Free Software!

Notepad is OK if you are just getting started, but for a high performance text editor, Vim is much better. Vim is very flexable. You can use or add tools to it to make writing web pages or source code faster, check syntax for code errors, check spelling for content errors, and do many other things. I would highly recommend this software for creating web pages or source code.

Are you STILL using Internet Explorer?! So are all the bad little programs tracking your keystrokes, harvesting your personal information, and loading your computer with nasty little files that even a person who know nothing about computers should be concerned about. Firefox is free, secure, and keeps the bad guys from making your computer one of their computers. Just because Internet Explorer 7 added a search box and tabbed browsing like Firefox, doesn't mean they offer the security of Firefox.

Download the inovator, not the imitator!

• WinZip can't open .tar, .tar.gz, tar.bz2, .rar, or .cab files. 7-zip can.
• No splash screen asking you if you want to purchase the software with trick buttons that swap places. 7-zip is open source.

I don't know when Adobe started doing it, but since it has occured it has been a real turn off. I'm talking about that update prompt that bogs down the system when I try to read a PDF file on Windows. One solution is to use Ghostscript. Ghostscript can interpret and create PostScript and PDF files, more than what Adobe Reader can do.

AbiWord is better than Microsoft Word and OpenOffice.org Word Processor. AbiWord is just the right size for those who don't want to use 30-day trials or absurdly large downloads. Windows, UNIX, and Linux Users should also try out the next software in this list in conjunction with AbiWord.

Gnumeric can do everything Microsoft Excel does and alot of what OpenOffice.org Spreadsheet still can't do. With many recent developments, Gnumeric is likely to catch up and EXCEL with far greater accessability, compatibility, and flexability than Microsoft Excel. Gnumeric is the perfect companion for Abiword. It is not trialware and is not absurdly large.

Dia creates Unified Modeling Language (UML) diagrams much like Microsoft Viso or Rational Rose. Diagramming programs are useful for organizing programs, databases, and projects.

Clam AntiVirus finds things that Norton AntiVirus and McAffee Antivirus can't find. Clam is serious software for people who seriously want to know why their computer is still doing weird things even after paying for an antivirus program that only takes up space on your hard drive and nags you for money to renue a subscription when you need them the most. Clam offers free virus definition upgrades and no subscription fees. And unlike fake free antivirus software (i.e. Stop Signs), it is the real deal, not some spam program.

Windows Media Player, Real Player, and Apple Quicktime add so much CRAP to your computer it is not funny. Windows Media Player doesn't like working with Firefox, Real Player adds distracting pop-up advertizing at start up, and Apple wants you to download iTunes before you can have Quicktime. To top that off, NONE of them truly provide DVD support. Well you can delete all three of these media players. VLC Media Player offers complete support for Windows Media formats, Apple Quicktime formats, and Real formats. VCL supports a large number of multimedia formats, without the need of addtional codecs or additional software you don't use. Quit searching and start playing!

If you use UNIX, Linux, or MacOS X, you need not worry about installing this software. Most binary distributions of UNIX and Linux include the GNU Compiler Collection (GCC) to create programs using C, C++, as well as low level assembly language. The link to the GCC website is listed here for documentation purposes.

A 32-bit Windows port of GCC. Because Microsoft doesn't want to play nice with GNU/Linux programmers, the programs will tend to be bloated to a rediculouly large size when they are compiled. Never the less, the programs work great.

If you want to create programs professionally, you should use this instead of Microsoft's Visual C/C++/C#/Basic.

Python is a dynamic object-oriented programming language that can be used for many kinds of software development. It is easy to learn and comes with many tools and features.

MySQL is an open source database program that has quickly developed and surpassed propietary SQL softwares such as MSSQL or the outrageously large Oracle. MySQL is often used for online database storage, but it is also idea for students and small businesses.

PHP Hypertext Preprocessor (PHP) is often used in conjunction with MySQL databases, and Asyncronous JavaScript and XML (AJAX) development. Advanced web programmers may find this of interest. To use PHP, you should install MySQL and Apache HTTP Server first.

Apache is an web server program that is used on a majority of websites throughout the internet. Though it works on Windows, it works outstanding using UNIX or Linux.

I've listed alot of software so far. Most of it you may not comprehend what it is for. Alot of it works better on UNIX or Linux, something not too many people are willing to use. Which is OK. You don't really need to have a computer that runs UNIX or Linux, but you can CONNECT TO a computer that does run it, using PuTTY. PuTTY can connect to SSH server, but not if your company does not allow you to use it. See the next item in the list.

So your company or school thinks that all the voodoo that you do with the computer is hacking. (What is so wrong about being a hacker? A hacker is a writer of codes. A cracker is a computer criminal.) To them, what you do is witchcraft, blackmajick, or taboo rituals involiving chicken heads. There is no play for you to practice your wizardry with computers, not unless you want to get fired. Fortunately, a stable solution has been avaialbe for a few year now for Palm OS powered smartphones such as the Treo. Pssh is one of those options. Communicate with your SSH termial or another computer descretely without violating company policy. Ofcourse if you are more comfortable using a larger keyboard, you could purchase a Bluetooth keyboard. Reguardless, SSH turns any computer no matter how big or small into a powerful device.

Based on the XPDF reader, PalmPDF is a good alternative to DataViz Documents To Go's PDF reader. Documents To Go can not handle color images or tilted text. (Try reading a bus schedule using Documents To Go. It is very difficult.) Palm PDF's interface is an ugly duck, but don't let the aesthetically challenged user interface turn you off to this program. The interface is skinnable.