Avoid: Adobe Acrobat Reader
Why? Acrobat Reader is widely considered to be overly boated and unstable.
Superior Alternative: FoxIt Reader (www.foxitsoftware.com) represents a small, capable, stable and free alternative.

Avoid: Trial Internet Service Provider Offer
Why? Not only is it unlikely to be the best deal for you but as they are obsessed with bundled installations, the free trial software you receive is liable to be the incredibly bloated, unstable and possessive AOL Online. If anyone would listen, I would actually lobby to have this application legally banned on the grounds that it’s completely useless.
Superior Alternative: Remove all traces of any free trial applications and instead find the provider that is best for you at a comparison website such as www.moneysupermarket.com

Avoid: Browser Toolbars
Why? Unless you have specifically searched these out yourself they are unlikely to offer you features you really want while taking up space in your browser and potentially monitoring your usage habits.
Superior Alternative: I personally question the need for any toolbars whatsoever but of course, if you do have a favourite, then simply install just that one and remove all others.

Avoid: Internet Explorer
Why? Prone to security vulnerabilities, bloated and in most circumstances feels outdated.
Superior Alternative: You won’t be surprised to hear that I would recommend giving Firefox (www.mozilla.com/firefox) a spin.

Avoid: Nero Essentials
Why? Although I am not averse to the full edition of Nero, which may be bloated but is certainly feature rich, I’m a little less impressed by the free, limited versions that are shipped with many PC’s.
Superior Alternative: For a very capable, much smaller, faster, free alternative try using CDBurnerXP (www.cdburnerxp.se).

Avoid: Bundled AntiVirus software
Why? Any AntiVirus application bundled with your machine will almost certainly be either Norton or McAfee which are both incredibly large applications. After your 30 day grace period they will begin nagging you on a daily basis to continue your subscription for a yearly fee.
Superior Alternative: I am still very much in love with the free AVG (http://free.avg.com) Anti-Virus checker which represents a small but incredibly powerful alternative.

Avoid: Both Quicktime and Realplayer
Why? They load at startup, are incredibly slow and worst of all continuously gobble up system resources. The only functionality that they add is the ability to play files in either the Quicktime or Realplayer format which personally I’ve never seen the need for.
Superior Alternatives: As much as it pains me to ratify their existence, it is likely that a website will try to force one of these formats on you at some stage so keep copies of the substantially smaller Quicktime Alternative (http://codecguide.com/download_qt.htm) and Real Alternative (http://codecguide.com/download_real.htm) to hand.

In all reality the chance of the average user becoming infected is extremely remote but the official line by security experts is that until Microsoft have issued a patch that users should either up their security settings from within Internet Explorer or switch to an alternative browser such as Firefox or Opera.

Most people that read my column know that they should either run a half decent browser such as Firefox or if they insist on using Internet Explorer that they should keep Windows updated at all times. Whilst there is no fix for this particular bug, by keeping your Browser and Operating System up to date you are limiting your chances of running in to problems.

Something that is often overlooked by so many, however, is ensuring that all other applications on your computer are kept up to date as it isn’t just browsers that are affected by security issues. Making a list of all the software on your computer and then individually checking the manufacturer’s website for updates would be quite a laborious and time consuming process which is where my recommendation for this week comes in. Secunia PSI is a piece of software which has just come out of Beta testing that is designed to alleviate such problems by checking the majority of the applications currently installed on your computer for known security vulnerabilities.

There are two versions of this application available, one that runs online and one that you download and install; both are available from http://secunia.com/vulnerability_scanning/. Personally I would recommend downloading the application rather than the online test as the 500kb file will scan a greater number of programs than the online version.

Once the scans have completed, Secunia will list any out of date affected software and give you a vulnerability rating along with a link to obtain the latest version of the application if there is one available. You can view details about each individual threat and to be honest the results can be quite startling; although my laptop managed an initial security score of 92% there were several potentially serious problems that it discovered. One rather obscure bug in my PDF reader (Foxit PDF) could have potentially given a hacker full access to my computer.

I think there is a stage where paranoia can kick in and users can be over cautious but a certain level of precaution should always be taken. Even if you are not worried about the potential security implications of running out of date software, Secunia offers a quick and easy way to ensure that you are running the most up to date and hopefully feature rich versions of all your favourite programs.

It was always surprising that given Googles’ prominence in the Search Engine market, they hadn’t created a browser of their own but rather chosen to focus their software on themes un-associated with their core business activity; Earth, Picasa and Sketchup to name just a few. At the beginning of last week however, completely out of the blue, they announced Google Chrome (www.google.com/chrome) and then released it days later.

This is an interesting shake up of the browser market which is currently dominated by Internet Explorer and Firefox (and to a lesser extent Opera). Remember that although a new entrant, Google have some fantastic developers and bucket loads of cash to throw at this project.

Whilst still in beta (testing) stage I thought it might be worth compiling a list of why you will possibly find yourself switching in the not too distant future:

It’s stable – Due to the fact that all tabs are run independently from one another, one unstable page won’t bring down the whole browser along with any other currently open pages. Although still in beta I am yet to crash Chrome.

It’s fast – This is possibly an understatement; the program opens in seconds and renders pages extremely quickly. Due to the multi-process architecture mentioned above, one slow tab won’t affect the speed of any other opened pages.

Clean Interface – Rather than consuming large amounts of screen space, Chrome is incredibly compact. It does take a little getting used to but eventually you almost forget that you are actually using a browser.

Intelligent Address Bar – Much like the fantastic address bar in Firefox, Chrome allows you to start typing a phrase and will immediately attempt to find a match from all your previously visited websites and bookmarks. If no matches are found, hit return and Google will do a web search to attempt to find other suitable matches.

Dynamic Home Page – As you use Chrome it will remember the sites that you visit most often, your preferred choice of search engine, tabs that you have recently closed and recent bookmarks and display it on your home page unless you specify otherwise.

Of course, there are still some drawbacks to the application; we haven’t adopted it at work just yet due to the fact the option to print preview and print backgrounds are completely absent; these are both critical for our web based invoice run. The application also doesn’t yet support add-ins which are a technology that have been a huge factor in the success of Firefox. Possibly most importantly, the browser is still in Beta stage so many would consider it unproven and prone to problems, including potential security risks.

Whilst I am excited about the shake up this could bring to the browser industry, I am worried that rather than harming Internet Explorer (which, despite being inferior, is still the most popular browser as a result of being bundled with Windows), Chrome will just draw experienced users away from other quality browsers such as Firefox and Opera.

Popularized by the Opera browser, the mouse gesture is slowly but surely gaining support from both software developers and users. The idea is that rather than having to click on an icon or use a keyboard shortcut, the user instead holds down a mouse button (usually the right) then moves the mouse in a certain gesture (for example from right to left) and then released the button. This gesture is then converted in to relevant command, for example the commend ‘go back’ in a browser window. Whilst still not big in personal computing, gestures are already very popular on devices such as a PDA’s (Personal Digital Assistants) as the omission of a keyboard means that conventional keyboard shortcuts aren’t available as an alternative to laboriously clicking icons.

As an example of how mouse gestures could be used, let’s take a look at a few of those already built in to the Opera browser. All of these gestures require you to hold down the right mouse button and then make the movement indicated:

Previous Page – Move mouse left

Next Page – Move mouse right

Home Page – Double click right mouse button

Open New Document – Move down

Reload Page – Move up, then down

Maximise Window – Move up, then right

Minimise Window – Move down, then left

Close Document – Move down, then right

For those of you that missed my review of this popular and capable browser check out www.computerarticles.co.uk to download a copy.

Opera has had mouse gesture support since way back in 2001 and unfortunately as of yet neither Firefox nor Internet Explorer include support straight out the box. Both applications can be upgraded through with the use of add-in applications; those using Firefox should head to http://optimoz.mozdev.org and for Internet Explorer check out www.ysgyfarnog.co.uk. Of course, both these utilities are very small downloads, completely free and don’t include any advertising.

Software support outside of the browser market is quite limited due to the fact that whilst most people use an Internet Browser in a similar fashion, most other applications are used in a very individual fashion and as such shortcuts for repetitive commands aren’t as relevant. I’d like to see more Operating System support for mouse gestures and I’m surprised that Vista didn’t have anything significant included; it wouldn’t revolutionise the user interface but would have been a nice touch.

I will also admit that I think the potential number of commands that can be accessed in this fashion is limited but once you’ve got used to using mouse gestures, it’s undeniable that they can reduce the amount of time taken performing repetitive tasks.

It can’t be denied that by all major benchmarks the Mac has improved a great deal in the past few years, and certainly for this point Apple should be congratulated. That having been said, I can’t help but think that I’m missing something when it comes to the argument of why I should abandon the PC and switch over.

Those who have read this article for a while will know that I am a firm supporter of the underdog and so on this account I should certainly be using the much smaller Apple platform but it’s not quite that simple. My problem stems from the fact that I’m very much against the way that all Macs have to be made by Apple, and that the majority of the software that you will use on the machine will also be developed by them.

I enjoy the fact that PC’s are manufactured by hundreds of different companies and that you can even buy all the parts yourself and make a PC based computer from scratch – when was the last time you heard of someone building their own Apple Mac?

From a software standpoint you are given no option as to the Operating System you use and a large majority of the software that you use will be forced on you from the outset. Approximately half of the fifteen reasons for switching over to a Mac from the Apple website centre around the argument that there is a large amount of software built in to the Operating System out of the box. You could argue that this is convenient for the end user but remember that Microsoft have been sued for countless millions for shipping Internet Explorer with Windows. No one has even questioned the fact that Apple ship their own photo, video, music, chat and the heavily iPod biased iTunes software with their machines.

Stability makes up another couple of points on their list, however these are highly debatable. Yes, Macs suffer from far fewer viruses and security attacks but this isn’t down to the ‘rock solid’ Operating System as Apple claims; it’s simply that with such an insignificant market share, no bugger can be bothered writing viruses for their machines. Windows based machines do have a large amount of viruses and security scares but that’s primarily due to their popularity rather than the fact that the idea of a PC is inherently flawed. Do remember that unlike Mac users, those that run PC’s have the choice of alternative Operating Systems such as Linux which again very few people tend to target for attacks.

The remainder of these fifteen official arguments focus on compatibility which again I don’t quite understand; the fact an Apple Mac can run Windows Vista or utilises an Intel chip isn’t a reason to make a switch. Granted, if these obstacles did exist then it would be a reason to stick with using a PC but the fact that they don’t exist doesn’t constitute a legitimate reason to spend half a grand switching over.

Don’t get me wrong, I actually have nothing against the Apple Mac as a machine but it’s just that I’ve been used to living in a world where if I want a new PC I pick who makes it and what software I put on it. If I want to upgrade it I take the side of the case off and stick a new graphics card, hard disk, processor or even motherboard inside and these can be made by a manufacturer of my choosing.

I don’t like the idea that to make the switch over from the PC I will only have the choice of giving my money to one company, and then when I want to upgrade a few years down the line they would have a complete monopoly over my business for a second time around. For me, at least, subscribing to such a system wouldn’t feel like supporting the underdog but rather more like selling my soul.

Firefox 2.0 – www.getfirefox.com – Fantastic web browser that is small, fast and secure – still beats Internet Explorer hands down in my opinion.

Thunderbird – www.getthunderbird.com – A powerful e-mail client from the same people that released Firefox. Offers advanced junk mail blocking, anti-phishing protection.

Skype – www.skype.co.uk – One of the most popular VOIP (Voice Over IP) programs, this application can be used to make free calls to other Skype users around the world.

Google SketchUp – http://sketchup.google.com – 3D modelling used to be difficult and expensive but now thanks to Google it’s easy and free.

Trillian – www.ceruleanstudios.com – This software allows you to communicate with friend over the Internet whether they use AIM, ICQ, MSN or Yahoo Messenger Instant Messaging (IM) software.

Picasa – http://picasa.google.com – Googles very own photo organiser is handy for those that have a large number of digital photos on their machines. Can also be used to correct red-eye and apply a number of special effects and correction options.

GIMP – http://gimp-win.sourceforge.net – I was very impressed earlier this year with this completely free image editing tool.

EditPad Lite – www.editpadlite.com – Whilst applications like Microsoft Word are all well and good sometimes you just want something simple to make notes in and this alternative to Windows Notepad doesn’t disappoint.

AVG – http://free.grisoft.com – This is my favourite virus checker and for those of you that keep sending me irate e-mails and letters saying that AVG is no longer free I can assure you it is – you’re just not reading the website carefully enough!

CCleaner – www.ccleaner.com – A handy program for removing unwanted junk files, problems with the Windows Registry and so on from your computer.

OpenOffice.org – www.openoffice.org – Although I do like Microsoft Office this version is completely free of charge whilst retaining most of its features.

Windows Defender – www.microsoft.com – An absolute essential for all Windows XP machines. This is the official spyware removal tool from Microsoft.

BitTorrent – www.bittorrent.com – Great for downloading videos, albums and so on off the Internet.

Google Earth – http://earth.google.com – Many hours have I wasted on this program which fantastically lets you manipulate a 3D model of the Earth to view absolutely any area of the planet as if you were looking from Space.

FreeUndelete – www.officerecovery.com/freeundelete – If like me you have ever accidentally deleted a file this program will give you a fighting chance of restoring it successfully.

Rockstar Classics – www.rockstargames.com/classics/ – The best things in life are free and the same applies for this site which kindly offers the classic Grand Theft Auto 1 & 2 games as well as Wild Metal for free.

DriveImage – www.runtime.org – I have never been a fan of backing up my PC but this utility makes the whole process pretty painless.

Slax – www.slax.org – The perfect introduction to Linux; this program takes minutes to download and doesn’t even need to be installed on your PCs hard disk.

There is plenty more fantastic free software out there so keep reading as I already have plans for several reviews in the New Year. All that’s left for me to do now is wish you all a very Merry Christmas and I look forward to joining you next week for my last article of 2006.

Add-ons (otherwise known as extensions or plug-ins) aren’t pieces of software in their own right but rather small bits of code designed to integrate with an existing application in order to extend its capabilities in one way or another. Firefox like many other browsers on the market encourage users to take advantage of this facility so that they can extend their browser in a way that suits them.

I’ve picked a few of the most popular plug-ins available, all of which are available free of charge by going to ‘Tools’ and ‘Extensions’ from within Firefox.

Adblock Plus – Whilst Firefox itself stops the majority of pop-ups you can still find some pages have intrusive adverts which Adblock Plus aims to stop. Install it into Firefox and immediately banner ads and other intrusive adverts will be removed from your browsing experience resulting in less interruptions and faster download times.

FlashGot – FlashGot is used to download entire sites quickly and easily which can be useful for offline browsing as it removes the necessary to save pages to disk one page at a time. It also includes a build gallery function so you can download and store every image from a site quickly and easily.

Video Downloader – Watching videos on the Internet is certainly handy but often if the video is embedded into the page it is difficult to save it on to your hard disk. If you install this add-in you will be able to click one button to save it to your computer permanently.

Tab Mix Plus – This extension improves the tab capabilities of Firefox to include features such as duplicating tabs, reopen closed tabs and a session manager which can save and restore combinations of tab windows should Firefox run in to trouble.

Torrent Search – My more astute readers will remember me talking a bit about Torrents a few weeks back. This plug-in allows you to easily search for downloads in more than 27 of the top Torrent search engines. This is a subject I’ll be covering more thoroughly in a future article but if you missed the original article please check out www.computerarticles.co.uk.

Answers – Once installed simply hold down the <Alt> key and click on any word present on a website to get details on what the word means along with related references.

Search Status – This is one of my favourites and a must for anyone involved with creating and promoting their own website. Search Status displays the Google PageRank and Alexa report of any page that you visit so you can immediately tell how popular it is – especially useful for comparing your sites against the competition. I’ll be giving a crash course in using PageRank and Alexa to promote your website online in a future article but in the meantime this plug-in is certainly worth installing so you can get a feel for these two systems.

It’s worthwhile noting that many of the above plug-ins are also compatible with Opera so even users of this browser may find it still worthwhile checking out addons.mozilla.org. Of course there are extensions that focus on Internet Explorer but as I am trying to convince my readers to switch allegiances it will be a while before I cover these in Click.