Getting a PC - any good free software?

[dodonutter]

Not as bad as it sounds before everyone starts screaming at me!

I have my Powerbook which is my main computer and will remain so but i am mildly dyslexic and as so i get a load of equipment to help with my studies at uni. Anyway one of the pieces of equipment im getting is a PC which i plan to use through my PB with remote desktop in a Virtual PC kinda way. ie open the PC up in a window when i want to run a windows program.

Im getting Kaspersky security suite with the computer but i wondered if there's any other (preferable free!) software i should get for security/tuning/ease of use etc

The computer is a 3GHz P4 with half a gig of RAM and a Geforce 440 Graphics card. Getting it along with a printer and scanner on monday

 

[Roger1]

You didn't say what you were using the pc for, so I will go with a variety.

Netcape radio. It has some really nice radio stations
itunes (duh!)
gimp, for graphics (similar to photshop) gimp.org
Firefox mozilla.org
Thunderbird (email) mozilla.org
Open Office Similar of MS Office, but free openoffice.org
putty free telnet ssh client (for connecting to servers, your linux box, etc)
http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/putty/

Pocket tanks for those boring days http://www.blitwise.com/downloads.html

A good place to check out for free software is tucows.com

Good luck

 

[katie ta achoo]

Im getting Kaspersky security suite with the computer but i wondered if there's any other (preferable free!) software i should get for security/tuning/ease of use etc

Zone Alarm free firewall
AdAware
Spybot S&D

those are the ones that will keep your windows machine clickin'.

 

[Roger1]

Oh, how could I forget security software??

Avast anti-virus http://www.avast.com/
zone alarm firewall http://www.zonelabs.com/store/content/home.jsp
ad-aware anti spyware http://www.lavasoftusa.com/

Here's an online antivirus program. http://housecall.trendmicro.com/

This list should help keep your pc healthy.

 

[yg17]

Linux

 

[Roger1]

Linux

Only if it's Debian

 

[Mord]

how does the system work, i'm dyselxic and though i have my own stuff i'll take anything free that i can whats the deal with it?

 

[JW8725]

how does the system work, i'm dyselxic and though i have my own stuff i'll take anything free that i can whats the deal with it?

Hey your back? LOL! I thought you retired?

 

[freeny]

Cherry OS

 

[Mord]

yeah, i should really change my sig to explain my return, the jist of it is that even when i acctually put work into my studys i still have crazy amounts of free time.

 

[DonBot]

I highly recommend spywareblaster.

 

[dodonutter]

Linux

Haha well would negate the use of having a windows box to run windows software really.

Basically i would use my mac for email, web, everyday life etc but the PC for anything to do with running the programs i have with my text books plus MatLab, prodesktop, python programming etc but i no how easy it is to pick up viruses after cleaning all my friends PCs the hard way (googling all the processes running in task manager) and i didn't want that hassle but also thought that there must be a few nice little free apps out there to make Windose bearable. I'm mainly going to treat it as i treated the PCs at an IT department i worked in...if something goes wrong, format it. Tended fix problems even if it was using a tank to kill a snail. Would still like to keep it running as smoothly as possible until something breaks. I'm also thinking of partitioning the HD and having a partition for the OS and a partition for the programs/files so if Windows breaks i can just put a new copy on without losing my files. Not sure how big to make the OS partition though...thinking maybe 20GB on a 120GB drive.

i'll look into all the programs suggested Roger, thanks for the info

how does the system work, i'm dyselxic and though i have my own stuff i'll take anything free that i can whats the deal with it?

Well in my case there was a dyslexia workshop at my college and i got assessed then they gave me extra time in my exams, but then i got to uni and had a proper 3 hour long test thing. Im at southampton uni and there is a building on campus specially for the 'learning differences centre' (I do love political correctness) Personally if i was you i would give your LEA a ring and ask for the Adult learning section then ask them what you need to do. They're all really helpful. You should get a PC if you can prove the course you are going to be on requires the use of PC only software plus a hell of a lot of other stuff...im getting £2300 worth of equipment

What degree are you applying for? Saw you had a cambridge interview soon, good luck with that BTW

PM me if u wana know anything else about it. On a side note i have actually met you at the Store opening in Regents street, think i was about 25th. anyways its a long drawn out process getting the stuff, lots of red tape, but there isn't much for you to do. You just have to let people write reports about u and sign about 400 pieces of paper

Oh and incase you wanted to know im studying Aerospace Engineering



Sorry for the epic post everybody!

 

[Mord]

ah, well i already have a pc thats far better than what they are likely to give me, yet i need a new mac, i know someone that currently at southampton (orlando, blonde guy always grinning like a maniac, took art) and he got given an emac as he complained that, and this is in his own words "i'm a spaz i cant use a pc) i'm good at bitching and moaning and dealing with bureaucracy, so i'll call my LEA, see what they say then look up the documentation on what they are obliged to do and hopefully get them to buy me a decent powerbook or something.

 

[840quadra]

yeah, i should really change my sig to explain my return, the jist of it is that even when i acctually put work into my studys i still have crazy amounts of free time.

Good to see you are back!

 

[Nermal]

Linux

The request was for good free software

 

[pknz]

Good software, not does that include spyware, malware, adware, worms, virus, rootkits or not?

 

[dodonutter]

Good software, not does that include spyware, malware, adware, worms, virus, rootkits or not?

Well, ya no i was aiming for not, but if you really want to suggest some then you may....probably be a VERY long post though

ah, well i already have a pc thats far better than what they are likely to give me, yet i need a new mac, i know someone that currently at southampton (orlando, blonde guy always grinning like a maniac, took art) and he got given an emac as he complained that, and this is in his own words "i'm a spaz i cant use a pc) i'm good at bitching and moaning and dealing with bureaucracy, so i'll call my LEA, see what they say then look up the documentation on what they are obliged to do and hopefully get them to buy me a decent powerbook or something.

Well the computer i got was supplied from these people (click on quote) so im sure you could be able to get one of the macs listed there...although i would be very impressed if you managed to persuade them to give you a Dual 2.5 G5!! Well that guy would probably be on a different campus if he's doing art, sounds like he'd fit in perfectly, they're all a bit odd up there. I am loving his excuse though, they're usually tight ********* when it comes to giving out Macs

 

[Abstract]

Linux

Um, not to start trouble, but.......Mac OS X

 

[cr2sh]

If you're behind a good router and have your patches up to date... and don't download from p2p networks... you'll be fine. I don't think you need to start installing all that spyware, virus, adware ****.

I'd recommend a nice little program called Core FTP.. the LE version is free and a very capable little client.

http://www.coreftp.com/

 

[efoto]

Um, not to start trouble, but.......Mac OS X

I was thinking the EXACT same thing , that's really the best thing for him.

AdAware, Spybot S&D, ZoneAlarm, etc are all great, I was running those three all the time it seemed on my PC when I cared. I found there are bots/spies/ads/whatever that the first two miss that the last one lets in, so you still have to watch out. There are a few other free S&D type programs out there, get as many as you can find because you'd rather have redundant checks to not enough.

 

[dodonutter]

Well i've downloaded most of the virus/adwear/spywear checker programs and stuck them on a friends computer as it was acting up. Found a virus and 2 spyware programs that Mcafee hadn't picked up (before it just stopped working that is). I've been trying to fix this beeping Packard for a week and it refuses to do anything i want it to but when i do get it to do something it won't do it again or only half works. I should probably explain im trying to get it to connect to the wireless network in her house with a Belkin USB wifi adapter. worked fine for a month but suddenly refused to connect to the network. Got it semi connected (ie it decides if it wants to actually talk to the router or not) but there's no hint of it wanting to access the internet.

Sorry my rant is over, makes me feel good to own a Mac

 

[Mord]

Well, ya no i was aiming for not, but if you really want to suggest some then you may....probably be a VERY long post though



Well the computer i got was supplied from these people (click on quote) so im sure you could be able to get one of the macs listed there...although i would be very impressed if you managed to persuade them to give you a Dual 2.5 G5!! Well that guy would probably be on a different campus if he's doing art, sounds like he'd fit in perfectly, they're all a bit odd up there. I am loving his excuse though, they're usually tight ********* when it comes to giving out Macs

how did it work, did you have to argue your way into getting what you got? also i dont need software, everything i use is free i dont want anti virus or anything, from what i see from online information your allocated a budget, and you send of the exact specs of what you want then they order it for you.

 

[rockthecasbah]

AVG antivirus from Grisoft, outstanding and FREE protection. It not only looks for specific virusus, but virus-like activity, providing better service for you.

 

[dodonutter]

how did it work, did you have to argue your way into getting what you got? also i dont need software, everything i use is free i dont want anti virus or anything, from what i see from online information your allocated a budget, and you send of the exact specs of what you want then they order it for you.

You do the Dyslexia test then get the results, then they transfer you to talk to some1 who goes through what you need to help you. There is an upper limit on the amount they will spend on u which is that budget your talking about but in the end the assessor has to write a massive (18 pages of solid text in my case) report on what you need and why. The assessor is on your side and will try to get as much as is reasonably possible but in the end he/she has to write this report which is sent to you and your LEA and the LEA has to rubber stamp it but if they're not satisfied then you won't get it. Once thats okayed you get a letter saying the LEA will pay for it all and you ring up the various companies then fax/post photocopies of the letters and the report to them and they handle the rest. I received my minidisk player (for recording lectures) yesterday and my computer is arriving on monday morning. I do have to wait til monday afternoon to set the PC up though as an engineer has to come round and plug everything in for me and show me how to 'startup and shut down windows safely' just incase i kill myself in the process

 

[dodonutter]

AVG antivirus from Grisoft, outstanding and FREE protection. It not only looks for specific virusus, but virus-like activity, providing better service for you.

Thanks for that, looks like a good product. It has been added to my collection of programs to be installed on monday!