As Microsoft discovered when they released Windows Vista, people don't want an operating system just for the OS itself. They want one that runs the programs they need to use, and that doesn't get in the way while they're using them. In this regard, Linux-based OSes like Ubuntu and Fedora do not disappoint. Just click on "Add/Remove Programs," and you're treated to a whole catalog of thousands of free software apps, from games and music players to Microsoft Office-compatible word processors. These programs range from labors of love by devoted hobbyists to huge projects with corporate backing, and they're all 100% free -- no reading the fine print to click "I Accept," no being prompted to register, and no having your printer software remind you to buy color ink from HP.

Because they're designed by the people who actually use them, Linux apps tend to be as functional and unobtrusive as the OSes themselves, and to let you get about your work with a minimum of fuss. But which programs are the best ones to use, for a writer's daily tasks?

Here are the best Linux apps for writers to use. Your mileage may vary, of course, so I've also listed alternatives. And the best part is, many of these programs are available for free on Windows and Mas OS X as well. They don't automatically update themselves, like in Linux-based operating systems, but you can download the latest version as normal.

Even if you aren't tech-savvy, it's hard to escape the cloud of bad press that hangs over Microsoft Windows Vista. People say it's unstable, and keeps crashing. They say that it keeps asking you if you're really sure that you want to do anything. They even say that it doesn't work with their printers, games, or business software.

But you've got to switch sooner or later, right? When Microsoft makes a new version of Windows, doesn't everyone have to use it eventually? Not quite. Here are three ways to keep on computing without switching to Windows Vista. All three of them are bundled with new computers, but one of them you can put on your existing machine, in order to use it right now. Which one? Stay tuned!

So you just got a new PC, and it doesn't come with Microsoft Office. You really want to write up some letters and fliers, and edit some documents you already have, and Wordpad just doesn't cut it. What to do?

Short answer: You can't. Not if you've told anyone. If an idea is in print, or posted online anywhere, it's fair game to the whole world. Not even a copyright notice will help you. This is because ideas can't be copyrighted; only specific expressions of ideas can.

Case in point. When the Dungeons and Dragons roleplaying game first came out, it featured characers called Hobbits, Balrogs and Ents. Tolkien Enterprises successfully sued them for using characters from out of The Lord of the Rings, but all that did was make them change the names to Halflings, Balors and Treants. Pint-sized humanoids, giant flame demons and walking trees aren't copyrightable; only the names of these characters are.

Robots are funny things to write into fiction. How do people view them, in the setting? Are they tools or full-fledged characters? What are the physical and "mental" differences between robots and humans (or aliens, or even anthropomorphic animals)? And how come they keep deciding that humans are "obsolete," and trying to take over the world?

Here are three things that make it hard for me to suspend my disbelief when I'm reading about robots. They aren't mistakes in the strictest sense of the word, because a lot of people use them and get away with them. At best, though, they're cliches, because a lot of people use them. Want to make your robots stand out from the crowd? Then consider the following things that most people do, and take them into account. I'll also provide some examples of what I consider to be good portrayals of robots, afterwards.

So you're telling a sci-fi / fantasy / anime story, and you need a world to set your story in. So you get out your notebook and start filling the pages with notes, but after awhile you realize that it all seems flat ... you have some idea of what it looks like, but you can't imagine anyone living there. And when you try to describe it, it's just this flat picture in your mind, like a matte painting used as a backdrop.

Your crystal cities are crystal, alright, but what kind of crystal? What color are they? What's it like living inside of one? Where are the chemical scents of the growth medium, the light refractions spilled out on the sidewalk, the warmth of the living gems beneath their smooth surfaces? Who made something like this, and why? Research can answer your questions, but sometimes you find out that your original idea was so out of line with reality that it takes a lot of explaining to make it seem real again.

Don't fret. Here are three ways to get so many ideas, your worlds will start building themselves!