Now days 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 paid for programs.
Well, in the time I’ve been working on computers I’ve done lots 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. 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 the others and it will work just fine once installed. Other Linux based Operating Systems are available too but I use this one. It comes complete with everything you’d 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 probably even Mac’s OS. You could probably get away without running any malware or virus software. I don’t run virus or malware software on my Ubuntu System at this point.
Virus Software
On a Windows based computer you definitely need a virus program. I recommend AVG, it’s what I use on mine and it’s a very strong program when used properly.
My next Suggestion would be avast! It’s a good strong program too. The thing I like about it is it’s ability to scan your system during boot up, which is so much more effective than a normal scan.
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 paid for office programs. This is the best and most versatile program you can get for your computer, whatever the Operating System may be.
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.
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.
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 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.