So you spend your hard–earned dollars on the hardware only and have your own optimized Ubuntu PC. This is the book that will show you how to get what you need without wreaking havoc on your finances. Put together the parts to make a great work computer for little cost.

Packed with the practical, hands–on guidance and technical know–how that you’ve come to expect from Apress, Ubuntu on a Dime takes you on a tour of the very best, but low–cost hardware, while only using zero–cost software in each of the many categories that matter to the typical PC user.

You’ll learn how to find the best and cheapest hardware, and how to put it together to make a working PC. Learn to edit photos on the Internet without having to install any software at all. Find out where to get a free office suite for word processing and spreadsheet work. Whatever your need, James Kelly, best–selling technology author, guides you through the exciting and often confusing world of zero–cost computing.

This book

• Takes you step–by–step through a PC build
• Tells you what you need to install to have a fantastic work computer without spending a dime
• Saves you money by showing you how to meet your computing needs
• Saves you time by pointing you directly to the best free software
• Saves you work by illustrating the most commonly performed tasks with each zero–cost software
• Gives you choices and the ability to make your own decisions for your own needs and requirements

Before you go buy that $900 dollar computer and that $400 office suite—or worse, before you “borrow” it from work—stop! Let this inexpensive book show you how to save hundreds of dollars in expensive software, and never depend on the big PC providers and their tech support again. Learn all about cheap, but fast hardware, find out about the free tools that the digerati use to make their lives better, and stop paying out the nose. Don't spend a dime!

What you’ll learn

• Source, buy, and put together the best hardware to make a cheap PC optimized for Ubuntu Linux.
• Find and install the best zero–cost software available.
• Learn about software as a service and take advantage of photo editing, calendaring, e-mail, and other functionality delivered at no cost via the Web.
• Harness the power of OpenOffice and Google Apps for your word processing, spreadsheet, presentation needs.
• Communicate with your friends through zero–cost voice calls, e-mail, and instant–messaging.
• Establish a presence on the Web through blogs and social networking sites such as Facebook.

Who is this book for?

Ubuntu on a Dime: Building a Ubuntu PC on Less Than $300 is aimed at students, small–business owners, retirees, educators, and just plain regular folk who aren’t blessed with large budgets, who must squeeze a dime’s worth of value from every penny they earn.

Buy this book if:

• You’re tired of spending hundreds of dollars with commercial PC suppliers only to end up paying all over again in time and lost resources as you get caught in “tech support hell.”
• You’re a computer whiz who has to set up other people’s machines.
• You are a student or retiree on a budget.
• You are a small–business owner needing the power of technology, but without the expense.
• You want to save money and have fun at the same time.

James Floyd Kelly is a freelance writer living in Atlanta, Georgia, with degrees in English and Industrial Engineering. A long-time Lego Mindstorms developer, he is editor-in-chief of the world's most popular Lego blog, thenxtstep.com, which continues to draw an estimated 30,000+ readers monthly, and is a regular contributor to the Lego Mindstorm development team. James Kelly has written on topics including robotics, building custom computers and free software. His most recent book, Don't Spend a Dime: The Path to Low-Cost Computing, is the first book on free software to be published in four years. When not writing, he and his wife enjoy watching their little boy discover all kinds of new and exciting things about the world.