view, modify and distribute the source code.

Pros of open source

There are many advantages to open source, such as:

Open source software is usually free.
Open source software is maintained by a large community of contributors.
Open source software encourages collaboration.
Open source software encourages rapid development.

Cons of open source

There are also some issues with open source development:
- Open source software usually provides no warranty or guarantee.
- Smaller projects may not receive regular updates.
- Official customer support may not be available.

Proprietary Software

Proprietary software is also known as closed source software.

Proprietary software

Proprietary software is software where the source code is not available to people outside of the organisation.
When buying proprietary software you do not own the software, but have only bought a license to use it.
Modifying, copying, or redistributing the software is illegal.

Pros of proprietary software

Proprietary software comes with a warranty or guarantee.
Proprietary software often has customer support.
Proprietary software should be thoroughly tested and reliable.
Proprietary software is usually easier to install and use for the average user.

Cons of proprietary software

Proprietary software's source code is not available, so cannot be fixed or modified by users.
Proprietary software might not do exactly what you want it to do.
Proprietary software can be expensive.
Proprietary software's older versions may not be maintained.

Licensing Issues with Open Source Software

Using open source software can lead to many licensing issues.

Open source licenses

Not all open source software can be used in exactly the same way.
Different licenses determine what can be done with the software's source code.

Licenses

A license is a set of rules which tell a consumer what they can and cannot do with a piece of software.
For example:
- You can / cannot distribute this software.
- You can / cannot resell this software.

Open source programming

If you create a project which makes use of open source components, licensing issues can get very complicated.
Usually, open source licenses state that if you use the open source software in a project, then your project must also be open source licensed. This can affect your ability to sell your software.
Things can get very tricky when multiple components are used, all with different licenses.

1Components of a Computer

1.1Structure & Function of the Processor

1.1.1Structure of the CPU

1.1.2Fetch, Decode, Execute Cycle

1.1.3Factors Affecting CPU Performance

1.1.4CPU Architecture

1.2Types of Processors

1.2.1CISC & RISC

1.2.2Multicore & Parallel Cores

1.3Input, Output & Storage

1.3.1Computer Systems

1.3.2Magnetic Storage

1.3.3Optical Storage

1.3.4Types of Optical Storage

1.3.5Types of Memory

1.3.6Flash Memory

1.3.7Virtual Memory

2Software & Software Development

3Exchanging Data

4Data Types, Data Structures & Algorithms

4.1Data Types

4.1.1Data Types

4.1.2Arrays & Strings

4.1.3Representing Numbers

4.1.4Binary Arithmetic

4.1.5Hexadecimal

4.1.6Converting Binary Numbers

4.1.7Floating Points in Binary

4.1.8Floating Point Arithmetic

4.1.9Bitwise Manipulation

4.1.10Character Sets

4.2Data Structures

4.2.1Arrays, Linked Lists & Queues

4.2.2Graphs, Hash Tables & Stacks

4.2.3Trees

4.3Boolean Algebra

4.3.1Computational Logic

4.3.2Boolean Logic

4.3.3Karnaugh Maps

4.3.4Boolean Identities

4.3.5Flip Flops & Adder Circuits

5Legal, Moral, Cultural & Ethical Issues

5.1Computing Related Legislation

5.1.1Data Protection Act (1998)

5.1.2Computer Misuse Act (1990)

5.1.3Copyright Designs and Patents Act (1988)

5.1.4Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (2000)

5.2Moral & Ethical Issues

5.2.1Online Activity Tracking

5.2.2Censorship

5.2.3Cultural Issues

5.2.4Environmental Issues

5.2.5Layout, Colour Paradigms & Character Sets

6Elements of Computational Thinking

6.1Thinking Abstractly

6.1.1Abstraction

6.2Thinking Procedurally

6.2.1Decomposition

6.3Thinking Logically

6.3.1Pseudocode & Flow Diagrams

7Problem Solving & Programming

7.1Programming Techniques

7.1.1Programming Fundamentals

7.1.2Modularity

7.2Programming Construction

7.2.1Integrated Development Environments

7.2.2Testing

8Algorithms

8.1Algorithms

8.1.1Interpreting, Correcting & Completing Algorithm

8.1.2Sort Algorithms

8.1.3Insertion & Merge Sort

8.1.4Search Algorithms

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