Great Free Software Hunt

gerryg_2

wealthsaver wrote:

Free Linux distributions:
https://www.slackware.com
https://www.debian.org
]

These distros are free in every sense of the word - but they're a bit advanced to install for the average user wanting to make a break from proprietary software. Also available as free, include easier first time distros such as Linspire, Mandriva, SUSE.

Linspire is the easiest but is sometime criticised for its subsequent business model. They're often available from the front of magazines (these distros have few practical restrictions - but include some software that is not as free as "free as in speech" as some would like).

However, you don't have to jump in with both feet. There are several distros that run from a CD-ROM without installing anything on your hard drive so you can get used to the new software without worrying about your existing installed software. You need to know how to start booting from your CD-ROM (BIOS settings) and to remember that it will run slower that if it were installed on your hard drive.

There are several, but my favourite is https://www.knoppix.net Once on the website you'll be able find it for £2-3 from a number of listed suppliers

gromituk

In response to firewalker2: What do you want to do? For rotating, cropping, resizing, etc, I'd recommend http://www.irfanview.com/ which has already been mentioned. If you want to do advanced Photoshoppy-type things then you'd use Gimp, but that is a very sophisticated piece of software which takes a lot of learning (and downloading). If by "clogging up the works" you mean installing nasties like spyware, then neither of these products will do so.

gerryg_2

firewalker2 wrote:

Hi
This is my first time here so please be gentle. I would like a photo editor, but am not very computer literate and would hate to inadvertantly download stuff which clogged up the works - can anyone give advice or help please?
Thanks
:A

It's not as friendly as some - but it's full on. If you were to try linux (knoppix in first instance, see post) you would get several choices - all at no cost including Krita (part of the KDE desktop)

suityou69

The best "office suite" without doubt in my opinion is Easy Office

http://www.e-press.com/downloads_freeware.asp

If your on broadband give it a download, looks and acts the same as the microsoft version with loads of bits and pieces to make life easier.

gromituk

gerryg wrote:

Linspire is the easiest but is sometime criticised for its subsequent business model.

I would also not recommend it because of the way it does everything as "root" user, thereby bypassing most of the security features built into Linux from the ground up, the lack of which is partly responsible for the mess Microsoft Windows is in. I have read Linspire's founder's comments on the subject and they are astonishingly naive.

gerryg_2

cashless wrote:

There is a great selection of quality Open Source software for everyone available from:

http://theopencd.sunsite.dk/

The idea is that you download a special file that allows you to burn a CD with all the software for sharing. Of course you can just download and install individual pieces of software if you like. Software is specially chosen for its reliability and common appeal.

True but easier and more reliable in the first instance might be to buy the CD from a number of organisations that sell the CD for £2-3, e.g., some of the sites mentioned on https://www.knoppix.net (see other post) also sell this CD.

wunwinglow

Computer magazine cover CDs and DVDs are worth keeping an eye on. Frequently last years version is given away in the hope you will upgrade to the current version, often at a discount, but the old prog will more than likely do all you need, especially if you are a beginner. OK, you have to buy the magazine, but still worthwhile! PC Pro, Computer Shopper, Computer Buyer etc, just elbow your way to the front of the crowd of geeks in W H Smiths.

wunwinglow

r01

A complete MS Office suite look-alike designed to run on Windows ?
It is not freeware but is free for home users.

It looks like MS Office, feels like MS Office, has almost identical menu's, it reads and writes .DOC, .RTF, .TXT etc. files and I even heard somewhere that it was written by a couple of disaffected ex-MS staff (although this is not confirmed). As per those butter adverts "I can't believe it's not MS Office" For those that should have gone to specsavers, the link is :- http://www.software602.com/products/pcs/download.html and read the statement "Please note, this is only free for personal non-commercial use!"

I use it all the time and the version I have enables me to run up to 5 - YES 5 copies and the best part is - IT'S FREE !!

A breeze to download and install and no greedy MS to pay licenses to - I love it ! It is some time since I looked at their site, but it used to be only 29.99 US Dollars to buy !

You have to register your email address and they send an activation key plus marketing literature, so you can always set up a Hotmail or Yahoo (or similar) account to register it and to get your activation key then happily ignore the following marketing blurb, but I find spam filters and the delete button just as useful.

I cut and pasted this from Google to help you .....

Software602 - 602PC SUITE - FREE Office Suite with PDF Export
A suite that is compatible with MS Office document types, comprising word processor, spreadsheet, photo editor, and digital photo organizer.
https://www.software602.com/products/pcs/ - 32k - Cached - Similar pages
[ More results from https://www.software602.com ]

Enjoy !!

PS - If you are fed up with Spam or have kids who send and receive emails and want to know (monitor) what they are up to or control what they are able to receive - try https://www.spam-stop.com. They are based here in the UK - I believe in Borehamwood or somewhere around there. This system really works - it has a learning engine and my spam is now almost nil, plus I can access my emails from several accounts through this one site worldwide. Totally free at present for individuals - they only sell to companies

PPS - Free Firewall - Sygate (http://smb.sygate.com/products/spf_standard.htm) - Unlike Zone Alarm free version you can write advanced port filters.
PPPS - Free Antivirus - AVG (http://free.grisoft.com/doc/2/lng/us/tpl/v5)
PPPPS - Free VOIP phone calls - get a cheap USB Voip phone off ebay and download https://www.voipcheap.co.uk 's package. Buy the minimum amount of credit (I bought £1.23 worth) and make completely free calls to Australia, Ireland and many other countries as well as calls to the UK day and night for free. They have just updated the voice engine and it is unbelievably good - I challenge anyone to tell if it is VOIP or landline (using the nright equipment). It's amazingly simple to set up and run without any difficult settings to worry about - It's IDIOT PROOF !!

I use all of the above myself, so can assure you they are genuine.

R

cashless_2

ohit wrote:

Konfabulator: http://www.konfabulator.com/
Great desktop widgets software with loads of useful tools on your desktop for quick access.

Thanks, I love this stuff, way beyond cool.

gerryg_2

wunwinglow wrote:

Computer magazine cover CDs and DVDs are worth keeping an eye on. Frequently last years version is given away in the hope you will upgrade to the current version, often at a discount, but the old prog will more than likely do all you need, especially if you are a beginner. OK, you have to buy the magazine, but still worthwhile! PC Pro, Computer Shopper, Computer Buyer etc, just elbow your way to the front of the crowd of geeks in W H Smiths.

wunwinglow

With free software I agree with the approach described above except to say that it gives access to is the latest versions available (because, in general the revenue stream is derived from supporting business users and not home users and also because of the virtuous circle of "more home users raises awareness of the power and quality of free software* which trickles through to greater awareness and demand in the business field.)

*an omitted feature in the discussion so far is that if you think your PC is a bit underpowered and you were planning to upgrade to newer hardware so you could run newer (proprietary) software then - having backed-up your data - install a Linux distro (I like SUSE) and discover you don't need new hardware after all. Your documents and pictures will be accessible - some or rarer formats might suffer such as project management files - GANTT charts etc.

A double "so what" is that you will be being green by not throwing away old hardware and green by continuing with a PC that consumes slightly less power than would be demanded by higher specification stuff.

A triple "so-what" is that if you are prepared to be slightly self-sufficient (lots of help out there on web but it requires you've made the effort to understand first) then anything you want to do: office, multimedia, photo-video-audio acquisition and editing, music making - score writing and drum machines included, web hosting, web site development, games (simple, complex is a bit more tricky) scientific, educational, almost anything you can think of - it's all there and it's all free