So much software, so little time...
I use dozens of commercial, shareware and
freeware programs (see more on these categories
just below). I downloaded most of them. These
programs range all the way from a free utility
that prints graph paper, thru an advanced
Internet firewall, to the program that I
used to build these Web pages. I consider
some of these programs essential, like the
firewall. Some just make it easier and more
fun to use my computer. I describe a few
you may be interested in on my favorite software page.
Software categories
Commercial: Mainstream software offered by big companies.
Some is even free (Internet browsers, Java
and some full office software "suites",
for example). Most is priced in the "boxed
software" range (antivirus, tax preparation,
money management, and many other major applications).
The same Commercial software titles are usually
available in stores as well as online.
When you download commercial software you
get the software immediately, and it's somewhat
more likely to be up to date. Prices of most
commercial software is often $10 to $20 more when you
buy it in a "box" and there's shipping
and taxes on top of that. On the other hand
if you download software, you won't have
a CD that serves as your backup for the program
(unless you burn one yourself). It can also
be a long, frustrating process to download
large files (say 10-50 MB) using a dialup
connection.
Freeware: Overlaps some "commercial" examples,
but freeware is mostly small programs developed
by individuals or "shareware" developers.
Freeware can be addictive: it's free, it's
relatively small in size and easy to download,
it's often of excellent quality, and there
are many, many thousands of freeware programs
to try.
Many freeware programs are great, some of
them are superb, but a few are written poorly.
Freeware can conceal "spyware", "adware", viruses or Trojans and other parasites. Freeware can make your
system unstable or even inoperable. Avoid
these problems by using your common sense
and by following the rules for safe downloading listed below.
Shareware: Usually modestly priced, intermediate in
size and closer to commercial software in
features. Some shareware is the best software
written. The usual price range is $10 to
$30. Often there's both a freeware and shareware
version of the same software. The freeware version may run ads and/or limit functions. Shareware
can often be used for 30 days or so on a
free trial basis. After that time it will
shut down unless you buy a registration code
to keep it working.
Updates & Extensions: "Filters", "codecs",
"modules", updates, etc., that
augument or revise the capabilities of Windows
and many programs. They're usually free,
and they are often offered to you when you
click a link that won't work without the
new software. They're often needed by Multimedia
programs like Windows Media Player and RealPlayer.
- Use your common sense: Be very, very suspicious
of any unsolicited invitation to download something wonderful. These offers
may pop up when you visit a Web site. The may come as email, often with an attachment
-- usually you'll recognize it as spam. Would
you eat a sandwich that someone gave you
on the street? Use the same caution you'd use with any peddler,
telemarketer or solicitor.
- Never download any files, including pictures
and music, unless you know
you can trust
the source. Unless you have
a lot of experience,
download files and software
only from well-known
companies (Microsoft, Symantec,
Intuit, etc.)
or from other trustworthy sources
(CNET,
Tucows, ZDNet, etc.). If you
get an invitation
from a source like this, be
very sure the
ee the list below.
- Read the description and recommendations
at the download site, or at
the program's
website. You don't want to
install something
that won't be compatible with
your needs
or your computer.
- Before you install any software you download, make sure that
you have a current backup of your documents and system.
- Take precautions against viruses, Trojans,
adware and the like. It's good practice to scan all file for
viruses, worms and other malware before you open them -- no matter what the
source. [see handling files safely]
The entries in this list fall
in the "trusted
sources" category. (There
are many others.)
They offer descriptions, and
sometimes ratings
of the software. It's a good
idea to check
at two or three of them to compare
notes.
About.com is a good source of
general information about shareware and freeware.
Tools to download with
Download managers do several
things well.
They're very helpful in managing
where you
store the file and keeping track
of where
it went. You can associate a
note -- description,
file version, download site,
installation
instructions, etc. -- with the
file. Then
you can find a file later by
searching for
the filename or, a keyword in
the note. The
download manager will take you
right back
to the file, even if it was downloaded
several
years ago. Indispensable!
Download managers can pause downloads, or
resume interrupted downloads without loosing
what's already been downloaded. You can do
something similar with Mozilla and Internet Explorer too. Mozilla allows
you to pause and resume downloads, to answer
the phone, for example. IE often lets you
pick up an interrupted download where you
were, if you go thorugh exactly the same
steps that you originally used when you started
the download the first time.
It's curious, both download managers and
Zip programs are often used as bait for adware
and spyware. Be careful when you pick one
of these download related tools. The shareware
version of my favorite download manager -- Download Wonder -- does not have ads, but the freeware version
did. That may have changed by now.
I've listed some freeware download mangers
here that are not bundled with adware or
spyware -- at least when I investigated them:
http://www.stardownloader.com/index.php
http://www.freshdevices.com/freshdown.html
http://www.leechget.de/
Windows XP can handle Zip files
on it's own.
Windows handles Zip files as
"compressed"
or "zipped" folders. That means you can open then and view the
contents just like you open a
regular folder.
With a few tricks you can make
compressed
folders work almost as well as
a real Zip
program. [Click Start > Help
and Support,
enter "zip", "zipped"
or "compressed" (without
quotes)
> click the green arrow, and
see what
you get.]
If you run Windows 98, or just don't like
the way XP does things, you need a Zip program.
I recommend UltimateZip [freeware] or WinZip [shareware] for zipping/unzipping those
files that come in "zipped" packages.
Resources
http://lists.gpick.com/index.html -- the mother lode of download lists --
all categories.
http://www.learnthenet.com/english/html/34filext.htm -- what those extensions, like *.wav, *.zip,
*.avi, etc. mean.
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