Free Software

If you ask anyone who actively downloads free software off the internet, you will find that everyone has had both good and bad experiences. Personally, I currently enjoy several great free software packages that help me organize my music and pictures, as well as prevent spy ware. Conversely, it is not hard for me to think of some free software that I have downloaded that has be filled with spy ware, and even viruses in extreme cases. Despite the poor experiences that almost everyone has encountered, free software will likely remain in use by millions of computer users. In my experience, I have found that a lot of the problems I have come across can easily be avoided when downloading free software. If you can manage to avoid most problems, then you will certainly agree that free software is indeed a blessing to the average computer user.

The most important factor when downloading free software is to consider the website you are getting it from. Obviously, downloading a Microsoft update from the Microsoft website is a fairly safe thing to do. The grey areas arise from more obscure programs that have to be downloaded from less popular site. I have downloaded lots of free software from Download.com and have yet to encounter any problems with programs from that website. While this site is far from being a safe haven, it is certainly much better than most other sites I have encountered when looking for free software. Free software can be a great and useful way to make your computer use more efficient. I think it is silly to try to avoid it altogether due to fear of spy ware and viruses. As long as you are careful, you should not encounter many problems with the use of free software.