Essential Free Software for Your Computer

Let's face it: we college students are a poor bunch. Between tuition, fees, room, and board, we have little money left to spend on anything else.That's why each of the products detailed in this column are free forever. Just because you aren't paying for them, however, doesn't mean that you aren't getting a great product.

Firefox
Internet Explorer, Microsoft's web browser that is built into Windows, is a hazard to your health.

Well, maybe not to your health. But the aging browser does have an ever-increasing list of vulnerabilities that can harm your computer or compromise your personal information.

Enter Firefox. The open-source browser has built-in pop-up blocking, a smooth interface, tabbed browsing, lighting-fast speed, built-in security features, and support for a plethora of plug-ins that won't compromise your security just by installing them.

For example, one of my favorite Firefox plug-ins is called Forecastfox. Forecastfox gathers and displays local weather information in the form of small icons on the Firefox status bar.

Another good plug-in is called Sage. Sage is a sidebar tool that allows you to view and manage RSS, or Really Simple Syndication, feeds. This is a great way to gather content from all of your favorite websites into one place.

The latest version of Firefox can be downloaded from getfirefox.com. For more information on the extensions I mentioned, visit theTechTalk.com.

Skype
Skype is basically an instant messenger service made for making long distance phone calls.

Simply select a person on your buddy list that also has Skype and press the big green call button. You'll instantly be connected to the person you want to call. A microphone and headphones are all you need to get started.

The quality of the phone call is unreal. It is very similar to picking up your landline phone and calling your friend down the street.

The potential of this product is unlimited. You can even purchase phones that plug into your computer so that you can use Skype to call your friends by using a real phone instead of just a microphone.

Calls to other Skype users are free, and calls to landline phones from Skype are dirt cheap. If all your friends get Skype, why pay for a real phone line?

For more information on Skype, visit skype.com.

Google Pack
Google's latest offering, Google Pack, is a collection of free essential software that automatically updates itself.

Some of the software included is stuff that every self-respecting computer user should have: Adobe Reader and RealPlayer just to name a few. But the true draw of this package is the fact that it keeps all your software up-to-date automatically.

If a new version of one of the Google Pack products comes out (Google Earth, for example), Google Pack will automatically download and install it for you, ensuring that your software is always the newest version available.

Google Pack can be downloaded from pack.google.com.

iTunes
Apple's iTunes media player is simply the best available.

The software has a super-cool sleek interface, the ability to burn and rip CDs, and full integration with the iTunes Music Store, where every song is only 99 cents.

The interface revolves around a small search bar in the top right corner. As you type an artist name, song title, or album title into the box, the list of songs slowly narrows down until you find what you are looking for.

iTunes also has built-in internet radio and a nice party shuffle feature. The software can be obtained from apple.com.

OpenOffice.org
OpenOffice.org is a free office suite comparable to a scaled-down version of Microsoft Office.

This free suite of software can automatically convert your files to files that are compatible with Office's Word, Excel, and PowerPoint programs.

It is great for users who need the casual functionalities of Microsoft Office but don't want to or can't put down the cash required to take home the commercial version.

I fully recommend OpenOffice.org to all my fellow students. To download the program, visit openoffice.org.