Free?

<a href="http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2007/08/19/news/business/45-numbers.txt" >New tool allows for ranching by numbers</a><br />n<br />n<blockquote>A truly valuable computer program must be user-friendly. Jeff Printz calls the new Drought Management Calculator, set to be released at no cost later this summer, "rancher-friendly."<br />n<br />n"It's really designed for the rancher to sit at home and run a bunch of different options," said the rangeland management specialist for the National Resources Conservation Service office in Bismarck. "They really wanted to make it rancher-friendly, where the terms on it mean something to the rancher, not the agency designing it."<br />n<br />nIt uses a computer program to determine ideal herd sizes and feed amounts based on weather, market and livestock data entered both by the producer and pulled automatically from the Internet.<br />n<br />n"The program works as a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet," he said. "With a minimal amount of entries, the rancher can get something out of it. The information comes out on a graph and lets producers look ahead and see what their forage production is going to be and whether they can support the number of animals they have now. It allows you to prioritize your herd."</blockquote><br />n<br />nI found this whole story fairly laughable. First off they tell me the program is no cost. How can it be no cost to me if it is based on a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet? This means I would have to purchase a copy of Windows/Vista for a couple of hundred dollars and then buy Microsoft Office for a couple of hundred dollars to use the damn thing. How is this no cost? Why can't they release it in a format like Open Office which is truly free? Would this be so hard?<br />n<br />nThe other kind of laughable thing is shouldn't a good operator have a feel for what his place can handle in a drought? I have a fairly good idea and run my cattle accordingly. With all the moisture this spring I have way more grass than cattle but I'm not going to buy more cattle to eat it. Let the grass rest a little. In a dry year I graze accordingly and still usually have a little grass left over. That's always been a part of management. Why do I need a computer program now?<br />n<br />nDon't get me wrong, I would like to see it and see if it would work on Open Office. It's worthless to me otherwise. I would like to see what it recommends for me to run on cattle numbers and such like. Compare it to what I do. It would be interesting.<br />n<br />n<strong>Free is the best. Anything free is good. Sandra Bullock</strong>