Freeware

A product of Sun Microsystems, StarOffice is a propriety office suite package. This program was originally created by StarDivision. In August 1999, StarOffice was purchased by Sun Microsystems. In July 2000, the source code for this program was released, making StarOffice an open source office suite known as OpenOffice.org. The subsequent StarOffice versions were based on OpenOffice, along with additional propriety elements.

Pros of StarOffice

StarOffice supports the XML file format, which includes the standard OpenDocument format. This suite can also handle Flash and PDF formats. When you use StarOffice, a software development kit, a macro recorder, and templates are all included in the package. Programs offered through this suite are StarWriter, StarCalc, StarImpress, StarDraw, StarBase, and StarMath. The propriety components included are the Adabas D database, StarOffice configuration manager, a huge collection of clip art accessible through its clip art gallery, 12 Western fonts, and several Unicode True Type fonts that are compatible with the font metric. Compared to Microsoft Office, users will experience lesser system crashes and virus attacks. And if you are annoyed with MS Word's talking paper clip, you don't have to worry about this because StarOffice doesn't offer this feature. Another cool feature of StarOffice is its compatibility among various versions. This means you won't be forced to upgrade your program every two years or so.

Cons of StarOffice

Because StarOffice is a cheaper alternative for Windows, a disadvantage of using StarOffice is that its exporting and importing abilities in terms of obscure or complex Windows features is never 100% accurate. Of course, this is due to the fact that StarOffice is not Microsoft.

Despite such a disadvantage, many computer users still prefer StarOffice over Microsoft because of its nifty features. Plus, StarOffice is not as virus-prone as Microsoft. If you're looking for an office suite that somehow resembles how Microsoft Office works, then better check out StarOffice and try out its latest additions and upgrades.

While it’s great to be able to protect your computer system for free using one of these free antivirus software, there are also some disadvantages to it.

A free antivirus slows down your computer.

First of all, many free antivirus software slow down your computing system. Since these are trial versions, they are not optimized to work efficiently with your system. Thus, your computer runs slower than usual.

A free antivirus might affect the speed of other applications.

Since your free antivirus is not optimized, when you run it, this can potentially slow down your other running applications. This is a big hassle since you will need your free antivirus to always be running in the background. This results in slower computer performance.

A free antivirus has limited features for filtering and protection.

Your free antivirus software will definitely have limited protection and filtering. Since only full versions offer total computer protection, your system is at a disadvantage. You are still exposing your computer to harmful viruses and malware because of your limited antivirus protection.

Downloading freeware is not as simple as it used to be. These days, you may encounter viruses and malicious software in the most unlikely place – in the exe file you download or even the image you view on your browser. It is best to always be aware and protect yourself from these.

Download your freeware only from secured sites.

The first thing to be aware of when downloading freeware is where you download from. The sites you select should be secured and not be known for spreading viruses and malware across the Internet.

Check the security warning or privacy agreement before downloading.

Likewise, when downloading freeware, you are prompted by your local virus software for any security breaches within your system. Heed to this warning and stop downloading if things become suspicious. Do not let your freeware install any other software into your computer. Check the privacy agreement also, which usually pops up before actual installation. Know what you are “signing into” when you use these freeware.

Look for user ratings and review when downloading free software.

It is important to note the user feedback when it comes to downloading freeware. If you are about to download anything malicious, a user or two will make it a point to warn others via the comment spaces allotted in many free download pages.

The latest improvements in technology has virtually allowed anybody, with at least a minimal amount of knowledge about computers, to do almost anything by himself. From the very simple task of making audio cd's, creating home made digitally encoded videos, creating web pages, and doing basic media graphics. All of these could be learned personally by an average grade school kid.

With that comes, of course, the ease at which these tasks could be done by the use of versatile, easy to use, and most of all free softwares. And since the beginning of the 21st century has introduced a virtually infinite number of digital cameras, it also just as important that these cameras are accompanied with functionally stable softwares. Of course there are those softwares that you could purchase, but would easily cost you a fast 20 up to a hundred dollars, and even more. But why on earth would people have to but expensive software when they could just as easily download free software on the internet which functions just as good as the ones that you pay for.

So here's one that's absolutely free, but performs well enough to allow you to create excellent looking web photo albums. The iWebAlbum is easy to use and is compatible with most web browsers and softwares. It supports slide shows and most of all, it will not include any of those annoying spyware and Trojan viruses.

You might be thinking that I have gone bonkers! You must be curious what the title is all about. Well, it has nothing to do with fortunetellers... sort of. Ahriman's Prophecy is actually a freeware game that I chanced upon during one of my boring days. I found that despite this game's old-school graphics approach, the gameplay is anything but! I must say that if you enjoyed Final Fantasy, you are going to love the prophecy -- Ahriman's prophecy.

Ahriman's Prophecy is an easy enough game. However, you should make sure that your character is well-equipped. If not, you can surely bet that the monsters lurking around will make a meal out of your character. It is not just weapons and armories that your character should have. Equip the character with magic and spells. Not to mention the friends that you are going to meet along the way. It is very important that your character join a guild. This is where he is going to be trained. Besides, the magic that he can learn will not only be used on the enemies. You can sure as hell use it on your friends, too. Healing will truly come in handy if your friends are dying tight under your nose. Play the game and find out more! As for me, I'm off to another adventure of Ahriman's Prophecy.

Before the prevalence of computer software, we might have only heard of the word keynote as a description of a speaker. That is, the speaker that often addresses us in company seminars or conferences. But now, "keynote" has evolved and has took on a more global meaning -- that of an office tool.

If you have not heard of this useful KeyNote, it's either you have been living in prehistoric times or you are merely unfortunate enough to get stuck on a low-tech computer or company. KeyNote is actually a freeware that can replace your Notepad or Wordpad because it is an excellent tracker of notes. Instead of using the usual software for your outlining needs, you can easily impress your colleagues and boss by organizing the details of the meeting and your personal notes with KeyNote on your computer.

KeyNote can handle bullets, text snippets, and other lists for your convenience. The only downside of using KeyNote is that it is only limited to storing text. Thus, for those who are so far ahead into incorporating web shots or other images into their notes, better find another alternative.

Whether we admit it or not, most of us are fond of freebies especially when it comes to softwares. Of course, why bother to spend more money, if you could get a quality product for free? Such is true for people who love to play free downloadable games. However, there are a few basic things that you need to know about freewares before rushing to download another one. Besides, with the wide spread of spywares all over the web, there have also been a several misconceptions made regarding freewares.

First, freewares generally do not contain any Trojan horse or spyware. But if you want to be sure that you will not get any of these bad annoying softwares, just download freewares from sites that are large and trusted. Moreover, before downloading, make sure that these softwares do not contain any bad codes.

Second, you can enjoy freewares without limit. As such it is not true that you can only use them for a certain number of days. Softwares which work in such manner are usually called sharewares. These sharewares are developed in such a way that you can buy the complete version if you want it.

Most of the time, I have to jot something down very quickly. I reiterate that I do have to move real fast whenever I want to have some rough drafts of stuff that I want to include in my various computer files. Unfortunately, typing those rough drafts on the Notepad still take some time. Therefore, I confess that I had quite a great time when I discovered Flashnote.

No longer do I have to navigate the menu so that I can open Notepad. With Flashnote, all that needs to be done is to press the shortcut keys and presto! I can immediately write or save the things that I come across with. The file that I need to copy will be instantly displayed after the shortcut keys are pressed. Also, I would like to add that the said program has an autosave feature. Therefore, I do not have to worry about forgetting to save and then risk losing my files.

I believe Flashnote has released a newer model of the program. This means it has better features. Lastly, I don't have to worry about the said program ruining budget. I can't wait until I see what the new Flashnote version has in store for us!

When I arrive in the office after a hearty breakfast meal and some coffee, I immediately turn on the computer to start on the day's work. You may find it weird, but sometimes, I find myself thinking of some words and wondering whether they spell the same way as I have known them to be. Usually, I open Microsoft Word and check if there are any error indications when I type the word.

The good thing is, now I do not have to undergo the hassle of opening another application just to check on the correct structure or spelling of a word. With TinySpell, I can simply keep my mind at ease in any window that I am working on the computer screen. How, exactly? Well, would you believe this small, but powerful tool is capable of spotting incorrect spelling in any application that you are using? You just have to see if the icon turns yellow and you'll know instantly that there is a misspelled word in your works. Accordingly, TinySpell also gives you the freedom to correct your mistake and add new words to its dictionary list. Amazing, is it not? TinySpell is so easy to use that you don't have to be that tech-savvy for you to enjoy its usefulness.

As a person who loves to surf the internet, I am always looking for new freewares in the World Wide Web. The most recent software I found was the Quicktime Alternative 1.69. I use this to watch music videos and listen to songs supported by Quicktime online. As such, I can maximize my surfing hours online with this advanced and one-of-a-kind freeware.

What is so great about it is that I do not need to download and install Quicktime's official player in my own personal computer. After that, all I have to do is load it and play the files I want to see or hear. As such, it minimizes my chances of downloading viruses, adwares, spywares, and even spam emails or unsolicited messages. I'm sure you are aware of the dangers and risks they do to our gadgets.

If you want to have this program on your PC, you can just visit its website and download this free program. This will only take a few moments because it is only 12.28 MB. After you save this in your PC, you can start playing files such as music videos, songs, and a lot more.

Does your office have the necessary Microsoft license to operate Window applications like Microsoft Word and Excel? Or are you simply tired of the grammar abilities or rather, inabilities of Microsoft Word? Now, you can avail of a freeware that is easy to use and takes little space in your computer.

AbiWord is a word processor that you can easily manage, not just for your company use, but also for home use. The version 2.4 of AbiWord is improved in such a way that it incorporates grammar checker in its function. This feature can rival that of Microsoft Word, and even that of OpenOffice, which does not even have the grammar checker yet. AbiWord is perfect for those who are keen on writing and not really on impressing clients with colorful presentations or calculations on the spreadsheet. As a separate application, it is fairly manageable so you won't have to worry about storage in your hard disk and slow start ups. Best of all, it is free, so you can download the freeware anytime you want and conveniently replace the word processor that you have right now.

If you are one of those people thinking of starting a business, but would like to keep up with the current technologies available in the market today, there is no need to worry. You can now have applications that are comparable to Microsoft programs, without the hassle of getting a license or increasing financial costs. That is the privilege that OpenOffice applications bring.

What exactly are these applications? As mentioned, they follow in the footsteps of Microsoft in the sense that the suite covers office programs similar to the way Microsoft Word, Excel, Access, Powerpoint, and Notepad function. We had an array of OpenOffice programs before in the company, and at first, it took some time getting used to the applications. But, hey, it's all good because these are easy to learn and easy to maintain because they can be saved in the Microsoft format as well. Plus, the OpenOffice runs and operates on Windows and other environments like Linux. Amazing, is it not?

Best of all, the OpenOffice applications are free! In fact, it is for this reason that some government agencies and companies use the freeware. You can save money, but still have the same quality of service.

Gantt charts are widely used bar charts to illustrate the timing of activities as they occur over time. Since its initial introduction, Gantt charts have become a standard key project management tools to represent scheduled phases and tasks as a part of a project’s timeline of activities. Organizations needing complex and dynamic collaborative Gantt charts can use web-based project management tools.

If you need an impressive Gantt charts to show your project activities in your business proposal, there is a freeware available in the Internet that will be of great help to you – the Gantt Designer 0.9. One can easily design a Gantt chart with the help of this freeware. It was designed to perform the task of creating a nice Gantt chart in the fastest and easiest possible way. This designer program has a scheduler that will take care of completing the task within schedules, wide range of bar types, colors and shades, easy printing options, copy paste of a portion or whole of chart in office documents and much more easy to use features make it a very comfortable tool. This tool is compatible to every user around the world.

This freeware can be used in your PocketPC and can be used on your breaks or before you go the office. The Progio ProXM player can give you videos and audios of workout sessions from top personal trainers in America.

The workout comes with detailed audio and text guides for you to follow when you want to step in your gym clothes during those long spare times at the office. You can grab a mat and set up a workout inside your office. You see, work and play can always go hand in hand with this freeware.

As a computer enthusiast, free software is always a fine bonus. Unlike before, software costs a lot and burdens budget-conscious web programmers Once I saw a website with a collection of the best software in the market. The list was complete from office software to business software. At first I wasn't sure about downloading them.

However, I was amazed by the legitimacy of the software that I took from the website. Also, I realized that several websites are catering such service. Searching for some freeware takes patience and some help from the internet.

A free software and with Tux as its mascot, Linux is a computer operating system used in computers. But unlike its counterpart such as Windows and Mac OS, Linux can be distributed, modified, and used by anyone at no cost at all. It is created by Linus Torvalds who attended the University of Helsinki and modeled the operating system from Minix, a Unix-like system crated by Andrew Tanenbaum.

The very first Linux version was released on September 17 of 1991 and the second version was released on October of the same year. However, although derived from his name, Linus Torvalds did not coin the term 'linux' but Ari Lemmke. Lemmke was an administrator for the Finnish University and Research Network and was an FTP server there. The Linux OS was supposed to be named Freax.

Take the keyword Free on Freeware. You now understand what Freeware is. Yes, it’s free! Otherwise, it would be named, payware. Anyway, enough with the sarcasm.

Freeware is a software that is downloadable through the internet. It is software that you can use in your computer programs. Some of it are completely useless, some are totally enjoyable, while others are diamonds in the rough. Why is it free? Simply because good Freeware creators just want to share. While the bad ones want to worm your computer. Just download Freeware with care, because we all know, free things come with responsibility.