Home > Technobuddy > Archives > 2007 > March > 09 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USSoftware: when it’s free, it’s for me
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I learned everything I need to know about buying software at the grocery store.
My family usually buys store brands rather than more expensive brand-name products. In most cases, it saves money and the food tastes just as good.
In the computer world, there are programs and Web sites that work just as well, and sometimes better, than the big-brand products. And, sure, sometimes it’s best to go for a brand name - just as is true at times at the grocery store.
Today, I offer a shopping list with plenty of free programs as well as some of the name-brand stuff.
Anti-virus: You can easily go free here. I’ve touted Grisoft’s AVG many times, and I’m glad to do it again. Not only will you get a fine antivirus program, you’ll never pay subscription fees for updates. I’ve been impressed by the performance and by the frequency with which the company updates the free product. You can download the program here Please note that this program is only free to home users and can only be installed on a single computer for free.
Anti-spyware: Here’s a time when free is for me, but there are commercial offerings worth considering. I’ve used SpyBot Search & Destroy, download it here: for a long time. It works fine for me. And it’s free. I’ll stick with SpyBot, but there may be better programs if you’re willing to pay. One that has received terrific reviews is Spy Sweeper, read about it here. It’s a judgment call: Go with the free product or pay about $30 for a program that performs a bit better.
Office software: I wish I could recommend free software for this, but I can’t. If word processing and spreadsheets or presentations are a big part of what you do, stick with Microsoft Office. There is a free alternative that you can download here Open Office It has plenty of fans. But I’ve seen instances where it could not open a word processing file I needed. For those who simply want to write documents and are not worried about compatibility, it’s a noble free effort. For others, stick with the brand names.
Web browser: All my favorite choices are free. I like Microsoft’s Internet Explorer 7 just fine. But some readers have had difficulties after installing it. There’s a safe and free alternative called Firefox. You can download this nifty browser here. Just as is true with Microsoft’s product, it’s free. Internet Explorer is by far the most common browser out there. But if you ask a geek, you’re likely to find a Firefox fan.
An inside view. I can set you free here with a program that has all the answers. Do you stutter and stammer when a tech support person asks what version of software you are using, or wants details of the hardware you use? There’s an easy way to find out almost every answer, no matter how technical. Just download Belarc Advisor here: You’ll sound like an instant expert even if you aren’t.
Close the windows: I like Windows Vista a lot, though it helps that I run it on a relatively fast computer with plenty of RAM and a $250 video card. I’m not about to change to a free version. But for those of you with an older computer that has trouble meeting the specifications for Vista, or those who just don’t like Windows, there’s a free substitute worth considering. If you’re ready for a little high-tech adventure, follow this link and read about it. Then, to get your feet wet, download the program to a CD. You can try it directly from the CD without installing it - a low-risk way to find out if it’s for you. If you like it, as many do, just install it on your computer and say goodbye to Windows.
For special occasions: It’s likely there will be a time when you need a program for a one-time use. Before you spend big bucks, try these two sites: Tucows or Download.com You’ll find a search feature that will offer free or inexpensive programs for download in almost any category that you can name. If you need a program to create flash cards for the kids, or something that will calculate the board feet of lumber required for your new deck, trying to find a free program makes a lot of sense.
OK, I’m heading for the grocery. And with all the money I save on software, I may even try some of the high-priced spread.
Permalink | Comments (22) | Post your comment | Categories: Columns
Comments
By JD
March 9, 2007 9:50 AM | Link to this
Another free for home use Anti-Virus suite is AVAST (google it). Only require registration, and you can install and register on multiple computers.
By WileyJerkins
March 9, 2007 10:38 AM | Link to this
How many times can you write this exact same article?
forgotten and worth googling:
photo editor: irfanview audio player/slow cd burner: winamp better cd/dvd burner: CDBurnerXP Pro mp3 ripper/audio converter: cdex word processor: abiword anti-virus: avast email client: thunderbird ftp client or server: filezilla search utility: google deskbar spyware removal: ad-aware se personal web surfing parental controls: webwasher finances: acemoney lite file compression: winrar file sharing: limewire bittorrent client: azureus
By Mary
March 9, 2007 10:43 AM | Link to this
Here is a link to some free games - downloading games for free makes a lot of sense to me:
games
By ganavyvet
March 9, 2007 1:10 PM | Link to this
Another site for freeware www.cnet.com install their toolbar for easy access to new, most popular etc.
By ganavyvet
March 9, 2007 1:11 PM | Link to this
Another site for freeware www.cnet.com install their toolbar for easy access to new, most popular etc.
By GADAWG
March 9, 2007 2:12 PM | Link to this
do not forget Hijack-this [http://www.spywareinfo.com/~merijn/programs.php]
It tells you what is automatically started on your pc at boot.—helpful for perfomance issues and certain spyware and viruses. (better than msconfig)
By Don Parris
March 9, 2007 8:14 PM | Link to this
What this article refers to as “Open Office” is technically named “OpenOffice.org”, and should always be referred to as such to avoid confusion with a similarly named application.
It is good to see your reference to Ubuntu Linux though! I’ve been using GNU/Linux exclusively for over 2 years - and love it!
By Woodymahan
March 9, 2007 8:30 PM | Link to this
A great freebie alternative to PhotoShop is a program called the GIMP. You can google it. It can’t do EVERYTHING that photoshop does, but for those like me who are not professional photo editors, it will do way more than you ever need. Awesome product.
By Spiritraveller
March 9, 2007 11:44 PM | Link to this
I’ve had great success converting many formats with OpenOffice(.org).
It even opened some very old WordPerfect files that MS Word refused to recognize. It also comes with built-in export to PDF.
Re: Firefox, The nicest thing about this browser are the many extensions that let you add some really nice features. My favorite is the bugmenot extension, which lets you avoid those pesky registration forms at certain websites (such as, ahem, a certain local newspaper’s).
By JOHNNY VAUGHN
March 10, 2007 9:20 AM | Link to this
HEY BILL … HOW ABOUT ZONE ALARM FIREWALLS ? I’VE UDED THE FREE HOME VERSION FOR FREE AND LOVE IT …
I ALSO LIKE AVG ANTI VIRUS BUT HAVE PAID $18 A YEAR… WONDER IF THEY WILL LET ME GO BACK TO FREE ? … JAY
By Bill
March 10, 2007 11:17 AM | Link to this
Hey Johnny - good question I do think you could go back to the free version. But I don’t know.
Zone Alarm is excellent and I’ve recommended in the past - I have had some reader e-mail from people who had some problems with it but the trouble with that is knowing whether it was the fault of the program or the person. Sometimes there is no way to tell.
By Ilde Giron
March 10, 2007 7:22 PM | Link to this
I have been using OpenOffice.org for two years now, and while I have to support and interchange info with some fifty customers, as to date I have not had even a minor problem.
Mozilla-Firefox and Mozilla-Thunderbird are the programas I use to surf the net and for all my e-mail needs.
I also use PrintKey, a free screen capture program, and PowerDesk 5 free —an old file browser I got too used to in my Windows days— on a regular basis.
Oh, and did I mention I run all these from Gnu/Linux? Yes Sir, from Debian Gnu/Linux.
I use Wine, a Gnu/Linux program to launch my old-free-Windows-apps.
By James Dixon
March 10, 2007 9:25 PM | Link to this
Grisoft is now offering a free spyware scanner to go with their free AVG virus scanner. In addition, anyone who likes Spybot will probably also want to use Lavasoft’s AdAware, which is also free for personal use.
By strickland
March 11, 2007 9:33 AM | Link to this
Bill, I am amazed to see you admit Linux exists in your article, for those who want the software here is the quicker link to get it, these folks will even mail to you FREE if you dont want to download http://www.ubuntu.com/
Try it you will like it
By Roy Schestowitz
March 11, 2007 10:47 AM | Link to this
As Don Parris said, I advise you to order a set of Ubuntu Linux CDs from https://shipit.ubuntu.com/ and find a world of software that is not only free, but also software that you /own/.
By GW
March 12, 2007 11:16 AM | Link to this
When I went to the Ubuntu link you recommended, I discovered that there are several versions of it available on this extremely long page. Are you recommending the newest, test version— Ubuntu Edgy Eft 6.10 version: in progress… ????
By Bill
March 12, 2007 11:23 AM | Link to this
GW, several posters have suggested a better way - you can avoid downloading altogether and have CDs mailed to you free. That sounds like a winner to me:
Linked here:
I’m sure no Ubuntu expert but I’d stay away from the test version.
By Woodymahan
March 12, 2007 1:04 PM | Link to this
For those unfamiliar with Ubuntu or Linux in general, just download (or order) the latest full release. 6.06 LTS Dapper Drake. Edgy is pretty solid, but you get the most consistent hardware support in the official releases. Ubuntu is really cool because you don’t have to install on your computer in order to use it and see if you like it thanks to a feature called LiveCD. You just put the CD in your computer, make sure your computer knows to boot from the CD, and when you turn it on, you have the full system right on your computer to use and play around with. It will get on the internet automatically in most cases as well as run all the installed software without making you actually install anything to your local hard drive. Excellent technology that is becoming standard for most Linux Operating Systems.
By WD
March 14, 2007 8:55 AM | Link to this
As a note, if you are using Comcast broadband you can get free versions of McAfee Anti-Virus and Personal Firewal. I learned about it by accident, but it is available on the Comcast.net page and downloads just require your Comcast user id. I’m sure there are probably other ISPs that provide the same type of offer, so it may be worthwhile checking with your service provider.
By llll
March 16, 2007 9:43 PM | Link to this
Check this site out.
http://piracyalternatives.org
By Best Home Internet Business
March 19, 2007 2:54 PM | Link to this
Blog2read - Go to Blog Search Home. Web Images Video News Maps more » Close menu Blogs …Advanced Blog Search · Preferences. Find blogs onyour favorite topics.
Create your own blog and let us promote your post. We arranged blogs and its categories for you to submit post the the relevant blog and its category. http://www.miniweblink.com/30v2
By edie
March 20, 2007 6:06 PM | Link to this
I really love this program