Free Software is a Character Flaw
Posted on July 19, 2006
Filed Under Open Source/Freeware, Security |
They say the first step to recovery is the ability to admit you have a problem. Like most men I guess, for me it’s a real challenge to admit that there might be a flaw in my character and yet, I know it must be done. So here goes my public admission:
I… well I… I… I LOVE FREE SOFTWARE! I can’t get enough free software. The freer the better! If it’s free it’s for me! Freeware, Open Source, Copyleft, it doesn’t matter as long as it’s free!
So there you have it, I am a free software fanatic, a no cost connoisseur, a gratis devotee, and it’s finally off my chest. I feel better already. The years of cover up are finally behind me.
But it hasn’t all been in vain. In those countless late night hours scouring the internet with blind determination to locate another morsel of complimentary software, I’ve found some real gems. There are a number of great products out there and I’ll share a few of my favourites. Did I mention they’re free?
A list of “must have” free software titles would be incomplete without mentioning Adobe Acrobat Reader. Adobe’s PDF format is prevalent on the web and without the Acrobat Reader there is a lot of content you won’t be able to view..
Download it at http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html
I don’t know how often I come across an expired trial version of Winzip. Winzip is an excellent product but it is not free. A great free alternative is 7-zip. The native 7-zip compression method is fantastic and 7-zip supports all of the compression methods that Winzip does.
Download it at http://www.7-zip.org/
No PC should be left without antivirus for any length of time. If you use your computer only in your home and not for commercial purposes, Grisoft offers a version of their AVG Antivirus for free and it’s quite good.
Download it at http://free.grisoft.com
Microsoft is reporting that they will release a home non-commercial version of Office 2007 for around $150 US. Office has traditionally been an expensive product and this would be a cheaper option. A free option would be much better though and OpenOffice.org is the answer!
Download it at http://download.openoffice.org/2.0.3/index.html
Spyware is a major problem today and there is free help available. Spybot Search and Destroy is an old favourite spyware scanner and can be downloaded from http://www.safer-networking.org/en/download/index.html
Once your spyware has been cleaned out you can keep it at bay with SpywareBlaster which can be downloaded from http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/sbdownload.html
Microsoft also provides a spyware tool, Windows Defender, for free and it has until recently been a great product. The last few versions have been a bit buggy however.
Download it at http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/spyware/software/default.mspx
And just for fun, what could beat looking down on your own home with Google Earth? This is a great program that literally puts the world at your fingertips.
Download it at http://earth.google.com/
Last, if you are at all interested in Astronomy, have a look at Stellarium. View the night sky without ever leaving your desk.
Download it at http://www.stellarium.org
With any luck this column will help those afflicted with the free software flaw to at least save a few midnight hours in their relentless hunt.
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