Free Software Update

I've written before about my quest to use free/open source Windows software exclusively on my computers. I'm still looking for an Adobe Acrobat replacement, but I have found some more effective software that I'd like to share with you.

Spybot Tools: I discovered the joys of Spybot Search and Destroy and Spyware Blaster, two top-notch spyware prevention utilities. The latest Spybot S&D actively guards your registry and running processes. Nice.

Firewall: Changed to Sygate Personal Firewall. It's more cofigurable and informative than the free version of Zone Alarm, and it enables Windows shares to be seen while still protecting your computer.

Archiver/Unzip: IZArc replaces 7-zip for me. It unzips many more types of files, and it's a bit cleaner on the interface.

Desktop Publishing: Sodipodi is a high-quality Publisher/Illustrator replacement with a funny name.

Backup: A good, automatic backup utility for light home use is hard to find. Cobian Backup 5 fits the bill nicely. Automatic, over-the-network backups that automatically zip up your chosen information.

Utilities: BeClean purges unnecessary registry entries and files. VisualCD catalogs all those CDs and DVDs you've made. Two nice pieces of software from the same guys.

Freeware sites: I've gotten a lot of quality software from Snapware and Freeware-guide, although the latter's navigation is screwy.

Open Source Sources: This guy provides a monthly, up-to-date CD iso of quality open source software. And this guide charts commercial products with their open source equivalent. Don't forget the OpenCD project!