Things That I Know

Santa Claus was good to me this year. I awoke Christmas morning to discover, among other things, a brand new Sony VAIO notebook computer. Thus began the joy of preparing that computer for everyday use. Junk to clean up, networks to set up, and of course essential software to download and/or install.

So as I put together my desktop and organized my software, I realized that this is a difficult thing to do. Software is expensive, and there are freeware options for nearly everything. But are the free versions reliable? Do they work as well? Depending on what software you use regularly, there is a good chance that there is software that is free that can get the job done for you.

Free or not, here are the essential software installs and downloads that I recommend for your new PC.

Essential Internet, E-mail and Office Applications

• Opera Web Browser

  You’re new computer will likely come with Internet Explorer locked and loaded for you. If you are still using Internet Explorer, it’s time to try something new. Explorer has it’s strengths, but is loaded with it’s weaknesses. While Firefox has caught on over the last few years, I’m an Opera man. When used side-by-side, there is no doubt that Opera is the fastest of these three browsers. It also offers all of the bells and whistles that today’s browsers should — tabbed browsing, great security, and a unique feature called Speed Dial, which is a great innovation.

  Download Opera

• Mozilla Thunderbird

  If you’re skipping out on Microsoft Word and it’s friends, you’ll also be without Outlook. If you don’t want to use webmail, and you prefer to download your emails, then Mozilla Thunderbird might be what you’re looking for. This free e-mail client also offers contacts, spam filters, and an RSS reader.

  Download Mozilla Thunderbird

• OpenOffice.org

  If you’ve ever shopped for Microsoft Office software, you know why there needs to be an alternative. At over $100 for word processing software, Microsoft is not making it easy for me to stay loyal to them. Knowing that a new laptop was on it’s way, I started looking for alternatives. I’ve heard of and even dabbled with OpenOffice.org in the past, but never really dove into it before. So recently I gave it a go, and I can now feel comfortable recommending it. OpenOffice.org is a collection of software that handles the same duties as the bulk of the Microsoft Office software. There is a word processor, spreadsheet, database, presentation, and a drawing program. The word processor handles all of the functions that Microsoft Word does, and the rest of the software also performs very well. If money is not an issue, then perhaps you’d rather go with the Microsoft package, but if you’re on a budget, or just don’t want to pay so much for the software, then OpenOffice.org is a very solid alternative.

  Download OpenOffice.org

Essential Multimedia Applications

• Winamp Media Player

  There are a million ways to play MP3s these days, but I’ve always been partial to Winamp. It’s simple to use, easily customizable and offers everything that you need for listening to your music. Over the years, Winamp has grown to cover all file types and now can handle videos as well.

  Download Winamp

• Media Monkey

  This is the only one I’m putting on here that isn’t entirely free. Media Monkey’s standard software is free, but the Gold version at $19.95 is a solid investment for it’s unlimited MP3 encoding. If you don’t do a lot of file conversions, the standard version will do you just fine. If you trade lossless files, like FLAC files, and convert them for personal use, then the stronger version might be more up your alley. It’s a heavier software than Winamp, so it’s not as good for simply listening to a playlist, but it’s better for working with your files.

  Download Media Monkey

There are plenty of more options available if you’re looking to spend money, but don’t rule out freeware because it is free. Open sourced software is popular for more than being free. It’s also popular because it works.

Getting a new computer can be intimidating. Take your time and get your software as you need it. Take care of the essentials first, your web browser and anything else you use daily, then get the rest as you decide what you need. Of course, if you have any essentials to tell me about, feel free.

Tags: Computers, Downloads, Software

How Does BitTorrent Work?

In the ever-evolving digital world, BitTorrent has secured a spot as one of the most effective ways to share files, particularly large files, with other users. BitTorrent is simply a protocol for sharing files, using multiple users who share “bits” of each file to cut down on the dependency of one host sharing with the downloader.

BitTorrent operates via an external client on a users computer. The process starts with downloading a .torrent file, which has the metadata, or information and instructions, your BitTorrent client needs to gather the pieces. Upon opening or running the .torrent file from your chosen client, the software will connect to a tracker that will sort out where to download the pieces of the file. The client will gather bits of the file from as many users are available, until the entire file is gathered. At this point, you have a full file that has been downloaded from many peers simultaneously.

Is BitTorrent Legal?

As with any file sharing protocols, the issue of legality is always front and center. With BitTorrent, the answer is both yes and no. The software and protocol itself is legal, but it is up to the user to determine if the files they are sharing are legal to share. Since the trackers and metadata files offer copyrighted material, they are not breaking any laws. But using those files to obtain copyrighted materials is where the legal issues lie.

BitTorrent, Inc. has a deal with several Hollywood studios to distribute it’s movies to paying downloaders legally. There are record companies that also utilize BitTorrent to distribute their material legally. But when it comes to peer-to-peer downloads, it is at the user’s discretion.

There are many websites that offer torrents for illegal downloads of movies and music albums. Downloading them from other users, and avoiding the record companies or movie studios is likely illegal. As with any digital downloads, if the material you are downloading is copyrighted, and you are not paying for it, you are likely breaking the law.

There are places however that allow users to trade material legally, such as live concert BitTorrent sites. These sites allow users to trade concerts via BitTorrent, with permission from the traded artists to do so. Some open source software projects also encourage using BitTorrent to help ease the load on their own servers.

Should I Use BitTorrent?

Well, that question is one you have to answer on your own. There are legal ways to use BitTorrent, so if you are a regular downloader of files legally, then it is a protocol worth being familiar with. Personally, I enjoy trading concerts with people, which is not illegal, and without BitTorrent, it would be nearly impossible. But when it comes to movies, television shows, and music albums, you are running the same risk as the old days of Napster. The major studios are not happy with the business they are losing to file-sharing software, and are going after people. The RIAA is suing teenagers for downloading songs, HBO is sending cease-and-desist letters to ISPs who are allowing BitTorrent use on their bandwidth, and movie studios are fighting the illegal distribution of their movies as well.

My suggestion is to be familiar with BitTorrent, because there are many, many legal files to be shared with this protocol. It is worth having it and being familiar with it. But legally speaking, my advice is to never download copyrighted material from anyone unless you are paying for it legally. Stick to iTunes and the like for copyrighted work. But get on board with BitTorrent for open source, or legally traded material. It is definitely worth knowing how it works and having it available.

*****
For more on BitTorrents:

Wikipedia
Protocol Specifications
BitTorrent Clients
DMOZ Open Directory Project BitTorrent Directory

Tags: BitTorrent, Computers, Copyright, Downloads, Internet, Software

If you use the Internet, your computer is constantly being bombarded with spam, cookies, adware, spyware or even viruses. There are many ways to combat these things, but today we’re just going to look at the basics.

First of all, if you don’t have a firewall set up, do that. Firewalls act as a buffer, or filter, between your computer and the web. A firewall is kind of like a bouncer at a club, deciding who gets in and under what conditions. Firewalls can keep unwanted agents from accessing your computer, and should be step-one in protecting your system. There are many reputable companies that create firewall software, and more than likely, you got some of that software on your computer when you bought it. Otherwise, a simple search on the web, or trip to your local electronics store will solve your problems.

Of course, a firewall will only help prevent more damage from being done. If there are things on your computer slowing you down, you need to find them and fix them. For this there are a few tools you can use that are already on your computer, and a few you should download.

Downloadable Cleanup Software

• Spybot Search & Destroy - Spybot is free and will search your hard drives for spyware, adware and other unwanted items.

• CCleaner - Free tool that will help clean up your computer’s basics. Internet history, cookies, temporary files, recycle bin, etc.

• Window Washer - More advanced version of CCleaner. Costs $29.95, but has a free trial. Very simple to use.

Cleanup tools on your Computer Already

Find them here:
Start->Programs->Accessories->System Tools

In the System Tools Menu, there are two tools you’ll want to use regularly. The first is Disk Cleanup, which is similar to CCleaner and Windows Washer. It will clean up your temporary Internet files and such, helping to improve the performance of your machine.

The second is Disk Defragmenter. What this does is scan your hard drive(s) and moves pieces of files around to better organize your space. When you save things on your hard drive, your computer doesn’t always put the files in the best places it could put them. You may have two files that would work best together that are in two completely different locations on your hard drive. Defragmenting takes those fragments of files and moves them around to more ideal locations. This should also help improve the speed and performance of your computer if done regularly.

All of these tools can be used in conjunction with one another, and should be used together. I would recommend running CCleaner or Windows Washer daily, and Disk Defragmenter weekly. And if you don’t already have a firewall in place, that’s your top priority.

It also doesn’t hurt to go through your Add/Remove Programs Menu from the Control Panel to make sure you don’t have any software running that shouldn’t be. Never remove anything you are unfamiliar with. But if you come across something you don’t think belongs, do a quick web search on that software. If it turns out it is spyware or adware, you can remove it. But always check first, if your not sure what you’re dealing with.

Tags: Cleanup, Computers