You don't have to spend hundreds of dollars on programs like Microsoft Office or Adobe Photoshop. You can find free feature-rich alternatives online. Don't let the fact that they're free dissuade you from trying them. These programs are terrific.

The following are some of my favorite freebies. You'll find download links at www.komando.com/news.

Create documents, spreadsheets and more Microsoft Office is the de facto standard office suite. You probably use it at work, but that doesn't mean you need it at home.

The free OpenOffice includes a word processor, spreadsheet, database, presentation program and more. OpenOffice is compatible with Microsoft Office files.

Lay out professional documents A word processor is great for creating general documents. But if your documents are professionally printed, you need a desktop-publishing program.

Scribus is much like Microsoft Publisher or Adobe InDesign. You'll get professional-quality page layouts in a free easy-to-use program.

Edit photos Photoshop is the Holy Grail for many photographers. However, the $600 price tag puts it out of reach of many.

You don't need to settle for a lesser photo editor. The free GIMP rivals Photoshop in terms of features - and complexity! It puts advanced photo-editing tasks at your fingertips. GIMP will even appeal to professional photographers.

Refine your drawing skills Like Photoshop, illustration programs can be quite costly. You can spend hundreds of dollars on Adobe Illustrator or Corel Draw.

Inkscape lacks some advanced features, but is a worthy free contender. Inkscape is compatible with many different file types.

Be creative with graphics Microsoft Paint is included with Windows. It isn't a serious graphics program, but many casual users rely on it.

Unfortunately, Microsoft Paint is difficult for children to use. Tux Paint is specifically designed for children. Large buttons make it easy to create drawings and graphics.