Software Reviews - Recommended Software

I only review and recommend software that I have personally used and found to be outstanding in its field. All software I recommend has been checked for spyware and viruses and has proven to be reasonably stable on my Microsoft Windows based computers.

However, one person's meat is another's poison. Although I have found a particular program to be excellent, you may find that it does not suit your needs at all.

Moreover, it is impossible to guarantee that any software I recommend will work as well for you as it has for me. There are just too many variables to make such a guarantee viable. Therefore, I cannot take any responsibility for problems that you may encounter due to the use of software that I have reviewed.

Before installing any software from the Internet, you should:

• Make sure that the software is suitable for your computer system
• Make sure that you are downloading a legal copy of the software.
• Read the End User Licence Agreement (EULA) if there is one.
• Check the software for viruses and spyware.

• Belarc Advisor - Know Thy Computer
• Mozilla Firefox - For A Superior Web Browsing Experience
• ReadPlease 2003 - Text-to-Speech Software
• The Gimp - Image Manipulation Program
• Tux Paint - Paint Program for Children
• Mozilla Thunderbird Email and News Client
• ZoneAlarm Firewall
  

For a while now I've been using a system of managing downloads that I feel is quite effective, especially if you download a lot of software.

First of all, I have a parent folder on my C drive that I call "AAADownloads" so that it stays at the top in Windows Explorer for easy access.

Every time I download a program, I create a new sub-folder within this parent folder that has the same name as the software I'm downloading.

Normally I store all the files and folders associated with the software in this sub-folder. I also create a plain text software log for each download that records the following information.

**Name:
**Source:
**Download Date:
**Install Date:
**Installation Report:
**Eula:
**Review:

To save time, I have a template file set up so I can just fill in the blanks and save the resulting file to the new program's sub-folder.

I find that it can be really useful to have all the information and files you need for a program in an easily accessible and well-organized location.