cost of tuition, books, and room and board. If you are like many others out there, it's likely that you'd rather spend what little money you do have on food, clothing and other necessities. But on top of books and tuition, some of your classes will probably require certain software applications in order to pass. Sure, you could hit dad up for the Microsoft Office suite and the latest version of Photoshop, but wouldn't he be happier -- and have more money to send your way -- if you didn't? While you can't get Microsoft Office or Photoshop for free, the good news is that for many great software applications, there are free alternatives. Open source software, freeware, and shareware applications are plentiful on the internet
and in most cases these programs can work just as well. Below, you'll find a few helpful tips and tricks on finding free software for your computer. The trouble with finding software on the internet is that it can be difficult to determine which sites and programs are not only legitimate, but safe to run on your computer, too. Fortunately, there are a few websites that compile these sorts of programs, even going so far as to scan them for spyware and provide reviews. Three such sites are www.freewarefiles.com, www.download.com (CNET), and www.sourceforge.com. Commonly, these sites are easy to navigate, provide reviews and user ratings of each program, and also feature links to similar programs. The most helpful of these sites is
www.download.cnet.com, which provides reviews, ratings, comparisons, and specifications for everything from desktop video cards and laptops, to the latest 4G phone, -- and of course, a special section dedicated to computer software. -- When setting up a new computer, one of the first programs to look for is a good web browser. While Internet Explorer (IE) may work for you, generally, it is less secure against viruses and identity theft than a few other free browsers. IE is also more strictly regulated by Microsoft, which allows for less customizing, making it less convenient to do various online tasks. Although there are reports of improvements in the IE latest release, you may prefer to use Mozilla Firefox, which features add-ons and customizations that do everything from blocking ads on facebook, to modifying the appearance of the browser window itself. Firefox can be found at www.mozilla.com or on www.download.com.
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