Okay... the days of the free Operating System are here with Linux and their ilks yadda yadda yadda...
Yeah, right.
Be honest: No matter how we hate Windows, we have to use it. Tell me: Which Linux can play those wonderful timewasting games?
So, like it or not, we're stuck with Windows. Which means that we must pay for the Operating System of our PC.
But we can stop right there. Yes, you read me right: The only software you need to buy for your PC is Windows. Now, let me give you the lowdown on the other softwares that you need:
Office Suite
Okay, we can't work without that one. The 'freebie' WordPad is a joke. And there is no 'freebie' Excel bundled with Windows. So?
Never fear! Just download OpenOffice.org, and you'll have an honest-to-goodness free alternative to Microsoft Office or WordPerfect Office Suite. It's a tad slow, granted, but fully loaded. You may have to adjust yourself to using it... but if you decided to stick with Microsoft Office, you'll have to adjust yourself to use Office 2007 anyway, which is drastically different from previous Office versions.
So, now is the right time to change.
AntiVirus
Some say, running a PC without an AntiVirus is like having sex without condoms. I disagree, but anyways, why are we so enamored with expensive commercial antivirus programs like Norton or McAffee?
There's a lot of free antivirus programs out there. I personally use Avast! Home Edition, and some other people swear by AVG AntiVirus, and yet others nod to Antivir Personal Edition. All of them are cheap = gratis (as long as you use it in your home). And there are dozens out there that are still free.
And if you're a skillful geek, wanting to control everything going on in your PC, and are not afraid of beta softwares, give Comodo AntiViruSpyware a shot. Up to now, it is the only free AntiVirus program capable of running under Windows Servers. It has HIPS (Host Intrusion Prevention System), that even if a virus ever passed its database, the virus's action will be detected and knowledgeable users can stop the virus in its slimy track.
Personal Firewall
An antivirus stops malware running in your system. A firewall stops malware accessing your system, preventing them to exploit possible security holes.
There are several free firewalls out there. The more well-known is ZoneAlarm Free. But it's severely underpowered compared to its commercial sibling, ZoneAlarm Pro.
Yet there's a better alternative. Find out why geeks all around the world fell in love with Comodo Firewall. Its features put it on a par with ZoneAlarm Pro, but for a far less price (i.e. gratis).
For a bonus: This program can also run under Windows Server.
Graphic Processing
Why do you need this one? Okay, easy reason: Remove all those redeyes from your photos. Now, repeat after me: MS Paint Sucks. And so is PhotoShop (too damn expensive).
There are 2 alternatives to PhotoShop (and their ilk): Gimp and Paint.Net. Both are free, open source, and quite powerful, to boot. I prefer Paint.Net because its interface resembles PhotoShop, but you may have to download and install some Plugins first, and then it can perform 80% of what PhotoShop can. Check out the wonderful Tutorials for Paint.Net, and I think 95% of what PhotoShop does can be carried out by this nifty program.
Pascal Programming
Okay, first I have to admit: I am a die-hard Pascal programmer. So, sorry to you C-aficionados, I just have not the slightest idea what free development tool you can find. Why not be less nerd-y and shift to Pascal?
Anyways, for a free, totally free, Pascal development system, you can't go wrong installing FreePascal on your system. This gives you a powerful command-line based Pascal compiler that's cross-platform. Read it! Cross-platform, for Pete's sake! And also a nice text-based editor complete with online help.
What? You don't like text-based editor or command-line compiler? Never fear! With the Lazarus Development Environment, you can have a visual development environment that's virtually identical with the (far far far far more expensive) Borland Delphi.
Okay. I think, the list above just suits everybody wanting to pay no more than the Windows operating system on their PC. If I missed something, let me know.
Over and out.
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