There are literally hundreds of thousands of free programs available for download. For the most part it really is a “you get what you pay” market. In most cases it’s worthless, not well maintained, and incompatible with the newest operating systems. Free software will generally come with baggage in the form of toolbars and pop-up ads. Not surprisingly it’s a convenient avenue for dishonest people to install malware such as viruses, Trojans, worms, key loggers, spam servers, etc. on your computer.
There is a silver lining in the free software market. It’s called Open Source software. There is a great explanation here if you would like to read more about Open Source. Suffice it to say there is a great deal of Open Source software available. Most Open Source software will have a free version that can be used for personal use. Some restrict commercial use and have a paid version available. Read the copyright carefully before using Open Source in your business.
One of my favorite Open Source programs is Open Office. Open Office is a suite of programs similar to Microsoft Office. It comes with a word processor, spreadsheet, a presentation program, a database, and a drawing program. It’s Microsoft Office compatible and free for all to use. These are two of my favorite features.
I have recently updated my Free Downloads page where you will find links to some of my favorite Open Source software.
Be very careful what you download. Search the internet for issues that other may have experienced. When in doubt just leave it alone.
