Common Cents: Priceless Programs

Hello, and welcome to Common Cents, where we discuss topics relevant to those living below the poverty line and other topics that are of importance to those living paycheck to paycheck.

This week, I'm starting a new series of articles called Tech on a Budget, focused on getting things done with as little financial impediment as possible. This week's installment, Priceless Programs, is dedicated to saving money on PC software. 

Software can be one of the largest single expenses for a computer. A quick perusal of Amazon.com shows just how quickly software expenses can add up. Windows Vista, the newest operating system on the market, costs $320 for the full version. Microsoft Office 2007, an application suite for everything from word processing to spreadsheet handling, costs $390 for the full version. Norton Systemworks 2007, a suite of applications that provides antivirus protection, spyware blocking, and computer repair and optimization, costs $85 for the package (plus $50 per year for updates). Adobe Photoshop CS3, an advanced graphic editor and photo manipulator, costs a massive $630. So how can a low-income user afford a computer and still be able to get software for it?

Fortunately, there are ways to get programs that do the things you need and want, without having to pay for them. No, we're not talking about illegally downloading software from file sharing sites - we're talking about the wonders of freely downloadable (and legal) software that already exists.

Operating Systems. Every computer needs an operating system, and most people who have used a PC within the last ten years have dealt with some form of Windows. Unfortunately, Windows is very expensive, especially if you happen to need to own multiple copies of it. If you're dead set against handing your money over to Microsoft, you might consider Linux - an open source operating system that can run directly from a CD or be installed on a hard drive, available for no cost. Better yet, there are many applications available for Linux that are also available for no cost - it's worth thinking about, especially if your software budget is literally nonexistent.

Virus Scanners. Even the most careful computer user may inadvertently encounter a virus, whether it's hidden in a download, transmitted through a security exploit, or just tries to force its own way into your computer. A virus scanner is a basic component of computer protection, and most computers sold nowadays have a trial version of some sort of virus scanner installed that expires after a short time unless (you guessed it) you pay for the subscription. Enter Avast, a virus scanner with reliable automatic updates and generally sleek performance. Not only is it useful and functional (with seven different areas of virus protection), but the home version is available for free! You do have to register with them in order to receive your serial number for activating the software, but it costs nothing but your time to do so.

Office Suites. If you're familiar with office software, you've probably heard of Microsoft Word, Microsoft PowerPoint, and Microsoft Excel - programs for making documents, presentations, and spreadsheets, respectively, and all components of Microsoft Office. If you're interested in making files that are compatible with any of those without shelling out hundreds of dollars, you might want to try OpenOffice, an open-source office suite that handles all of those functions and is available for free download.

Anti-Spyware. Spyware is just unpleasant. It installs itself on your computer, often without your permission, and compromises your security while annoying you and possibly damaging your computer. Worse, many spyware programs are actually made by the same people who put the spyware on your computer in the first place. Fortunately, there are several free spyware removal utilities you can put to use to keep your computer protected. Spybot - Search and Destroy, as the title suggest, allows you to scan your computer and remove intrusive spyware (as well as tracking cookies and other potentially unwanted guests); it also has options to immunize your computer against various known spyware tricks to prevent them from ever getting into your computer in the first place, as well as providing other tools for maintaining your computer. SpywareBlaster is a freeware program that provides preventative protection against spyware being installed on your system. Both are free, and although you have to update them yourself, it's well worth the effort - and the price.

Graphics Programs. So you need to edit graphics, but you can't shell out hundreds of dollars? No problem - there are free, yet highly effective, programs available out there to help you with that, too. Paint.net is an entirely free program similar to Adobe Photoshop, with its own plugins and functionality, available free for download. Other free programs that offer similar functionality include GIMP and IrfanView - take a look and see if they suit your needs!

More, More, MORE! You probably have plenty of things you want -- so why not look for them? Just look for 'freeware' in the description; 'shareware' or 'trial' software generally expects you to pay in order to unlock its features or to continue using the program after a certain period of time. Here are a few sites to get you started:

FreewareFiles - A large number of freeware programs organized by category.

Download.com - One of the largest mirror sites for freeware and shareware content, always worth a look. Just remember that not everything available here is free!

MajorGeeks.com - It's not just for geeks, but this site does have a wide variety of programs, applications, tweaks, and other things to download, including plenty of freeware.

Giveaway of the Day - While this site only provides one free program per day, this is a good place to keep an eye on, as ... yes, it gives you one program you'd normally have to pay for, free of charge, if you download it on the day it's shown. 

Game Giveaway of the Day - You might also be interested in the Game Giveaway of the Day, which does for games what Giveaway of the Day does for programs.  Keep checking back; you never know what you'll find!

Open source development and dedicated teams of programmers ensure that while you might not find a perfect free replica of your favorite programs, if you look hard enough you can probably find something that'll do what you need it to. Before you buy an expensive software package, try a search engine - you just might save yourself hundreds of dollars.

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Austin Cushing, Money Correspondent:
Austin's column, Common Cents, published every Tuesday to Gather Essentials: Money, is focused on life below the poverty line and other topics that are of importance to those living paycheck to paycheck.

Austin Cushing is an eccentric writer, programmer, poet, and photographer, as well as a former maintenance worker for Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. He writes from personal experience and personal opinion, and enjoys finding the humor in even the darkest aspects of the world. In addition to his column, he maintains Gather groups on a diverse range of topics, from gaming to political discourse.

You can find all of Austin's Common Cents columns at http://commoncents.gather.com. Keep up with Austin's other postings and Gather activity by joining his Gather network -- just click here and select the orange "Connect" button on the left-hand side of the page.

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Food for Thought: 

What is your favorite freeware utility, program, game, or other download?