Free Program Alternatives

Fun Freebie of the Month

2009-08-01T14:07:00.002-05:00

Vista Shortcut Manager

With the release of Vista, Microsoft sought to make their operating system sleeker and easier to use. Unfortunately, they overlooked the ugly arrows on your desktop icons.

True, there are registry hacks to replace these blocky arrows with sleeker symbols, but they take a bit of time and know-how. Vista Shortcut Manager quickly and easily alters these arrows for good. Options include replacing the ugly blue arrow with a sleeker, Vista-oriented green arrow or removing the arrows altogether.

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Instead of Garage Band try...

2009-07-28T20:05:00.003-05:00

Audacity

Take this, Garage Band! Audacity has a simple, straight-forward interface with clear recording and stop buttons. options for track editing and balance are placed to the left of the track in plain view.

Audacity also has several effects built in and the ability to generate white noise or a click track. Perhaps its best feature, however, is the ability to export songs in .mp3 format. Overall, this program is great for home recording and makes me want to go start a podcast.

Pros: Interface puts important commands at your fingertips
Cons: Doesn't have sound samples. Is this really a con?
User level: Beginner to Advanced

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Instead of Illustrator, try...

2009-07-28T19:30:00.000-05:00

Inkscape

Bundled in with the expensive Adobe Software Suite containing Photoshop is also Illustrator. The program is a valuable tool for graphic designers, animators, and many other professionals.

Now for the non-professional at home, powerful graphics design is available for hundreds less. Inkscape offers the same basic tools as Illustrator, such as pen and shape editing, but in an easier interface to master. It easily handles layers along with visibility and locking.The program is perfect for making professional looking outlines.

Pros: Makes outlining sketches easy
Cons: Some of the tools are over-simplified
User level: Beginner to Advanced

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Instead of Internet Explorer try...

2009-07-20T19:14:00.002-05:00

With the recent bout of Windows Updates, Internet Explorer 8 has been integrated into Vista and users can no uninstall it. I'm here once more to remind you that there are other- and safer- alternatives only a click away. And it's perfectly fine to have more than one browser installed.

Firefox

Firefox is the most popular alternative to Internet Explorer, and is compatible with almost everything. I have to say almost because class sign-up for my college only works with IE. If an application or website won't work with Firefox, there will be a warning. In fact, some websites work better in Firefox than in Internet Explorer.

Pros: Many customizable Add-ons and skins
Cons: Too many Add-ons slow down browsing
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Because Firefox is so popular and you've most likely heard of it already (if you haven't don't feel bad), I've included a lesser known browser as a further alternative.

Google Chrome

When Google first released Chrome, negative reviews flocked the internet and overshadowed the positive aspects. With the release of the 2009 version, Chrome is a fast, powerful browser that will quickly get you what you want. It utilizes the universal keyboard shortcuts for new window, new tab, open downloads, etc. Upon opening a new tab, you're given thumbnails of the last pages you closed or visited, so re-opening an accidentally closed page is hassle-free. The address bar doubles as a search bar for- what else- the Google search.
Chrome's streamlined look incorporates the Back/Forward/Refresh buttons next to the Address bar while placing tools and setting buttons to the right. There is no Home button, but a home page can be opened in a new tab instead of the previously mentioned thumbnails. Bookmarks are also accessed by opening a new tab, and while slightly frustrating at first this system eliminates accidentally navigating away from a page you were using. Downloads are listed at the bottom of the tab in which they were accessed, or if that tab is closed, they can be shown in a new tab instead of another pop-up window. I can't currently vouch for the download speed versus other browsers, because my internet is currently sluggish with every download.
Overall, it looks beautiful on my 17" monitor, and I'd recommend this browser for viewing pictures over the internet- you'll get the largest view available at faster speeds than the traditional browsers.

Overall, Chrome isn't the security-beefed powerhorse Internet Explorer and Firefox aspire to be, but it is perfect for fast web browsing with minimal distractions.

Pros: Faster browsing and streamlined look
Cons: May not have enough features for some users
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Instead of AdAware try...

2009-07-13T12:11:00.000-05:00

Alright I know AdAware is already a free program from Lavasoft. However, with the introduction of Anniversary Edition, I've been having too many problems to deal with the software any longer. These problems aren't limited to my laptop, either, but extend to my Windows XP desktop as well. So here goes (don't forget it's alright to have more than one anti-spyware program):

Spybot Search & Destroy

Spybot is here to protect you from the spyware and malware lurking in the dark corners of the internet. Scanning your computer for malicious programs and files is quick (Read: under half an hour) and thorough. After completing the scan, a list of tracking cookies and malicious files is displayed for you to remove. The latest version also incorporated an active background check and browser monitor so you're covered from all angles.

Pros: Multiple levels of protection
Cons: Have to update manually
User level: Beginner to Advanced

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Instead of AIM try...

2009-07-05T13:37:00.000-05:00

Trillian

Living in the digital age, staying connected to friends, family, and coworkers has become more important. It has also become harder to accomplish, because some of these contacts use Yahoo!, America OnLine, MSN, and various other messaging programs to communicate and you may be forced to install individual programs to talk to just a few people on each.

Trillian is an all-in-one communication program that eliminates the need for multiple messaging programs cluttering your desktop and bandwidth. Incorporating AIM, MSN, Yahoo, and ICQ, Trillian follows the same basic format of the programs it seeks to incorporate. Many different skins are also available so the colors match your desktop.

Pros: There is an option to log conversations
Cons: must have accounts with the services you wish to use
User level: Beginner to Expert

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Instead of WinRAR try...

2009-07-04T14:09:00.000-05:00

RarMonkey

Some files you download from the internet or get through e-mail may be in .rar format, and you can't open it the same way you would .zip files with Windows. Enter RarMonkey, a compact program with some powerful time-saving features.

Unlike it's popular and expensive counterpart, RarMonkey has the option to extract multiple .rar archives at once, eliminating most of the clicking and time-consumption of other programs. The extraction process itself is quick- I was able to extract over 50 .rar archives in less than five minutes.

If you're looking for a quick way to extract .rar archives without extra features you'll never use, this lightweight program will fit your needs.

Pros: Can extract many files in the same session
Cons: Open takes you to the folder containing the software, not the last location used
User level: Beginner to Advanced

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Fun Freebie of the Month

2009-07-02T21:46:00.001-05:00

With July in full swing it's that season when you make playlists for the car, your friends, anything and everything- the music is everywhere. Friends sharing music with friends means lots of files everywhere, and your music library is riddled with duplicates.

Many programs, both free and paid, boast the superpower of setting your music right and sorting through those thousands of files. And with my own growing library of over 40,000 songs, acquiring music can turn into a headache instead of the fun experience it's meant to be.

This is where I'm proud to introduce Duplicate Cleaner. It only took an hour to scan 46,000 files (yes this is a different number...) whereas other free programs I tried took between six to thirty-two hours to complete the same scan.
After Duplicate Cleaner found all 6,000 sets of duplicates (totaling over 9,000 files- who DOESN'T need five copies of Enter Sandman?), it offered various and useful ways for selecting which duplicates to delete. Some of the options included keeping the files with the longest time, or simply selecting all but one file to get rid of. And for the icing on the cake, once you know which files to delete, Duplicate Cleaner will automatically delete the files for you. It's that easy.

With the short scan time, automatic selection of duplicates and automatic deletion, Duplicate Cleaner can save you time and sanity. It works for Word documents and photos too.

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Instead of Microsoft Office try...

2009-07-01T15:01:00.002-05:00

OpenOffice.org

With the price of Microsoft Office 2007 running in the hundreds, and the ribbon format not user-friendly, it's good to know you have other options. Open Office mimics the format of older versions of Microsoft Office so it is extremely familiar and functions in the same fashion.

The Open Office package includes a word processor (titled Writer), PowerPoint alternative (Impress), spreadsheet (Calc), and a program similar to Paint titled Draw.

Pros: No ribbons, compatibility with Microsoft Office 2000- 2007
Cons: Users have to remember to save in Microsoft Office compatible formats
User Level: Beginner to Expert

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Instead of Norton AntiVirus try...

2009-06-30T11:16:00.000-05:00

AVG Free Edition

I'd like to start by mentioning that AVG Free Edition is only free for non-commercial use. With that disclaimer aside, I've been using this program to protect my machines for the past four years and it has never disappointed. The latest version contains an email scanner, link scanner, resident shield (which stays in the background and scans every file you open) and anti-spyware in addition to your anti-virus protection. It's basically five programs in one. AVG Free Edition also does everything it claims to- it caught and safely dealt with five viruses and six trojans, keeping them from infecting my machine.

All this power is contained in an easy to use control panel. This ease doesn't compromise or hide any important features, such as scanning selected drives and folders, or manually checking for an update. Automatic scanning is also included (of course).

Pros: Did I mention it automatically updates?
Cons: Computers with hundreds of thousands of files may take over an hour to scan
User Level: Beginner to Expert

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Instead of Pro Tools try...

2009-06-29T19:14:00.000-05:00

Kristal Audio Engine

Featuring support for multiple tracks and various pre-loaded effects, this software is more powerful and versatile than many of its free cousins. Quickly and effectively open audio files, edit them, add effects and multiple tracks then just as easily export the results. With support for up to 26 tracks, Kristal is perfect for making intricate mixes and importing samples. The modular interface allows easy access to tools and commands.

Pros: Professional-level recording and mixing at your fingers
Cons: .mp3 files must be converted to .wav beforehand
User level: Beginner to Advanced. Expert users may need more features

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Instead of Photoshop try...

2009-06-29T00:25:00.000-05:00

GIMP

Short for GNU Image Manipulation Program, anyone who has opened Photoshop and poked around will immediately recognize the layout. GIMP features familiar and necessary tools such as masks, filters, layers, paths, and the ability to make custom brushes. This program is unparalleled in flexibility and is perfect for sketching, coloring, photo manipulation, and touch ups. Pair it with a tablet and you're unstoppable!

The number one reason to use GIMP, however, is its compatibility. It's possible to open, work with, and save Photoshop (.psd) documents. When you're transferring projects between multiple computers, it doesn't get any easier than this.

Pros: All the features of Photoshop. Can save in many useful formats.
Cons: Beginners may find the learning curve a little steep
User level: Beginner to Expert

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My Computer

2009-06-29T00:20:00.000-05:00

Programs work better on some machines rather than others. All of the programs here I've personally tried and used, otherwise they wouldn't be here. I'm here to help. And to further that purpose, following is a list of my computer's specs for comparison to your own machines.

HP Pavilion dv9827cl Entertainment Notebook PC
Vista Home Premium x64 SP1
2.10 GHz AMD Turion 64 X2 Dual-Core (512KB+512KB L2 Cache)
4GB RAM
NVIDIA GeForce Go 7150M Graphics Card (1GB memory)
250 GB (5400 rpm) Hard Drive
17.0" WXGA+ High-Definition BrightView Widescreen Display (1440 x 900)

Manufacturer's Webpage

It's true that the graphics card and processor could be better, but for most programs, they're fine. If not, you'll know because it will be listed in the Con section of the post.