Software, Programs, and Apps Oh my
needs
Depending on the type of device that you purchase you may NEED to invest in certain software and programs.
Internet Browsers
Most devices come loaded with a device specific browser. Windows machines today come with Microsoft Edge and Mac come with Safari. Windows and Mac devices do not typically come loaded with Google Chrome browser. Below you will find links to Google Chrome Browser and Mozilla Firefox. These are common browsers used in business and education.
Anti-Virus Software
If you have a Windows based laptop or even desktop, you will need an Anti-virus software. There are many products on the market for these devices. There are also anti-virus products for Macs. We rarely hear about the need for anti-virus software for Macs, but when any device is connected to the internet, they are susceptible to attack.
Below you will find a links to PCMags list of Anti-Virus Software and AV Test List of Virus Software (rated by an independent testing lab). Most are paid software that must be updated regularly to fully protect a device. The third link is to a list of free anti-virus software products. These will also need to be updated regularly to fully protect.
AV Test Anti-Virus Comparison Windows
Anti-Malware, Spyware and Ransomware
Malware is any malicious program that is seeking to cause harm to your device or to "steal" data from your device. These data could be account numbers, passwords and other credentials. Many Anti-Virus software products also protect against Malware. However, you can never be too careful and having Anti-Malware software is a great. Spyware is similar to Malware in that it "steals" information from your computer. Ransomware made the news often in 2017, with several schools and business being attacked and their devices held for "ransom" and rendered useless. Ransomware is a type of malicious software that perpetually blocks access to it unless a "ransom" is paid.
TechRadar Best Free Anti-Malware
Digital Trends Best Anti-Spyware
Office Productivity
For years everyone has referred to software in this category as Word or Office. Word is a word processing program from Microsoft and is part of the Office Suite of products, that also includes Excel (spreadsheets), PowerPoint (presentation software) and Publisher (Publishing software). In the early days of PCs, all computers came pre-loaded with Office, now that is not the case. With most computers, you must purchase Office to be added to your PC. There are versions of Office for the Mac Book, but it cannot be loaded on a Chromebook. If you cannot shell out the money to purchase Office, there are other alternatives, but you must have some type of Office Productivity Product to function. Microsoft Office allows you to create product in each individual program offline. Some options below are cloud based and may require WiFi or internet for creation of products. While the list below provides alternatives, there are others on the market and ever different alternative does not work exactly the same as the Microsoft Office.
Google Docs/Drive- cloud based and works on all devices. Can set up for offline access, but typically needs online to work and save.
Mircosoft Office- long standing Microsoft Office- paid or monthly subscription. Also available for MacOS
Office 365- paid subscription based service from Microsoft. Similar to Microsoft Office
LibreOffice- Free Open Source software as an alternative to Microsoft Office
iWork- a Mac created equivalent to Microsoft Office for MacOS devices
WPS Office- Word Perfect's free office software. Available for Windows, Linux and MacOS
Wants
Photo Editing and Storage
Photo Editing is become easier for those with little experience. There are many software programs on the market to do just this. Some are paid and others are free. Photos also take up space in the storage on the computer. Finding a safe, secure place to store photos is important.
Adobe PhotoShop- PAID- versions for Windows and OS; App or extension for Chromebooks
Affinity Pro/Designer- PAID- iPad, Windows, MacOS
GIMP- FREE- open source software available across different devices.
Pixlr- FREE Cloud based (online), uses flash, available across platforms.
PDF Editor
Adobe Acrobat- PAID- available for Windows and MacOS- the original PDF editor
Sejda- FREE cloud/online based; limited to 3 PDFs per hour. There is a paid version as well. Allows you to delete and add texts and images as well as split a larger PDF
PDFEscape- FREE online; limited to PDFs of less than 100 pages or 100mb. Cannot edit existing text, but can cover it up.
Media Player
Windows Media Player- available for Windows and Mac;
VLC- FREE available across all platforms.
Martindale, J. (2018, January 30). 10 free alternatives to Photoshop for all your photo-editing needs. From https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/best-free-photo-editing-software/