Best Free Software for 2010 6.23.2010

Consumers are tight on money and it's showing up with software vendors. The average office suite sells for a couple hundred dollars. Most who are feeling the economic crunch can't afford the tag on some of the popular computer software titles. Take a look at this article and find out where you can get great free software that is just as good, if not better than many of the costly boxed software you see on the shelf.

Antivirus: AVG Free Edition
A six month study between AVG and Avast has resulted in a clear winner. Both of these companies offer decent antivirus solutions. However, AVG is probably the best light weight antivirus that is free for personal use. This piece of software is customizable where the home user can select automatic scan times, what to install, what not to install, all on a easy to use interface during setup. Operating the software is easy with the quick launch taskbar icon which can be right clicked offering options to control the software. It is shell integrated so in windows explorer you can right click and quickly scan folders as well as files. We recommend that users DO NOT install the link search safe (link scan) function. This is the only negative item as it is inherently not a good idea since it only slows your system down and uses more resources. Some users report this blocks regular websites too aggressively. You can avoid this trouble by not installing the link scanner. Most commercial websites such as Google automatically do virus searching or safe site scanning for you. Download AVG here and try it for yourself. StormSector gives this software an 8 out of 10 score.

Firewall: Zone Alarm by CheckPoint
For nearly six years Zone Alarm has dominated the free firewall market. There are a lot of firewall tools out there, but we are focusing on at home users. For these consumers, there is no better free firewall. ZA as it as known is easy to use with a clear interface complete with a internet lock function which stops all activity on your computer, a software permissions interface, internet logging system, selectable high medium low security settings, and a client protection backbone. That means that it keeps your firewall safe from even viruses that will try to shut it down. Hands down, this is the best free home user firewall available here for download. StormSector gives this firewall a 9 out of 10 for ease of use.

Open Office: Free Suite
For home users that are students, money is tight. The word processing, Excel, and Power Point software has become common place at school or work. With the frequency of use, nearly everyone will need this type of software eventually. Microsoft offers the Office suite, but this can be costly especially if you are not a student able to use the educational discount. Not to worry though, there is an alternative - it's called Open Office. Although the interfaces may be slightly different to people who are familiar and use to Microsoft Office, the functionality is very similar. There is spell check, editing, a presentation package similar to Power Point and the ability to make spread sheets, all for free. This is a great alternative if you are looking to save money. Although there are other suites available, Open Office is by far the best open source free complete office alternative. Download it free here. Open Office earns a 9 out of 10 from StormSector.

FireFox Free Web Browser
Most consumers are very familiar with the internet and websites. Web browsers as they are known are pieces of software that translate webpage code to a viewable image or design that we can read. One of the most important software titles you could probably get is FireFox. It offers excellent plug-ins, customizability, a cool look, and is generally easy to use. Its security features are great with secure deletion of cookies, history, etc to maintain your privacy. The FireFox browser is very stable and is favored by most web developers. Some additional advantages include that if it crashes for any reason it can automatically restart and reload everything you were just looking at (return to state). It also is not attached to Windows which means that if it crashes, your operating system will not be impacted (the same cannot be said for Internet Explorer). For several years this has been one of the best free browsers available. Try it here for free. StormSector gives this software 10 out of 10 for best overall web browsing.

YouTube Downloader
Of course last but not least, we have to mention YouTube because of its tremendous popularity. Chances are you have your personal favorite videos you found on the YT. Now there's another piece of software you would love called the YouTube Downloader. This software will allow you to copy your favorite video from the YouTube website directly to your computer so you can convert it to any format or make it into a MP3. Imagine that, having your favorite video or making your own ring tones? Check out the YT Downloader here for free. At 9 out of 10 this is excellent free software for YouTube fanatics.

Free Software Tips
Although the titles listed here are free for personal use, it should be noted that not all software you find may be free. The above titles are free with no restrictions or limitations for personal use. Some vendors if you were to search on your own for free software may include limitations or trial versions. So be sure and check the license download agreement if you ever search for your own free software.

Another important note is that you only need one antivirus/firewall on your computer. Make sure you don't install multiple security programs because they will interfere with each other causing major issues. If you need help, consult a professional.

All of the software titles listed above has been tested and unlimited for personal use. Some vendors may offer third party software, but at the install display you can chose what you want to install. As always, keep checking back at StormSector.com for more science and technology stuff.

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