Open‑source software today offers Windows users a practical way to reclaim control, improve privacy, and boost productivity — and ZDNET’s compact roundup of “10 open‑source apps I recommend every Windows user try — for free” is a useful starting kit that does exactly that.
Background
ZDNET’s...
autohotkey
backups
bitwarden
duplicati
encryption
file converter
flow launcher
franz
libreoffice
local ai
nextcloud
ollama
open source
privacy
productivity
self-hosting
windows
yazb
DuckDuckGo’s Duck.ai giving users a free, anonymous window onto large open-weight models is a small but significant step in the evolving landscape of accessible generative AI — and it’s turned the question of “how to try big models without a GPU farm” into a practical reality for many Windows...
Ollama running on Windows 11 is a near-effortless way to host local large language models, and for most users the native Windows app is the fastest path from download to chat — but for developers, researchers, and GPU tinkerers, installing the Linux build inside WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux)...
A recent hands‑on experiment that tried to replace Microsoft Copilot’s web‑page summarization with a fully local stack — Ollama running local models and the Page Assist browser sidebar — ended with a clear, practical verdict: Copilot still delivers the faster, more polished experience for...
ai experiment
ai in browser
copilot
data sovereignty
edge
embeddings
gpt oss
hybrid workflows
local llm
model latency
nomic embed text
ollama
open source models
page assist
privacy
rag
web summarization
windows
windows central
Ollama’s latest Windows 11 GUI makes running local LLMs far more accessible, but the single biggest lever for speed on a typical desktop is not a faster GPU driver or a hidden setting — it’s the model’s context length. Shortening the context window from tens of thousands of tokens to a few...
OpenAI’s bold move to release open-weight AI models has just achieved a remarkable milestone—Microsoft is swiftly integrating the smaller, highly anticipated GPT-OSS-20B model into Windows 11 through its Windows AI Foundry initiative. This strategic partnership empowers Windows 11 users to run...
ai community
ai democratization
ai deployment
ai innovation
ai models
ai performance
ai privacy
edge hardware
foundry local
generative ai
gpt-oss-20b
lm studio
local ai
microsoft windows
nvidia gpus
ollama
open-weight ai
openai
privacy protection
windows 11
Ollama has recently unveiled a graphical user interface (GUI) for Windows 11, significantly simplifying the process of running large language models (LLMs) locally. This development eliminates the need for users to interact with the command-line interface (CLI), making AI more accessible to a...
ai
ai chatbots
ai desktop application
ai development tools
ai for non-technical users
ai model installation
ai privacy
ai system requirements
gpu acceleration
gui
large language models
llms
local ai deployment
machine learning
model management
multimodal ai
offline ai access
ollama
windows 11
Artificial intelligence has become a permanent fixture in the landscape of modern computing, seamlessly woven into daily routines through digital assistants, productivity suggestions, and—perhaps most pervasively—AI chatbots. For users entrenched in the Windows ecosystem, the evolving...
ai automation
ai chatbots
ai integration
ai workflow
command line ai
custom ai models
gpu acceleration
large language models
llms
local ai
offline ai
ollama
open-source ai
powertoys
privacy
privacy protection
python
windows 11
windows ai
windows productivity
From browsing social media to drafting emails and producing code, AI-powered large language models (LLMs) are quietly revolutionizing the daily digital experience. For most users, cloud-based services like ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot mediate these breakthroughs. But as the appetite for...
ai automation
ai customization
ai development
ai model deployment
ai on windows
ai privacy
ai workflow
conversational ai
cpu vs gpu ai
edge computing
gpu acceleration
large language models
llm inference
local llm
model management
offline ai
ollama
open-source ai
windows 11
windows ai tools
The artificial intelligence era is transforming how we interact with information, create content, and even code. Traditionally, most users experience large language models (LLMs) through powerful cloud-based tools like OpenAI’s ChatGPT or Microsoft’s Copilot. While these cloud services provide...
ai
ai development
ai experimentation
ai hardware
ai inference
ai on pc
ai performance
ai privacy
ai toolkit
command line ai
gpu models
large language models
llm
local ai
model management
nlp
ollama
open source ai
windows 11
Artificial intelligence continues to reshape how we interact with our computers, but for many users, the specter of cloud dependence and privacy tradeoffs has made adoption a tricky prospect. In an era when chatbots like ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot dominate digital conversations—and...
ai automation
ai development
ai experiments
ai hardware requirements
ai privacy
ai productivity tools
ai setup guide
custom ai models
llm on windows
local ai chatbot
local inference
ollama
open source tools
open-source ai
powertoys
powertoys plugin
privacy-enabled ai
windows 11
windows ai
windows utility
The first time I met a PowerShell-based AI desktop project, it seemed about as “user-friendly” as a porcupine in a balloon factory. But here we are, revisiting the brainchild of Brien Posey—a script so ambitious it would make Clippy question his life choices—for a major tune-up with improved...
ai
ai development
ai interface
ai text editor
automation tools
code refinement
custom ai tools
gui design
large language models
local ai
model switching
ollama
open source
performance optimization
powershell
powershell scripting
privacy
remote ai servers
script automation
tech innovation
Deepseek R1 has sparked excitement by offering a viable alternative to popular AI models like ChatGPT. Unlike cloud-dependent setups, running Deepseek R1 locally means enhanced privacy, faster response times, and full control over your data. In this article, we explore exactly how to install and...
Gemma 3 LLM brings cutting-edge Gemini-powered capabilities to your Windows 11 PC, letting you experiment with everything from light conversational tasks to more sophisticated reasoning applications. Whether you’re a developer, researcher, or just a tech enthusiast, this guide will walk you...