This article discusses computer software that can give classrooms and computer labs the capabilities of costly PC's at a small fraction of the cost. A growing number of cost-conscious school districts are finding budget relief in low-cost computer software known as "open source" that can do everything from manage school Web sites to equip classrooms for learning. The software typically is developed through online collaborations between programmers and users that can reach across the world. It is usually created for the open-source operating system Linux, but can also be designed to run on Microsoft Windows and Apple Macintosh operating systems. Open source is a distributed software with a provision that gives anyone the right to dissect, modify, and redistribute or even resell it, on the condition that the people receiving it have the same right. Moreover, administrators cite open-source-related savings of hundreds of dollars per new computer, plus benefits such as reduced exposure to computer viruses and to copyright violations.