Free and legal programs for safety, security, and fun
Adobe Photoshop CS2 and Dreamweaver are great programs. Unfortunately, they are also expensive. Even anti-spyware programs or FTP programs often cost $30-$50 and, sadly, there are reports of spyware being included in anti-spyware programs. A few of the programs listed below (Firefox, Open Office, and Filezilla in particular) are comparable or better then the commercial versions. Other programs are not quite as good as the commercial programs, but are good enough for most users.
Please note: Some links will take you to the United States or English main page. There should be buttons to switch to the site for your country or language.
Anti-spyware
- Ad-aware While no anti-spyware program is perfect Ad-aware catches a substantial number of spyware programs. The interface is easy to use and provides options including how to deal with any spyware found during a span. Options include basic, extensive, and custom scans. Please note: Besides the free personal version there are also paid Plus and Pro versions. Make sure you frequently (at least once a week) download the available updates.
- Spybot Search & Destroy This popular anti-spyware program is recommended by PC Word among other publications. It lacks some of the customization of Ad-aware, but it does a good job catching spyware. Neither Ad-aware nor Spybot Search & Destroy catch all spy-ware so it is a good idea to install both. Please note: It is important to check for updates at least once a week.
Cleaning and Maintance
- CCleaner CClearner has an easy to understand interface and allows you to choose which files you want to clean.
Web Design
Learning web design is preferable to relying on a program. It gives you the most freedom and bypasses the issue of bugs. However, learning web design takes time and sometimes you need to create a website or HTML document before you have time to learn it. Programs are also helpful when you have a large number of files you want to quickly convert to HTML.
- Amaya Amaya is a web editor that has options for both WYSIWTG (What you see is what you get) and straight coding. It has the advantage of allowing for both HTML and XHTML coding. The main disadvantage is that if you start out in the WYSIWTG mode and then switch to straight coding it can be difficult to read the code. Open Source
- Nvu Nvu is similiar to Amaya and has the advantages of allowing for PHP code. Its main disadvantage is that it only supports HTML. Open Source
Additional Open Source Programs
- Firefox I highly recommend this increasingly popular browser. It is more secure then IE, has tabbed browsing, and a large number of plug-ins for additional costumization and security. Adblock and Flashblock are particularly useful. Please note: You can only download Windows updates by using Internet Explorer. There are also a very few websites that require Internet Explorer. Open Source
- Open Office Suite Open Office Suite is a collection of office related programs similiar to Microsoft Office. I have been using it since 2004 have been able to send and receive files to people using both Microsoft Office and Word Perfect. Open Source
- VCL Media Player This cross-platform media player and streaming server is a nice alternate to many commercial programs. Using VCL often allows you to bypass additional codec downloads. It also works for viewing DVDs. Please note: Users running Windows ME or earlier may need to download an additional file. Open Source
- Filezilla Filezilla excellent fast and reliable FTP program with good security features. Open Source
- GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program GIMP is an image manipulation program that performs many of the same functions as Photoshop 7. It has the necessary tools for casual or intermediate graphic design. Open Source
- Apophysis A fractal program. Open Source
- Fractal Explorer Another fractal program
Where to search for Open Source programs and information
- Sourceforge Sourceforge is the largest open source software development website. As the software is created by thousands of programmers the quality and usefulness varies.
- The Open Source Initiative
When you need to pay
There are times when the free alternate is not enough for your needs. Occasionally paid programs, particularly those distributed by individuals or smaller companies, are temporarily available for free. If you don't need the program immediately you can often wait until it goes on sale. You can also sometimes find older versions for much cheaper prices. Be very careful about buying programs from stores or individuals you don't know. If a deal looks too good to be true there is probably a catch. E-bay and other major auction and selling websites include reviews of sellers. Before spending money on a program it is also useful to check the reviews at Consumer Search a websites that includes detailed summaries of product reviews and reports.
