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Just wondering what kind of programs you all think should be on most PC's these days. Not talking about the obvious things like web browsers and word processing stuff.
More things like:
virus checker - Norton or AVG
Adaware
Spy bot search and destroy.
Music player - Winamp, iTunes
So what do you use regularly or recommend as being quite important.
More things like:
virus checker - Norton or AVG
Adaware
Spy bot search and destroy.
Music player - Winamp, iTunes
So what do you use regularly or recommend as being quite important.
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Just wondering what kind of programs you all think should be on most PC's these days. Not talking about the obvious things like web browsers and word processing stuff.
More things like:
virus checker - Norton or AVG
Adaware
Spy bot search and destroy.
Music player - Winamp, iTunes
So what do you use regularly or recommend as being quite important.
More things like:
virus checker - Norton or AVG
Adaware
Spy bot search and destroy.
Music player - Winamp, iTunes
So what do you use regularly or recommend as being quite important.
ZoneAlarm Pro
Registry Mechanic
EndItAll (not really necessary)
Alcohol 120%
iTunes (best if you have an iPod)
Winamp
Registry Mechanic
EndItAll (not really necessary)
Alcohol 120%
iTunes (best if you have an iPod)
Winamp
Free:
dBpowerAMP Music Converter - Exellent Music Converter and CD ripper
Nulsoft Winamp - Best Media player
Audacity - Decent Free Sound Editer
Microsoft Windows Powertools - Adds loads of hidden extra options to windows
VirtualDub - Movie Editer
WD WinDlg (If you have a Weston Digital Hard Drive) - Hard Drive Analyser
CPU-Z - System Analyser
Sisoftware Sandra Standard - System Analyser and Sythetic benchmarks
Apple Quicktime - to play .mov s
DivX - To play DivX movies
Mozilla Firefox - I know you said no browsers, but it is the best
Mozilla Thunderbird - Best email client
Real - Only to play .rm etc
MSN - You should know what that is...
Adobe Acrobat Reader - Open .pdf s
FreshDevices FreshDownload - Downloader
FreshDevices FreshUI - Like Microsoft Windows Powertools but with different features
FreshDevices FreshDiagnose - Like Sisoftware Sandra Standard but with different features
MBM 5 - Motherboard Moniter, for the overclockers out there
FutureMark Software - Benchmarking software
Paying:
jv16 PowerTools - Amazing registry editer/tools and file tools
TGTSoft Style XP and Style Builder - Lest you make your own XP styles
Music MasterWorks - Midi editer
Sony Acid Pro - Powerful loop software
Sony Vegas - Movie editer
Sony Sound Forge - Sound editer
Macromedia Dreamweaver - HTML, CSS, PHP, ASP... supportive editer
Macromedia Flash - Creates flash movies/sites
Macromedia Fireworks - Image Editer
Microsoft Visual Basic.net - VB software
Microsoft Visual C++ .NET - C++ Software
Microsoft Word - Word Proccessor
Microsoft Access - Database software
Microsoft Excel - Spreadsheet software
Microsoft Powerpoint - Presintation software
Microsoft Publisher - Publishing software
Alias Maya - Industry standard 3D software
Norton Internet Security - Antivirus, and I firewall for those who think then needed...
InterVideo WinDVD - DVD Playing software
InterVideo WinDVR - TV card software
dBpowerAMP Music Converter - Exellent Music Converter and CD ripper
Nulsoft Winamp - Best Media player
Audacity - Decent Free Sound Editer
Microsoft Windows Powertools - Adds loads of hidden extra options to windows
VirtualDub - Movie Editer
WD WinDlg (If you have a Weston Digital Hard Drive) - Hard Drive Analyser
CPU-Z - System Analyser
Sisoftware Sandra Standard - System Analyser and Sythetic benchmarks
Apple Quicktime - to play .mov s
DivX - To play DivX movies
Mozilla Firefox - I know you said no browsers, but it is the best
Mozilla Thunderbird - Best email client
Real - Only to play .rm etc
MSN - You should know what that is...
Adobe Acrobat Reader - Open .pdf s
FreshDevices FreshDownload - Downloader
FreshDevices FreshUI - Like Microsoft Windows Powertools but with different features
FreshDevices FreshDiagnose - Like Sisoftware Sandra Standard but with different features
MBM 5 - Motherboard Moniter, for the overclockers out there
FutureMark Software - Benchmarking software
Paying:
jv16 PowerTools - Amazing registry editer/tools and file tools
TGTSoft Style XP and Style Builder - Lest you make your own XP styles
Music MasterWorks - Midi editer
Sony Acid Pro - Powerful loop software
Sony Vegas - Movie editer
Sony Sound Forge - Sound editer
Macromedia Dreamweaver - HTML, CSS, PHP, ASP... supportive editer
Macromedia Flash - Creates flash movies/sites
Macromedia Fireworks - Image Editer
Microsoft Visual Basic.net - VB software
Microsoft Visual C++ .NET - C++ Software
Microsoft Word - Word Proccessor
Microsoft Access - Database software
Microsoft Excel - Spreadsheet software
Microsoft Powerpoint - Presintation software
Microsoft Publisher - Publishing software
Alias Maya - Industry standard 3D software
Norton Internet Security - Antivirus, and I firewall for those who think then needed...
InterVideo WinDVD - DVD Playing software
InterVideo WinDVR - TV card software
Software?
I'd say scrap windows and install Linux.
Free software.
I'd say scrap windows and install Linux.
Free software.
gamesfreak wrote:
> Software?
>
> I'd say scrap windows and install Linux.
>
> Free software.
Ah, but Linux is a P I G to install and can be very unefficent on some hardware setups that XP works fine on. If you just want to browse the internet and send/recieve emails id agree with you, but games or serious professional work needs Windows really.
> Software?
>
> I'd say scrap windows and install Linux.
>
> Free software.
Ah, but Linux is a P I G to install and can be very unefficent on some hardware setups that XP works fine on. If you just want to browse the internet and send/recieve emails id agree with you, but games or serious professional work needs Windows really.
Generally speaking for home users, there should be CD writing software, audio conversion, movie editing, programs for the different document types (PDF, Word, etc.) and system tweakers, along with the compulsory virus checker, firewall, ad and spyware protection software.
Specifically, I've just been using JCreator, Visual Studio .net, Unreal Ed, Firefox and gmax of late.
Specifically, I've just been using JCreator, Visual Studio .net, Unreal Ed, Firefox and gmax of late.
Allred wrote:
> Norton Internet Security - Antivirus, and I firewall for those who
> think then needed...
Norton Antivirus is their antivirus software. This is a firewall and they ARE needed. Especially for broadband users.
My personal picks:
AVG
Antivirus software should be compulsory for being allowed on the internet.
Ad-Aware
Spyware is also another huge threat to safe surfing. So use protection kids - run Ad-Aware.
SiSoft Sandra
Needed for finding out all those things about your PC that are irrelevant until you realise you don't know them.
3D Mark 2001
A standard tool for the overclockers out there. A great source of bragging rights as well.
CD Burner XP
Astoundingly good freeware burner. Almost on a par with Nero for a lot less money.
Open Office
Compatible with Word, free and not made by MS. AND it can save things as PDFs, eliminating the need for expensive Adobe software as well.
Lotus Smartsuite
Still superior to Office in most ways. If you use spreadsheets you'll know what I mean.
Kazaa Lite
We have all used file sharing at some point. This is better than most. Lots of users and no spyware.
Quicktime
Necessary for the best quality video files out there.
DivX
Ever increasingly popular codec. With such good encoding and quality it is no surprise.
Windows Media Player
For all its faults, it plays most things, creates WMA files which are smaller than MP3s and copies music to my MP3 player. It also organises everything well to boot.
Zonealarm
Completes the trinity of safe surfing software along with AVG and Ad-Aware. Some people will tell you that firewalls are useless. Some people are fools. I don't run Zonealarm anymore now that I have a hardware firewall, but it picked up hundreds of thousands of intrusions and several direct attempted hacks in a year.
Find-A-Drug
In my experience the best of the distributed computing projects. It uses otherwise wasted processing power to look for cures to cancer, HIV, malaria and diabetes amongst others. And unlike Folding@Home, or SETI or a variety of other DC projects, this one HAS had success.
> Norton Internet Security - Antivirus, and I firewall for those who
> think then needed...
Norton Antivirus is their antivirus software. This is a firewall and they ARE needed. Especially for broadband users.
My personal picks:
AVG
Antivirus software should be compulsory for being allowed on the internet.
Ad-Aware
Spyware is also another huge threat to safe surfing. So use protection kids - run Ad-Aware.
SiSoft Sandra
Needed for finding out all those things about your PC that are irrelevant until you realise you don't know them.
3D Mark 2001
A standard tool for the overclockers out there. A great source of bragging rights as well.
CD Burner XP
Astoundingly good freeware burner. Almost on a par with Nero for a lot less money.
Open Office
Compatible with Word, free and not made by MS. AND it can save things as PDFs, eliminating the need for expensive Adobe software as well.
Lotus Smartsuite
Still superior to Office in most ways. If you use spreadsheets you'll know what I mean.
Kazaa Lite
We have all used file sharing at some point. This is better than most. Lots of users and no spyware.
Quicktime
Necessary for the best quality video files out there.
DivX
Ever increasingly popular codec. With such good encoding and quality it is no surprise.
Windows Media Player
For all its faults, it plays most things, creates WMA files which are smaller than MP3s and copies music to my MP3 player. It also organises everything well to boot.
Zonealarm
Completes the trinity of safe surfing software along with AVG and Ad-Aware. Some people will tell you that firewalls are useless. Some people are fools. I don't run Zonealarm anymore now that I have a hardware firewall, but it picked up hundreds of thousands of intrusions and several direct attempted hacks in a year.
Find-A-Drug
In my experience the best of the distributed computing projects. It uses otherwise wasted processing power to look for cures to cancer, HIV, malaria and diabetes amongst others. And unlike Folding@Home, or SETI or a variety of other DC projects, this one HAS had success.
Notorious Biggles wrote:
> Allred wrote:
> Norton Internet Security - Antivirus, and I firewall for those who
> think then needed...
>
> Norton Antivirus is their antivirus software. This is a firewall and
> they ARE needed. Especially for broadband users.
Norton Internet Security includes the firewall and antivirus. Also, you don't need a firewall, they pointlessly increase pings and lower transfer speeds, as as long as you keep windows up to date and arn't a complete cretin by downloading a Trogen/Virus you are pritty much safe, and you can tell when your network traffic is being used when it shouldn't be, so you can just disconnect and reconnet, one of the plusses of a truly dynamic IP.
> Allred wrote:
> Norton Internet Security - Antivirus, and I firewall for those who
> think then needed...
>
> Norton Antivirus is their antivirus software. This is a firewall and
> they ARE needed. Especially for broadband users.
Norton Internet Security includes the firewall and antivirus. Also, you don't need a firewall, they pointlessly increase pings and lower transfer speeds, as as long as you keep windows up to date and arn't a complete cretin by downloading a Trogen/Virus you are pritty much safe, and you can tell when your network traffic is being used when it shouldn't be, so you can just disconnect and reconnet, one of the plusses of a truly dynamic IP.
Maybe they have changed it now, but the original Internet Security was just a firewall. If it isn't now then sorry.
But as for firewalls themselves, they are necessary. On a modern computer they increase ping time by nanoseconds. For a software one anyway, a hardware firewall would be able to slow things down. But then I have a hardware one and still get sub 25ms ping times on an ADSL line.
On a modem, it is very difficult to tell when you are having someone use your bandwidth. The reason being, a modem is so slow now that you can barely tell what is just normal surfing and what isn't. On a broadband line you would be better able to tell - unless of course you were running a P2P app in the background.
Also disconnecting and reconnecting is very inconvenient. Especially if you are downloading something. It is even more inconvenient if like me you have to stand on a chair and turn off a router. And even then I would be screwed if I had a static IP, which is becoming more and more common.
What I will concede is that a user with a 56K modem is less at risk than those with broadband because anyone trying to hack and use the machine as a zombie for spam etc would rather move on and attack a faster one. However anyone with broadband should have one. I haven't had one in a while, but a few years ago when most people didn't have broadband but I did, I actually had a direct attempt at hacking my machine. Now I have some work stuff stored on it, so that could have been a terrible breach of security.
But the single most important reason for running a firewall is not to stop things getting in, but rather things getting out. AVG and Ad-Aware are not perfect. Once in a while they get beaten, even more likely if you don't keep them up to date. But that way, with Zonealarm installed, if you have some form of malware trying to send your credit card details out over the net it will get stopped. That is the single greatest benefit to a firewall. And just as applicable for modem users.
Feel free to argue this or believe that firewalls are not necessary etc, it is entirely up to you. But bear in mind that when I actually wrote a considerably larger version of this as a full essay at uni, the only marks dropped were on style. I do know what I am talking about.
Lecture over :-D
But as for firewalls themselves, they are necessary. On a modern computer they increase ping time by nanoseconds. For a software one anyway, a hardware firewall would be able to slow things down. But then I have a hardware one and still get sub 25ms ping times on an ADSL line.
On a modem, it is very difficult to tell when you are having someone use your bandwidth. The reason being, a modem is so slow now that you can barely tell what is just normal surfing and what isn't. On a broadband line you would be better able to tell - unless of course you were running a P2P app in the background.
Also disconnecting and reconnecting is very inconvenient. Especially if you are downloading something. It is even more inconvenient if like me you have to stand on a chair and turn off a router. And even then I would be screwed if I had a static IP, which is becoming more and more common.
What I will concede is that a user with a 56K modem is less at risk than those with broadband because anyone trying to hack and use the machine as a zombie for spam etc would rather move on and attack a faster one. However anyone with broadband should have one. I haven't had one in a while, but a few years ago when most people didn't have broadband but I did, I actually had a direct attempt at hacking my machine. Now I have some work stuff stored on it, so that could have been a terrible breach of security.
But the single most important reason for running a firewall is not to stop things getting in, but rather things getting out. AVG and Ad-Aware are not perfect. Once in a while they get beaten, even more likely if you don't keep them up to date. But that way, with Zonealarm installed, if you have some form of malware trying to send your credit card details out over the net it will get stopped. That is the single greatest benefit to a firewall. And just as applicable for modem users.
Feel free to argue this or believe that firewalls are not necessary etc, it is entirely up to you. But bear in mind that when I actually wrote a considerably larger version of this as a full essay at uni, the only marks dropped were on style. I do know what I am talking about.
Lecture over :-D
I agree about firewalls not letting things out. ZoneAlarm is fantastic for that as it 'learns' what programs you want to allow net access to and what to deny access.
Since having ZonAlarm installed, I have never had any kind of security problem - not even hacking attempts. But then, I also have a hardware firewall inside my Netgear DG834G running too...
Since having ZonAlarm installed, I have never had any kind of security problem - not even hacking attempts. But then, I also have a hardware firewall inside my Netgear DG834G running too...
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