Nowadays when you buy a computer it’s normally pre-installed with an Operating System and some software for you to use. Some of the licenses are included but sometimes you only get a trial of the software. Either way, to some extent you pay for the Operating Systems and Software you use on your computer. At this point most everyone has a computer in their house that uses one or more of these licensed programs.
Well, in the time I’ve been working on computers I’ve done a lot of research on “Free” or “Open Source” Software. “Open Source” is software that written by programmers and supplied to the public for free. It’s nice if you donate to their cause though since it takes a lot to make a program useable on any computer. Even still it’s much cheaper than what most programs cost.
I’m not the type of person that believes in making someone else rich, especially since it’s considered the norm or because it’s provided with what you buy. As I said earlier, most people already have a computer in their house so it is very possible for anyone to make their computer run and do what they need without having to buy any software, or even new hardware. That’s the reason for this article, is to inform you about programs that you can use free of charge on your existing Operating System or even install a new Operating System.
So go through the list below and check out the ones you might be interested in. If you have any suggestions or questions about software on this list or to add to this list please feel free to contact me.
Operating Systems
Ubuntu: This is a Linux based Operating System that will run your computer better than other operating systems, even older computers. Other Linux based Operating Systems are available also, but I use this Ubuntu. It comes complete with everything you need to run your computer. Plus it’s loaded with even more free software that you can pick and choose from.
One of the many things I like about Ubuntu is it’s much more secure than Windows and Mac OS. You don’t even have to have any virus or malware protection on Ubuntu.
Another thing you should know about Ubuntu is, if you’re skeptical about changing operating systems, you can download and create a CD that has Ubuntu on it. This is called a “Live CD” and your computer can be run from this CD as if it was installed on your hard drive. This gives you an opportunity to try Ubuntu out before making any permanent changes to your system.
Virus Software – Note: Only use one (1) antivirus program on your computer. Multiple programs will conflict and give false errors.
On a Windows based computer you definitely need a virus program. I recommend Microsoft Security Essentials since it’s a Microsoft product and it works very well with any version of the Windows operating system. Microsoft Security Essentials does a great job at keeping your computer protected from unwanted intrusions.
My next Suggestion would be avast! or AVG. They’re both excellent programs and do a great job at protecting your computer. avast also provides for a boot time scan which can be very effective at removing viruses from your system.
Malwarebytes is a good program to use to keep your system clean also. Malware isn’t really a virus but it will make your computer run like there is a virus. That’s why I listed it under Virus Software. By the way, I don’t recommend SpyBot or Adaware. They’re not bad programs, I just like the functionality of Malwarebytes better.
To clean your registry, I recommend CCleaner. This program includes some things that Windows does itself real well, but the Registry Cleaner is very easy to use, powerful and safe. It backs up your registry before it cleans it up so if you have any problems you can restore to the point before you cleaned it up.
Office Programs
Microsoft Office is pretty much the standard for computer users now days and it’s a good program. But for a free program that is completely useful and compatible with any Operating System or Office program, I recommend using Go Open Office. This program will open any office file, presentation, pdf file and many other files. It is also capable of saving your files in formats that other users can open and access in their licensed office programs. This is the best and most versatile program you can get for your computer, whatever your Operating System may be.
Email
When it comes to email, I recommend web based email. The reason is, if your computer crashes you won’t lose all of your email and everything you’ve saved in your email folders. If you have a subscription to an internet provider you should probably be provided with an email address that is accessible via the internet. Or if you have a web page you’ll probably be provided an email address through the host which should be accessible through the internet. Other options you have are places like Yahoo, Google or MSN. All of these are free and accessible through the internet which is very easy to use and very helpful in the computer world. Another thing about web based email is being able to access it from any computer, so you can check your email from anywhere you may be.
Update to web based email: With most smart phones, you can even access your web based email from your device nowadays.
Browsers
If you surf the internet, which most people do now days, you’ll use a browser. I recommend Mozilla Firefox since it’s more secure than most others. It will help in your effort to prevent viruses and Malware from infecting your system. If you’re still using Windows operating system, you will need to keep Internet Explorer since it’s required by Microsoft for some functions through their site.
Image Editors
If you take pictures and like to edit them on your computer, I recommend two different programs.
Photo Filtre is a Windows only program but it does a very good job and has lots of tools to use and make your photos cool.
The next one I recommend is Gimp Shop. This is the best replacement for Adobe Photoshop there is. It takes some getting used to but it’s a very good program for editing your photos.
So, like I stated above, check out some of these programs and see about getting your system running with “free” or “Open Source” software. It will also be more secure and efficient with a lot of this software. Again, if you have any questions or suggestions please feel free to contact me.