Software

Working with computers has given me the opportunity to see a lot of software in operation. Some of it is, in my opinion, dreadful. It may do the job(s) for which it is designed, but some of it is so demanding of system resources that computers work much more slowly - at times to unacceptable levels. In particular, packages that include firewalls & antivirus applications. They also require purchasing & yearly subscriptions.

There is a lot of software available via the Internet that is free and does the same job as these packages, without dragging systems down. These are some of the ones I use, and some of these I have used for years. Most of these have paid-for versions which provide more options. Some of them request donations but no donation does not stop the download.

Whilst I use them, I cannot be held responsible for their installation on systems.

The links to websites may change, if you find one that doesn't work, please let me know.

Antivirus

AVG antivirus
Look for 'AVG Free' and follow the links to download the program

Website

Firewall

ZoneAlarm
The free edition provides a firewall only

Website

Spyware

AdAware
Searches a system for spyware & removes it

Website

SpyBot Search & Destroy
I use this in addition to AdAware. Run both once a week

Website

Word processor etc

Open Office
This suite of programs is an alternative to Microsoft Office. It will open & allow editing of all Office documents. It has a built-in .PDF file creator. It is a large download - over 90MB -, but from what I've seen of it, well worth it.

Website

Firefox

An alternative to Internet Explorer.

Thunderbird

An alternative to Outlook Express - from the same site as Firefox