When I started in computers, DOS 3.3 was what most of the computers ran on, and we were anxiously awaiting the release of DOS 4.0. (What did we know, this was before Microsoft had problems with programming) In those days, the operating system did not do anything but the most essential things, and Microsoft left it to others to add functionality at the edges.
Many of us wish for those days again. (Not a return to DOS, but a return to the operating system being a core upon which to build. Does anyone really believe that Windows Defender, or the File Defragmenter, built into XP or Vista is the result of a champion effort?)
Also in those days, there were many people writing software, much of it not great, but some very, very good. There were many free programs, and there was also shareware, with many programs released that way being things that were superior to what was available in the retail market. (Does anyone besides me remember List, by Vern Buerg?) There is some of that today, but the market has shrunk considerably.
I happen to think that there are a couple of reasons. One is that with costs of everything going up, hosting a freeware site is a losing proposition, unless you are already established ( think xtort.net or shellcity.net ). The other is that there is so much less stuff coming out, as freeware or shareware, many people don’t find the need to visit on a regular basis, which makes it that much harder to keep a site up by having ad revenue support the hosting sites.
Still another reason for that market shrinkage is the fact that mainstream users see no need to augment, or streamline their computing experience. In essence, these users believe there is nothing new to be done in computing; that the only change will be speed due to increased number of processors or clock speed.
I am one of those people who think that there will always be a different way to do things, and it is up to the individual to determine for himself if that way is truly better.
In just the last week, I have changed several things on my main PC, and because the changes are working so well, they will be incorporated on all the other machines using XP in the house.
This last week, I have moved from my longtime use of Sygate Personal Firewall to Comodo Firewall Pro. It is finally (!) at the point where it is usable without problems, and for the average, or above, user, there are real benefits in security. Both of these programs are excellent, and free. (If anyone remembers my rants about earlier revisions of Comodo, all is ok now – I was right then, and I’m right now. Give it a try.)
During this same time, I have switched from the excellent, though somewhat crippled, X1 desktop search, to Search 4.0 from Microsoft. This is mostly because the free version of X1 is no longer free. The newest revisions of the tool are trialware, and stop working completely after 15 days. I could have stayed with the older revision of X1, which, to their credit, X1 has continued to allow download and use of, but I chose to try the Microsoft program. That allows the ability to search across the local network, which is crippled after 30 days in the older X1 client.
I have also changed the small program which functions as arbiter of the CPU workload on my single core Pentium 4. As anyone who has used Windows knows, there are times when an application will usurp almost all the processor time (on a single core), no matter the processor speed. I was using Process Tamer, which comes from the Donation Coders site, but can be had for nothing, and have switched to Process Lasso, which is free for non-commercial use. This program has a bit more complete control over the processes of the machine, and was recommended by the maker of Process Tamer! How is that for quality? Many freeware and shareware authors were this way in the past, and it would be great to see a return to this cooperative way of working.
So, just in the last week, I have used free programs to make things easier on a computer that I use daily. It has made things faster, moving that little gnawing about moving the data to a faster machine further into the recesses at the back of my mind. This is also, if you make the connection, part of being green, as there will be one less computer needing a home in someplace other than a landfill.
Oh, and each of these programs was found at a freeware site. There are fewer than last time I checked (some of my bookmarks are no longer working) but are all worthwhile, as no two have the exact same files, or describe and index them in the same manner. As other things in life, different strokes are for different folks. Find one you like and visit often – you don’t know what you might find.
By the way, you might want to share your favorite freeware site, as no one person knows them all!
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One reason I don’t drink is that I want to know when I am having a good time.Lady Nancy Astor |