| Task | Recommended | Runners-up |
| Word processing | Openoffice write | MS Office under vmware |
| Spreadsheet | Openoffice calc | |
| Presentation | Latex Beamer | Openoffice impress |
| Mathematics | Maxima, Sage | Maple |
| Statistics | SPSS | R, Rcmdr |
| Scientific Wordprocessing | LateX | |
| Mail | Thunderbird | |
| Calendar | Lightning | |
| Browser | Thunderbird | Chromeium |
| Virtualisation | VMware | |
| Task | Recommended | Runner-up |
| Lan server base OS | Ubuntu Server | |
| Web server base OS | Debian | |
| Mailserver | Postfix | |
| Webserver | Apache | |
| Task | Software | Runner up |
| RAD | lazarus | MS C# visual studio 2008 |
| Programming editor | vim/gvim w/ snipmate | |
| General purpose IDE | eclipse | |
| File comparison | meld | |
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~~DISCUSSION~~