David's Freeware Collection!
Only The Best Freeware
Take A Look Around!
Welcome to David's Freeware Collection! A lot of people are starting to catch on to the fact that many software developers are starting to offer free software as alternatives to more expensive commercial programs. In most cases, these free programs are just as good as their more expensive brothers, and in some cases exceed them. Of course, as with all good things, there's a lot of crap out there.
Some freeware even comes with viruses and spyware. This site is dedicated to highlighting some of the better alternatives you can find on the Internet. This site is basically a collection of choice freeware applications which, when combined, make for a computer software package to meet any and all of your day to day software needs.The whole idea behind creating this is not so much to create a “best freeware” list (although that is a goal), but rather to illustrate that when you get right down to it, all you really need to purchase, is an operating system.
If you feel comfortable leaving the confines of Windows, you won't have to pay for that either! After that, you really do not have to spend one cent on software.
When you download a freeware program, you have some rights, some responsibilities,
and you have just one remedy:
* Rights
o That you will not have to pay for the program, in any way, ever.
o That the program will turn out to be what its description says it is.
o That the program will meet at least some of your needs.
o That your privacy will not be invaded.
* Responsibilities
o You must read the documentation and FAQ list before asking a question.
o You may not demand new answers to questions already covered in the FAQ list or the documentation.
o You may not demand customer service or one-on-one instruction.
o You don't have the right to demand program changes to suit your personal tastes.
o If you feel an impulse to say "You only get what you pay for," be sure your sexual partner doesn't overhear you, because, unless brain-damaged, he or she will stop sleeping with you.
* Remedies
o There's just one — you can stop using the program. You cannot complain about it as though you paid for it, because you didn't.
What I am saying in essence is that users must not treat freeware like commercial software. For one thing, much of freeware is better than commercial software. Why? Because most people who write freeware actually like computers and programming, and most freeware programs were written by people who, whatever they were doing, were not watching a clock while feeling exploited by a corporation.
Digression: why do you think Microsoft's software is so dreadful? Simple. It was largely written by people who didn't want to be doing what they were doing, who were the least expensive programmers the personnel division could find to fill empty positions, who were being exploited and who knew it. Programmers who are actually skilled at programming either start their own companies or retire (and maybe write freeware) — but they don't remain corporate lackeys, struggling to repair the latest version of Windows. There's an old joke with relevance to this topic. After John Glenn's historic orbital flight, interviewers asked him what he thought as he waited for lift-off. He replied, "I was thinking that the rocket had twenty thousand components, and each was made by the lowest bidder". Commercial software is, by definition, built by the lowest bidder. By contrast, freeware (some if it, anyway) is built by people who actually like what they are doing, and some of them are people the big software corporations could not afford to hire.
Users of freeware must not forget that they didn't pay for the software, and therefore they cannot demand the satisfaction of an imaginary contract between the programmer and themselves. The usual adversarial relationship between a vendor and a consumer simply doesn't exist. I find that users below a certain age never grasp this fact, and invariably it is the youngest users who think they have the right to demand absolutely anything, and who expect satisfaction of any arbitrary whim.
I will simply say that people must not treat freeware as though it is commercial software, and must not treat freeware authors as though they can be held responsible for users' expectations. Boys and girls, this is not how freeware
works.
DISCLAIMER: While I highly recommend everything on these pages, I will not be responsible for any damage, if any, these programs may cause to your PC. I haven't personally used or tested all of these on my computer, but I have done enough research to feel safe about including them here.. Also, at the time of publication, I am also fairly confident these programs contain no spyware or adware. As always, when you download from the Internet, take precautions.
Feedback is always a good thing, even if it's negative. Sign my guestbook and let me know what you think.
Some freeware even comes with viruses and spyware. This site is dedicated to highlighting some of the better alternatives you can find on the Internet. This site is basically a collection of choice freeware applications which, when combined, make for a computer software package to meet any and all of your day to day software needs.The whole idea behind creating this is not so much to create a “best freeware” list (although that is a goal), but rather to illustrate that when you get right down to it, all you really need to purchase, is an operating system.
If you feel comfortable leaving the confines of Windows, you won't have to pay for that either! After that, you really do not have to spend one cent on software.
When you download a freeware program, you have some rights, some responsibilities,
and you have just one remedy:
* Rights
o That you will not have to pay for the program, in any way, ever.
o That the program will turn out to be what its description says it is.
o That the program will meet at least some of your needs.
o That your privacy will not be invaded.
* Responsibilities
o You must read the documentation and FAQ list before asking a question.
o You may not demand new answers to questions already covered in the FAQ list or the documentation.
o You may not demand customer service or one-on-one instruction.
o You don't have the right to demand program changes to suit your personal tastes.
o If you feel an impulse to say "You only get what you pay for," be sure your sexual partner doesn't overhear you, because, unless brain-damaged, he or she will stop sleeping with you.
* Remedies
o There's just one — you can stop using the program. You cannot complain about it as though you paid for it, because you didn't.
What I am saying in essence is that users must not treat freeware like commercial software. For one thing, much of freeware is better than commercial software. Why? Because most people who write freeware actually like computers and programming, and most freeware programs were written by people who, whatever they were doing, were not watching a clock while feeling exploited by a corporation.
Digression: why do you think Microsoft's software is so dreadful? Simple. It was largely written by people who didn't want to be doing what they were doing, who were the least expensive programmers the personnel division could find to fill empty positions, who were being exploited and who knew it. Programmers who are actually skilled at programming either start their own companies or retire (and maybe write freeware) — but they don't remain corporate lackeys, struggling to repair the latest version of Windows. There's an old joke with relevance to this topic. After John Glenn's historic orbital flight, interviewers asked him what he thought as he waited for lift-off. He replied, "I was thinking that the rocket had twenty thousand components, and each was made by the lowest bidder". Commercial software is, by definition, built by the lowest bidder. By contrast, freeware (some if it, anyway) is built by people who actually like what they are doing, and some of them are people the big software corporations could not afford to hire.
Users of freeware must not forget that they didn't pay for the software, and therefore they cannot demand the satisfaction of an imaginary contract between the programmer and themselves. The usual adversarial relationship between a vendor and a consumer simply doesn't exist. I find that users below a certain age never grasp this fact, and invariably it is the youngest users who think they have the right to demand absolutely anything, and who expect satisfaction of any arbitrary whim.
I will simply say that people must not treat freeware as though it is commercial software, and must not treat freeware authors as though they can be held responsible for users' expectations. Boys and girls, this is not how freeware
works.
DISCLAIMER: While I highly recommend everything on these pages, I will not be responsible for any damage, if any, these programs may cause to your PC. I haven't personally used or tested all of these on my computer, but I have done enough research to feel safe about including them here.. Also, at the time of publication, I am also fairly confident these programs contain no spyware or adware. As always, when you download from the Internet, take precautions.
Feedback is always a good thing, even if it's negative. Sign my guestbook and let me know what you think.
Freeware Vs. Commercial
There’s a time when you need to choose a piece of software to accomplish a goal, but you don’t know whether to get a freeware program or a commercial one. Freeware tends to be of less quality than commercial programs – but this is not always the case. Often times, with the right amount of research, you can find free programs that work just as well or even better than commercial ones! Here are some tips.
1. Google what kind of program you need on your computer. (e.g, “Office Word”)
2. Find your favorite commercial program listed under the results. Remember it's name or write it down.
3. Check to see if any freeware is listed in the results. If yes, remember its name or write it down. If not, repeat your original search but with the word “free” added in. (e.g, “Free Office Word")
4. You should now have your favorite commercial and freeware program for the program you need. Now to compare the two. Ask the following questions:
* Is the commercial program in a good price range for me? Is it a reasonable price for what it offers?
* Is the commercial program better than the freeware? Do I need those extra features?
* Does the freeware program seem trustworthy? Does it do everything I need it to do?
5. If you answer these questions, you should be able to tell whether to choose the free program, or to buy the commercial one. Before making your final decision, though, check reviews on both applications and see what others have to say about it. This site is a great place to start! You can find freeware reviews on the blog page by typing in the program name in the search box. If I don’t already have a review on the program, contact me or leave a comment in my guestbook, and I will try my best to have a review for you in a day or two.
1. Google what kind of program you need on your computer. (e.g, “Office Word”)
2. Find your favorite commercial program listed under the results. Remember it's name or write it down.
3. Check to see if any freeware is listed in the results. If yes, remember its name or write it down. If not, repeat your original search but with the word “free” added in. (e.g, “Free Office Word")
4. You should now have your favorite commercial and freeware program for the program you need. Now to compare the two. Ask the following questions:
* Is the commercial program in a good price range for me? Is it a reasonable price for what it offers?
* Is the commercial program better than the freeware? Do I need those extra features?
* Does the freeware program seem trustworthy? Does it do everything I need it to do?
5. If you answer these questions, you should be able to tell whether to choose the free program, or to buy the commercial one. Before making your final decision, though, check reviews on both applications and see what others have to say about it. This site is a great place to start! You can find freeware reviews on the blog page by typing in the program name in the search box. If I don’t already have a review on the program, contact me or leave a comment in my guestbook, and I will try my best to have a review for you in a day or two.
Freeware Vs. Open Source
Freeware is basically software provided by a company or developer for free. There are several reasons for this. Sometimes a company will provide a free or "lite" version of a more full-featured program that you would have to pay for. While the free version may suit most of your needs, you can always opt to upgrade to the "professional" version. Other times, companies will allow you to use their programs for free if you are the only person who will be using it. People who want to use it on multiple computers, will usually be asked to pay a "license fee". A lot of the links you see here will showcase more than one program. Some are free, some not. They provide some of their programs for free in the hopes you will see something else you may want to pay for. And then of course, you have developers who just offer their software for free for no other reason than they can.
Here's where you have to be careful. Unfortunately, a lot of freeware is loaded with spyware. You get the program for free, but the developer gets something more valuable - your personal information! I cannot stress this enough: CHECK THE SOFTWARE FOR VIRUSES AND SPYWARE BEFORE YOU INSTALL IT! DO YOUR HOMEWORK AND READ REVIEWS OF THE SOFTWARE!
Open source software is basically the same as freeware with one major difference. You can usually download the source code to the software. Many of the sites that feature open source programs have communities and forums to help you with the software itself. And the best part (if you're so inclined) is that people are encouraged to download the source code and help improve the software.
Here's where you have to be careful. Unfortunately, a lot of freeware is loaded with spyware. You get the program for free, but the developer gets something more valuable - your personal information! I cannot stress this enough: CHECK THE SOFTWARE FOR VIRUSES AND SPYWARE BEFORE YOU INSTALL IT! DO YOUR HOMEWORK AND READ REVIEWS OF THE SOFTWARE!
Open source software is basically the same as freeware with one major difference. You can usually download the source code to the software. Many of the sites that feature open source programs have communities and forums to help you with the software itself. And the best part (if you're so inclined) is that people are encouraged to download the source code and help improve the software.
Freeware Pick Of The Week
Digsby is a very interesting instant messenger client. It supports AIM,
MSN, Yahoo, ICQ, Google Talk, Jabber, and Facebook Chat Accounts. But
the great feature is that it supports multiple e-mail accounts,
Hotmail, Gmail, Yahoo Mail, AOL/AIM Mail, IMAP, and POP. It is also a
great tool for social networking. It supports Facebook, Twitter, or
MySpace accounts so far, with more of them coming up.
Digsby
Digsby
Let My Friend Ralph Help You Get Rid Of Windows
My friend Ralph lives in a little town just north of Fort Worth,TX called Bullishville. You won't find it on any map. It's more a state of mind than anything, kinda like Margaritaville without the margaritas. Anyhoo, he was the one that really got me interested in computers, and from there it was BBS'es and then the Internet. As a matter of fact, if it wasn't for him, I probably would never have undertaken a project like this webpage. Well, now you know who to blame. Go visit his site and give him a piece of your mind. While you're there take the time and learn a little about Linux.
Ralph's Site
Ralph's Site
