Best Free Software from pcmag.com

Category Soft, Tips & Tricks | Permalink | 6. March 2007

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Most software is expensive and bloated. Yet free software typically does one task and does it with precision and elegance. Among the thousands of free apps available on the Web, how do you find the best, most reliable ones for your needs?
To produce this story, we asked PC Magazine staffers to share their best-loved free software and were inundated with responses. Our recommendations are the apps that real people use everyday, at work and at home, for all kinds of tasks—photo editing and DVD burning, database work and intrusion detection, VoIP calling and stargazing. They’re tried and tested, the best tools you can get—and they’re all free.

Many of the programs we cover are open-source, with their source code available for use and modification as others see fit. We also help you navigate SourceForge (www.sourceforge.net), one of the best sites for finding open-source software. But before you start downloading, make sure to protect yourself. In researching this story, we had an encounter with a Trojan horse, which is not unusual. So we turned to our security expert, Neil J. Rubenking, for tips on how to protect yourself from malware. And by the way, once you get started with free software, it’s hard to stop.

Security
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avast! 4 Home Edition
www.avast.com
This slick, skinnable antivirus app looks like a high-tech media player, but it’s really a virus fighter. It scans files on demand and on access, including e-mail attachments. No scheduling—you have to pay for that—but it can send a warning on detecting malware. A boot-time scan option removes tenacious malware. And it’s 64-bit compatible.—Neil J. Rubenking

AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition
free.grisoft.com
This program splits its user interface between Control Center and Test Center, which can be a bit confusing. But it does what an antivirus app should: It scans files on access, on demand, and on schedule. It also scans e-mail, both incoming and outgoing. According to Grisoft, it’s totally Vista-ready.—NJR

Dodge Bad Guys

Comodo Firewall
www.comodogroup.com
The new kick-ass choice for free firewall protection, Comodo Firewall keeps hackers out and keeps unauthorized programs from accessing the Internet, even tricky ones that sneak around normal program control. And it resists being forcibly terminated. It works as well as all but the very best for-pay firewalls.—NJR

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http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1895,2090808,00.asp

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