Against The Grain Archives - Smiling Anyway

Taking Another Step Toward Alternative Tech Providers

Steve — Thu, 08 Oct 2026 19:15:13 +0000

Exploring options to big tech has led me to different services that mirror what Google, MS, or Apple provide in terms of document suites, browsers, search, email clients, and now email providers. So far, I’ve started using: Over the past month, I’ve been using Vivaldi heavily. I’ll go to the old browser to move PWs …

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Braking Through Inertia – Alternative Office Applications: Docs, Spreadsheets, Presentations

Steve — Fri, 11 Sep 2026 16:18:27 +0000

My journey to minimize by use of big tech tools, find alternatives or just do without, elevated the question, “what about office documents; Doc writing, spreadsheets, slides, etc?” I’ve been hooked on Google Office for well over a decade, mostly because its free. But, are there options that provide similar capabilities and a reasonable cost… …

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Bucking Inertia, Finding Better Browsers

Steve — Tue, 08 Sep 2026 23:15:33 +0000

When Google and Apple caved on the Lake Ontario naming for maps, I moved to MapQuest. I know this will not make a bit of difference to the big tech firms. But, it’s a personal response to the sycophantic march of big business to a leader for whom I have no respect. As I opened …

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