Advice

INTERNET

Why pay for software?

ERIC SPELLMANN points out the free software available to do common tasks - if you know where to look

If you look hard enough, you can find freeware (free software) that can replace most of your "paid for" software. This search comes in handy when you need to build a cheap system for a friend or family member ... or if you're just cheap, er ..., I mean "thrifty," like me.

Below, you will find my favourite "free" replacements for commercial software.

OpenOffice.org

The newest version of Microsoft Office will ship on 21 October. Its cost: £299 for the Standard Edition. If that amount is a bit more than you had in mind, consider the freeware alternative: OpenOffice.org (http://www.openoffice.org).

Basically, a bunch of good-hearted volunteer programmers have got together to produce a knock-off of Microsoft Office. You'll find program equivalents for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Their names are different, but obvious as to their purpose: Writer, Calc, and Impress. They even throw in a great "drawing" program for you creative types.

The software easily imports and exports official Microsoft files. I usually recommend this program to people that need to work on office files at home. Of course, its smaller size makes it great for a mobile warrior's laptop.

AVG Anti-Virus System

Whenever I encounter a computer WITHOUT anti-virus software, I cringe. After all, if you have e-mail, chances are, you receive a virus-loaded message at least once a week. Without proper protection, your system might as well have a large sign posted above it: 'Infect me. Format my hard drive. Make me write bad cheques.'

The reason some people choose NOT to install this critical software is simple: money. After all, Norton and McAfee's products are not cheap. Add to that a yearly subscription fee for maintenance and you've got a permanent dent in your budget.

The people at Grisoft realise not everyone is made of money, so they came up with the AVG Anti-virus system. If you are an individual or work for a non-commercial organization, you may download their software free of charge.

What makes this deal really great is the FREE lifetime updates. As with Norton Antivirus, the AVG product will automatically update its virus list on a regular basis, making sure your system is ready to fend off the most current digital scourges. Download your free copy at http://www.grisoft.com.

CAM Zip

Most of us have had to deal with "zipped" files at one time or another. The leader in compression software is WinZip (http://www.winzip.com). However, it's not free. For a cost-free alternative, check out Cam Zip (http://www.camdevelopment.com).

While it may not have some of the extreme bells and whistles as its for-pay competitor, it does an excellent job in basic unzipping and zipping.

NoteTab Light

If you click your Start button, then Programs, then Accessories, you'll see Notepad. Notepad is a very simple program that allows you to view text files. Text files are very common in the computer arena; so much so, that Windows includes Notepad with every operating system (95/98/ME/NT/2000/XP).

However, Notepad has some serious memory and feature limitations. Hence, I replace it with NoteTab Light (http://www.notetab.com). NoteTab Light allows you to work with multiple files at the same time. And unlike Notepad's 64k file size limitation, NoteTab Light will handle files many megabytes in size. In addition, NoteTab Light has a more robust "Search and Replace" option. If you have to work with text files on a regular basis take my advice: Dump Notepad for NoteTab Light.

More Free Software

Of course, these programs are just the tip of the iceberg. To find more great FREE applications, check out my favourite download sites, including
Freeware Home
Moochers
NoNags
And for the younger set, Kids Freeware

Happy Downloading! I'll see you in Cyberspace!

Eric Spellmann is the owner of Spellmann & Associates, a corporate technology training facility in Amarillo, Texas. Besides his weekly column, he produces technology segments for his local CBS television affiliate and speaks at numerous conferences. If you would like to receive the full transcripts of his columns as well as the television segments he produces for CBS, sign up for his FREE e-mail newsletter by sending a blank message to nl@ericspellman.com with SUBSCRIBE in the subject. Or, you can sign up at his website: http://www.EricSpellmann.com

© Christian Family Network
is run by CPO, supported by
Care for the Family, Marriage Resource, Positive Parenting,
Care, Women Alive, Christian Herald and many others.


		INTERNET Why pay for software? ERIC SPELLMANN points out the free software available to do common tasks - if you know where to look If you look hard enough, you can find freeware (free software) that can replace most of your "paid for" software. This search comes in handy when you need to build a cheap system for a friend or family member ... or if you're just cheap, er ..., I mean "thrifty," like me. Below, you will find my favourite "free" replacements for commercial software. OpenOffice.org The newest version of Microsoft Office will ship on 21 October. Its cost: £299 for the Standard Edition. If that amount is a bit more than you had in mind, consider the freeware alternative: OpenOffice.org (http://www.openoffice.org). Basically, a bunch of good-hearted volunteer programmers have got together to produce a knock-off of Microsoft Office. You'll find program equivalents for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Their names are different, but obvious as to their purpose: Writer, Calc, and Impress. They even throw in a great "drawing" program for you creative types. The software easily imports and exports official Microsoft files. I usually recommend this program to people that need to work on office files at home. Of course, its smaller size makes it great for a mobile warrior's laptop. AVG Anti-Virus System Whenever I encounter a computer WITHOUT anti-virus software, I cringe. After all, if you have e-mail, chances are, you receive a virus-loaded message at least once a week. Without proper protection, your system might as well have a large sign posted above it: 'Infect me. Format my hard drive. Make me write bad cheques.' The reason some people choose NOT to install this critical software is simple: money. After all, Norton and McAfee's products are not cheap. Add to that a yearly subscription fee for maintenance and you've got a permanent dent in your budget. The people at Grisoft realise not everyone is made of money, so they came up with the AVG Anti-virus system. If you are an individual or work for a non-commercial organization, you may download their software free of charge. What makes this deal really great is the FREE lifetime updates. As with Norton Antivirus, the AVG product will automatically update its virus list on a regular basis, making sure your system is ready to fend off the most current digital scourges. Download your free copy at http://www.grisoft.com. CAM Zip Most of us have had to deal with "zipped" files at one time or another. The leader in compression software is WinZip (http://www.winzip.com). However, it's not free. For a cost-free alternative, check out Cam Zip (http://www.camdevelopment.com). While it may not have some of the extreme bells and whistles as its for-pay competitor, it does an excellent job in basic unzipping and zipping. NoteTab Light If you click your Start button, then Programs, then Accessories, you'll see Notepad. Notepad is a very simple program that allows you to view text files. Text files are very common in the computer arena; so much so, that Windows includes Notepad with every operating system (95/98/ME/NT/2000/XP). However, Notepad has some serious memory and feature limitations. Hence, I replace it with NoteTab Light (http://www.notetab.com). NoteTab Light allows you to work with multiple files at the same time. And unlike Notepad's 64k file size limitation, NoteTab Light will handle files many megabytes in size. In addition, NoteTab Light has a more robust "Search and Replace" option. If you have to work with text files on a regular basis take my advice: Dump Notepad for NoteTab Light. More Free Software Of course, these programs are just the tip of the iceberg. To find more great FREE applications, check out my favourite download sites, including Freeware Home Moochers NoNags And for the younger set, Kids Freeware Happy Downloading! I'll see you in Cyberspace! Eric Spellmann is the owner of Spellmann & Associates, a corporate technology training facility in Amarillo, Texas. Besides his weekly column, he produces technology segments for his local CBS television affiliate and speaks at numerous conferences. If you would like to receive the full transcripts of his columns as well as the television segments he produces for CBS, sign up for his FREE e-mail newsletter by sending a blank message to nl@ericspellman.com with SUBSCRIBE in the subject. Or, you can sign up at his website: http://www.EricSpellmann.com © Christian Family Network is run by CPO, supported by Care for the Family, Marriage Resource, Positive Parenting, Care, Women Alive, Christian Herald and many others.