Monday, July 20, 2009

Five Programs You Should Download For Your New Computer

by: Justin Williams

If you've recently bought a new computer, one of the first things you do after plugging it in is start downloading software. But which software should you download? I wrote this article to explain which five programs I feel should be the first programs you should download. Let's take a look at the list. These are in no particular order.

1. Trillian

Do you like to use AIM? MSN? Yahoo? Do you use a combination of them? Why use a bunch of separate messengers when you can use Trillian.

Trillian connects to multiple messengers so that you can chat with friends from Yahoo, MSN, AOL, ICQ, and IRC, all on the same messenger. Now you don't have to worry about downloading multiple messengers. And the best part is that Trillian takes less RAM then a single regular messenger you would otherwise use. Saving that RAM for other running programs. :)

2. Mozilla FireFox

If you've never used FireFox and have stuck to Internet Explorer, give FireFox a try. Firefox is a lot better then Internet Explorer, and has hundreds of extensions to download. Want to know if you have mail without opening your e-mail account? There's an extension for that. Want to know the weather without going to a website? There's an extension for that. Want to know an alexa rank of a website? There's an extension for that. Seriously. Just go download FireFox.

3. Update Windows

Ok, this isn't really software you are downloading. But if you bought a Windows computer, one of the first things you should do is update Windows. I can almost guarantee you that there are critical security updates waiting to be installed. So go to WindowsUpdate.com and get your computer updated.

4. Ad-Aware

Spyware is all over the internet these days. Spyware can come with software you download, websites you visit, etc. Spyware is one of the biggest annoyances on the internet that you will encounter. Instead of waiting for a problem to come up, why not download Ad-Aware and start protecting your computer from day 1. Ad-Aware has been around for many years and is in my opinion the best Anti-Spyware remover available. Best of all, there is a free version. So go download Ad-Aware and make sure to update it frequently.

5. Google Earth

Some may argue with Google Earth being on this list, but in my opinion, Google Earth is one of the coolest programs you can download. Google Earth has everything. You can view satellite maps all over the world, 360 degree photos, YouTube videos, Wikipedia links, historical maps, etc. Seriously, Google Earth has it all. If you have never used Google Earth, download it right away. You will be amazed just how far technology as you learn and look at information from all over the world.

In just these five programs, you can learn about the world, protect your computer, connect to multiple messengers, and surf the web. Of course, there are many other programs you can later download, but these are by far some of the best and are definite must-have's for your new computer.

Have fun with your new computer!

For download links to the software mentioned in this article, check out my website at http://www.EasyTechReview.com