Better than Microsoft

(free programs to download)

(also see our page: 'best free of the web')

If you use a computer every day, then the chances are you use the following software:

Microsoft Windows (most probably Windows XP or Vista).
Microsoft office
Internet explorer
Outlook

Amongst other things (you should at least have anti-virus software and anti spy ware software – more about that here).

I would like to help you make your computer experience, safer, faster and nicer.

First of all if you use Windows XP, don’t upgrade to Vista. You don’t need too. There aren’t many new things (apart from nice new look) that the ‘average user’ will benefit from. Quite the opposite. If you’re not a ‘computer person’ you’ll probably find you will need to re-learn everything.

Stick with XP for the time being. If you already have Vista, these program will also benefit you.

Microsoft office is expensive. It looks the part, but in truth it’s got a whole bunch of features none of us ever use. There’s a better solution for you. Open office. For one thing it’s free. Totally free! I’m not talking about and illegal copy, or a program full of spy ware or advertising. And it’s not limited in any way. It is a complete Microsoft office- like program with all the features of MS office that you are currently using, but it’s free, and it’s really good.

Its free because it has been written by people who wan’t an alternative to Microsoft Office. These people get kudos from their peers for writing such a great program. They do it simply for the credit; just to say “I was part of that”. So stop paying for Microsoft office (or stop copying it illegally) and download Open Office now. It loads and saves all Microsoft office formats and in my opinion is nicer to use.

Click here: (and then click on the big green box which says “download openoffice.org”) -

http://download.openoffice.org/index.html

The next thing you need to change is to stop using Internet Explorer. The program you use for “surfing the ‘net”. The main reason for this is that because most people in the world use it, it comes under the most attacks. People trying to steal from you, crash your computer or spy on you, normally target Internet Explorer. The people who are trying to do these things target users of Internet Explorer because there are more of them.

To fix this, I recommend you install Mozilla Firefox. It’s fast, easier to use and most importantly more secure, all you need to do is download it and install it. The start surfing the net using the little icon of the world with a fox draped around it.

Click here:  

There is only one important thing left to take care of: Outlook. You definitely should change from using Outlook for the same security reason. Most viruses and Trojans (programs which let other people to “take control” of your computer), spread through Outlook. It’s that simple. They enter your machine through outlook and immediately send themselves to others in your outlook address book. The simple way to fix this is to use something else. You need Thunderbird. Thunderbird is a fully featured email program just like outlook but it’s fast and easy to use (looks nicer too), oh and did I forget to say free?

Click here: http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/thunderbird/

Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to get you away from Microsoft for any reason. It’s just that when you can get the equivalent product that is safer and nicer to use for free, why wouldn’t you? I’m really trying to show friends and family the best programs to use on their computers today.

I highly recommend you try all these programs. The great thing is because they are free, you can install them and try them out, if they’re not for you, then you can uninstall them.

*note, just in case your not sure, to uninstall a program, click on Start, then click control panels and then click “Add or remove programs” (may require a double click) – then select the program in the list and click ‘remove’ (might say ‘change/remove’).

If you liked this, check out: 'Best Free stuff on the Web'.

Andrew