Thoughts From a Clicker
By Tiny Ruisch
This month, I thought I’d tell you about a few web sites where you can find reviews and links for useful, free software.
Before you start downloading, don’t forget the old adage: “There is no such thing as a free lunch.” The same thing goes for free software. The cost isn’t cash out of your pocket, but is usually information of one sort or another. Read the licensing agreement before you hit the install button. Often, free software comes with other downloads that you may or may not want to install. Once again, make sure you read every installer screen and make sure what you are getting is what you want.
Enough warnings. On to the sites.
One of my favorite software review sites is Gizmo’s Freeware. This site is staffed by volunteers that review different categories of freeware. On the main page are links to “Best Freeware Lists” and “Freeware Categories”. Both links take you to lists of what the editors consider the best free software. On the right side of the page are links to recently reviewed or updated software articles. There are also many other areas on the site that you can explore for more information.
Freeware Geeks is a free software directory site. As I write this article, there are 2204 programs listed in twelve categories. Clicking on a program title, will give you a short synopsis of the program and a link to the download site.
The Source Forge is dedicated to making open source projects successful. This site is more technically oriented. Much of the software is still being developed. All of the programs are open source, which means anyone can download the code.
NirSoft is a one man website. All of the programs were written by Nir Sofer. They are mostly utility software. All of the programs are freeware.
There are some sites that offer free downloads of commercial software. Companies often use these to give a free temporary licenses in the hope that you will like their offerings and pay to renew them. Sometimes the programs are older versions. There are a few sites that I check frequently. Occasionally, you can find something useful.
Giveaway of the Day offers one program each day. You have twenty-four hours to download and install. One feature of site I like is the user comments. Free alternatives are often mentioned. Giveaway Radar is an aggregator site that lists offerings from several sites. All of the listed software must have a license of at least six months.
There are a lot of other sources for free software besides the ones I’ve listed. Many of them are very good and can be trusted. Others are not. Research before you download.
Thanks for reading and keep on clicking.