Most of us tend to spend a lot of money on computers, peripherals, software, and accessories. While wise shopping can find “deals” on hardware and software, there are tens of thousands of totally free, and often excellent, programs available for PCs, Macs, Linux machines, PDAs such as Palms, Pocket PCs, and just about every other operating system and type of computer.
This software is often referred to using a variety of terms. Totally free software is often appropriately referred to as “freeware”, meaning that there is no cost to use the software. “Shareware” typically implies that the user may use the software, but is morally obligated to compensate the author if he uses the program past a specific number of uses or days. “Trialware” is either full featured and time-limited or crippled, and allows the user to try the software before purchasing it. While most “freeware” is indeed totally free, there is an increasing number of freeware programs that generate revenue for the author in a variety of ways. The most common way to compensate the author for his time and effort is to display some form of advertising while the program is used, with ad revenues going to the author. A very small number of free programs compensate their creators by installing “spyware”, which sends information from the user’s computer. Another sometimes used method to generate revenue for the author, but fortunately not often, is to install “scumware” on the computer with the program, which allows third parties to access the users’ computer for a variety of computing tasks or redirects the user to client websites. A common example of scumware, which was actually included on a popular free file sharing utility, generated sales commission revenue to the author, by redirecting the users’ purchases to client retail sites, rather then the sites intended. For example, if a user of a scumware supported program might think that they are buying a book from Amazon.com, but instead the book may be really sold by, and shipped from, an undisclosed third party, with a commission generated for the software author. It should be emphatically noted that only a tiny percentage of freeware programs use spyware or scumware, and that the vast majority of freeware programs really are free and safe to use.
An excellent, free utility is available to detect and kill most spyware and scumware. This program is the very popular Ad-Aware, available for free download from most download services, or direct from the author at lavasoft.nu. Just as antivirus software needs to be updated frequently, Lavasoft periodically posts updated “ref files” to keep Ad-Aware current to deal with new threats. Some freeware programs containing spyware and scumware will work after being disinfected, and some will not. Regrettably, some commercial software also contains such undesirable content, intended to enhance the revenue of the publisher, but most commercial software will still function after removal of that content.
Another common theme in these columns has been the risks and damage associated with computer viruses, worms, and Trojans. While a review of the Sunday sale books will indicate some excellent deals on the popular commercial antivirus software, there are still a few free antivirus programs available. One of the best free antivirus programs is AVG, published by the Czech company, Grisoft. One of the top sellers in Europe, Grisoft is attempting to penetrate the American market by offering its highly rated software for free. Available for free download from www.grisoft.com, AVG offers a variety of useful features, including free online updates. The features included in the free version of AVG are adequate for the typical home user. For those wanting enhanced features, a commercial version of AVG is available.
With the widespread use of broadband internet connections using the now widely available DSL and cable access, a firewall has become a necessity to help protect the “always on” computer from online attack. There are many commercial firewall products available, but there are also several available for home use for free. Even though they may be free, published reviews indicate that they are generally as good, and in some cases markedly superior, to their commercial competitors. By far the most popular of the free firewall products, with over 15 million registered users, is Zone Alarm, published by Zone Labs, and available for free download from www.zonelabs.com. A fairly recent, but still free, major competitor to Zone Alarm is Outpost, available free from www.agnitum.com. Outpost has recently won recognition from several publications, and includes many features not included in Zone Alarm. Outpost can also block the infamous pop-up ads that many web surfers find so irritating, as well as other benefits. There are many other free firewalls available, including some versions from Kerio, Sygate, and other publishers.
Locally, there is an excellent collection of software available for download from tucows.exp.net, which is an extremely popular download site. One of the largest collections of software for download anywhere is at the appropriately named download.com, operated by CNET. Both of these sites, as well as many others, offer downloads for many different operating systems, and types of computers, including Palm and Pocket PC machines, as well as Macs. In upcoming columns, I will be covering many more free utilities that are available, including a selection for platforms other than PCs. Enjoy, but practice safe computing.
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