When you find yourself considering a new software purchase, surf around to see if there is a suitable freeware version of the same kind of software you were going to fork over your hard earned cash for.

Yes, I know, time is money. It takes time to find some programs that look like they are worth downloading. It takes time to install, evaluate, and uninstall a program because what you downloaded is not quite what you had in mind as a solution to your software needs.

I look at my boxes of old program disks that I keep so that I can reformat them and reuse the disk which I paid between ten to fifty dollars on, because it once contained software that I hoped would enhance what I do with a computer. Then I search though another list freeware.

Some programs in my box, did not live up to the description on the outside of the package. Others were awesome programs which refused to work after my 486 50 MHz motherboard died and my PCI video card developed a short circuit.

My computers seem to develop terminal problems every three to five years. Every time I have to replace some hardware, technology has changed just enough that what was a sure buy three years ago is not made any more. The ultimate question is will my old operating system support this component. Sometimes it costs less to buy a new computer than it does to upgrade your old one.

This was the case the second time I invested in a computer. My 486 ran under Windows 3.1. I upgraded to a Pentium 166 MHz MMX system. Like my first computer, it was the best one I could find on the market at the time. My Pentium came with Windows 95, version b, and Microsoft Office 97.

The word processor was the most important software on the computer. It meant that I could finish my play that I was in the middle of writing when my computer died. I loaded in my file from the disk that I had saved it on, and started to work on my script. All the features that Word 2.0 forgot, were included in my new software.

My script matured into a document, that I could start passing around. I started to load in my favorite games from my 486. To my horror only a few worked with my new system, and the companies who released the software did not upgrade their software to be compatible with Windows 95.

I still miss some of my Windows 3.1 games, but there was no going back. I refused to lose what I had gained in a better word processor for the sake of a few games. Besides, Windows 3.1 could not run the really cool screen savers that I had downloaded from the Internet.

In 99 my power supply took out my motherboard, video card and monitor. So I replaced my system once again. All programs that ran well on Windows 98 reviewed on this website were tested with a 200Mhz MMX pentium, with 256Mb RAM. All Windows XP2 programs are tested with a P4, 128cache, with 1G RAM.

Freeware is usually better than shareware. Shareware tends to expire between twenty to thirty days. I might not get a chance to try the program in question for a month or two after downloading the program. Shareware writers give out limited editions of their software. Freeware authors distribute complete programs. Shareware authors write nag messages into their software.

Many freeware authors ask for a donation if it is possible. I operate on a non-existent budget. When it becomes possible for me to do so I'll be the first in line to donate because I really appreciate the work and efforts of freeware authors.




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