You got a new computer? Now what?

bfree

So you just got a new computer for christmas, now you need some programs for it! So what are you going to do? Maybe you already got some software supplied with the computer but did you get everything you need? Does it do what you want? Well if you need some ideas for what next:

OpenOffice.org (from http://www.openoffice.org) is a complete Office Suite with a Word Processor, Spredsheet, Presentation Tool, Drawing and html editing tool. Superb use of styles to simply _control_ your documents and built in pdf exporting make it a dream to use. Opens and writes all the common office file formats.

Videolan (from http://www.videolan.org) is a program that not only provides a great player for virtually all media formats but it also provides a complete video streaming solution. Super efficient and flexible the player from videolan is also region free so no need to choose a region or hack your DVD drive just to play films from around the world.

Firefox (from http://www.mozilla.org) is the best web browser available. Just don't forget to go into the Tools menu and then Extensions after you have installed it and you can easily add whatever features you want (adblock is especially useful if you have to use a modem to connect to the internet).

Thunderbird (from http://www.mozilla.org) is the EMail equivalent to firefox. Powerful and flexible message filters including intelligent spam filtering. Secure and simple don't use anything else unless you've tried it!

nvu is the web editing equivalent to firefox(from http://www.nvu.com), again don't bother trying anything else until you give it a go.

Gnu Image Manipulation Program (from www.gimp.org) is a powerful, flexible and extendible program for such tasks as photo retouching, image composition and image authoring. image editor. Opens every image format you could come across.

Now if you are stuck on Windows you might also need a few of the following:

CDeX (from http://cdexos.sourceforge.net/) is the simplest of programs, it converts audio cds to files on your computer, and coverts audio files on your computer to whatever format you like.

CDR Tools Front End (from http://demosten.com/cdrfe/) provides a very full featured cd recording tool, for recording data and audio cds.

7-Zip (http://www.7-zip.org) lets you create and open most archive types, not just zip.

And if you need to download large files like these you can often use the bittorrent protocol which gets you the file quickly, makes sure if downloads properly and doesn't have a problem with network disconnections. I suggest using BitTornado (from http://bittornado.com) to have that little bit of extra control.

Of course you could just bite the bullet and install Linux instead or aswell as your Windows (or OSX), it's trivially easy nowadays (with an up to date copy of a Linux based system), especially with a new computer, if your not sure you can make the machine "dual-boot" so you get a choice of Windows/OSX or Linux when you turn the computer on.

If you have a Mac, you might consider Yellow Dog Linux (from http://www.yellowdoglinux.com) or Ubuntu Linux (from http://www.ubuntulinux.org). If you have an "Intel Compatible" computer you could again consider Ubuntu, Mepis (from http://www.mepis.org) or Kanotix (from http://www.kanotix.com) all of which can be tried by running from a cd first before installing.

The observant amongst you will probably have noticed that all the above software is free but better then that, with the exception of the CDR Tools Front End which is only for Windows, it is all Free which means anyone can join in developing the software or just make their own personal changes. What this means to a non devloper is that you can never be made to pay for it (sorry about cdr tools front end, it does use Free programs to do the hard work though) as long as there are people like you who want to keep using it (you could of course pay anyone at any time to change it any way you want). Also you can use it any way you want, you have control, you have a choice.

Finally if you need to find more software, whatever Operating System you use, you should check http://www.freshmeat.net first.

Hope you find this helpful before you go and spend hundreds or thousands or euro on software or break the law ripping it off.

If you've just gone and spent a load of cash on software ask yourself this, are you going to pay to upgrade it, and before the time comes when they will squeeze you for it, make sure you evaluate your choices and know if it's worth it. To quote Microsoft's own President and Chief Executive Steve Balmer:

"customers have a clearer opportunity than ever before to evaluate choices"

And the choices are just as good for those of us who don't purchase at all (and don't break the law either).

bfree

bedlam wrote:

For Windows users - TheOpenCD

Thank you, I knew there was at least one good link I really meant to get in that I forgot! A lot of those programs are on TheOpenCD, and more! And the Ubuntu LiveCD is also includes a smaller version of TheOpenCD!

Webmonkey

Good Stuff

Farls

I likes, you'd green if rep was still available!

Farlz

davmigil

For windows users:

Free* anti-virus protection for home users: http://free.grisoft.com/freeweb.php/doc/2/

Spyware checker: http://www.lavasoftusa.com/software/adaware/

*Free as in beer mind you

bfree

If you use Windows on a computer that can ever interact with anything else (i.e. it has a floppy or cd-rom drive and/or can connet to a network) you really must have anti-virus and spyware checking software installed, have your system up to date with the security updates and preferably some sort of firewall. Be warned, if you don't do this you are quite likely to end up with someone else "owning" your computer and using it to send spam, distribute illegal materials or some other illegal acts.

I don't think I can be clear enough for the people who don't get it already but just in case let me say this: If you get broadband, plug your unprotected computer in and wait 20 minutes, your computer will by now most likely have been infected and be vulnerable to being used by malicious parties however they see fit, serving child pornography perhaps from yoru computer, or maybe simply selling spam or attacking and blackmailing websites.

In the last month I've had 3 of my best friends getting computers infected. One was running everything legal from Dell and thought he had anti-virus software, of course he didn't because he never bothered clicking through all the screens to give away his information. One had done no updates probably ever, so while he was probably clean of the oldest stuff, some nasty new stuff had over-run his Internet Exploder leading to the discovery of just how much rubbish was on the machine. The third I had to talk though removing a virus on the phone twice on two different computers. Once they'd been stupid enough to try and run a screensaver from someone they should have known full well would never send something like that, but of course the computer had no anti-virus/out of date anti-virus.

The day is coming again where a widespread virus will be _very_ destructive (like delete all you files after it's first spent a little while searching them for valuable information which it either sends to everyone in your address book or sends home to it's author). When that day comes it looks to me like 50% of the worlds home and soho computers will be hit and given Irish people's seeming tendency to use illegal copies of software I wouldn't be surprised if we fare worse then most countries.

Nukem

Another handy link is this as discussed on Computers.
Some great programs
Nuke

bfree

Now Firefox has hit 25 million downloads perhaps it's time to make sure as many people know just how great videolan is. Forget that whole game of "what codecs do I need" and "what player do I need for XXX codec" as, nearly, everything just plays with videolan.

What other Free software do people think deserves more attention?

Spunog UIE

much prefere windows media player classic + a codec pack than Videolan, it just so many little things that make it nicer. Still have videolan for that very once a year rare unreadable file tho.

RicardoSmith

Whats a good freeware DVD player?

Dempsey

VLC plays dvds...

bfree

And now OpenOffice.org has started to release previews of their upcoming 2.0 version. The Database tools get a massive overhaul and XForms support has been added. Good things only get better!

Capt'n Midnight

OpenOffice 1.9.79 ftp://mirrors.blueyonder.co.uk/site...stable/2.0beta/

weemcd

winrar tbh http://www.rarlab.com

Spunog UIE

http://www.7-zip.org/ is free and handles zips rars etc, compression on it is usually slightly better for most things than rar, tiny bit slower tho.

Have to agree tho, winRAR is class, use it myself along with Power Archiver for things. Both worth a look but these 2 are not free.

angelofdeath

bfree wrote:

nvu is the web editing equivalent to firefox(from http://www.nvu.com), again don't bother trying anything else until you give it a go.

beats frontpage just about, but cant touch dreamweaver, there needs to be a opensource vegas or premiere beater aswell

D

*bump*

maybe this hould be sticky? If so then feel free to delete this post.

Dempsey

there is a great sticky about this in computers forum

D

hairy muff, sorry, fair enough

diarmo

The best Codec pack I have ever used:

http://members.home.nl/codecpack/klmcodec125.exe

Its great for decodeing and encodeing!!!