Something for Nothing - <Free> Software
Q U I C K L I N K S
• Firefox 3 - Web Browser
• Thunderbird 2 - Email
• Open Office - Word Processor and Spread Sheet etc
• GIMP- Photo Manipulation
• Zone - Alarm - Firewall
• AVG - Anti-Virus
• Spybot - Anti-Spyware
• Adaware - Anti-Mallware
Loads of people ask me about how to look after their home computers and protect them from viruses and other forms of malicious attacks from the Internet. Here's a list of <free> software that works for me and the systems I maintain for people.
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INTERNET
Mozilla Firefox - in my experience the most stable and fastest of all browsers. Available for PC Apple & Linux.
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EMAIL
Mozilla Thunderbird - I can't remember how lomg I've been using this. But when someone asks me about MS Outlook Express I can't help them!
OFFICE SUITE
Open Office - does everything that MS Office does and doesn't cost a bean.
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IMAGING - PHOTO MANIPULATION
GIMP is the GNU Image Manipulation Program. It is a freely distributed piece of software for such tasks as photo retouching, image composition and image authoring. It works on many operating systems, in many languages.
SECURITY SOFTWARE
If you use all of these in combination, in my opinion the do a better job that McAfee or Norton, don't eat up system resources and slow down you computer, and they're <free>.
Zone Alarm Firewall - This free firewall works great inconjunction with the firewall built into my ASDL router/modem.
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AVG Anti Virus - the free version doesn't have the functionality of the main product, but as with all the software mentioned here, will happily co-habit on a reasonably specified PC.
Spybot - Spybot - Search & Destroy detects and removes spyware, a relatively new kind of threat not yet covered by common anti-virus applications. Spyware silently tracks your surfing behaviour to create a marketing profile for you that is transmitted without your knowledge to the compilers and sold to advertising companies. If you see new toolbars in your Internet Explorer that you haven't intentionally installed, if your browser crashes inexplicably, or if your home page has been "hijacked" (or changed without your knowledge), your computer is most probably infected with spyware. Even if you don't see the symptoms, your computer may be infected, because more and more spyware is emerging. Spybot-S&D is free, so there's no harm giving it a try to see if something has invaded your computer.
Adaware - Protect yourself against identity theft, online fraud, and other cyber crimes with the world's most popular anti-spyware.
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