You're a student! Of course you can't afford to buy Microsoft Office. But that doesn't mean I can open those Works and WordPerfect files you're trying to send me, either.
Open Office is a free, open source productivity suite like Microsoft Office. I use it and recommend it.
Mozilla Firefox is a free Web browser that protects you from pop-ups, and--they claim--spyware and viruses.
I use the free Spybot Search and Destroy. (Download the updates each week before you run the search.) I also use AdAware to protect against "data mining."
Do spend money on anti-virus software. It's not worth your while to try and save a few bucks there. Supplement your virus protection by running spyware and adware detection programs on your computer once a week.
Get the free Microsoft Word Viewer 2003 if you have trouble opening my handouts or any other Word, WordPerfect, or Works documents.
While we're on the subject of computer resources, remember to back things up frequently when you're writing a paper: Consider maintaining an extra (free) email address just to send yourself copies of your essays so you never lose one due to computer crash or human error. Popular options include Gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo, and for privacy and civil liberties buffs, Hushmail. |
