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Google Chrome Web Browser-
Make browsing the web faster, safer, and easier
- Experience fewer browser crashes
Note: Seems to be faster than any other browser, but lacks
many features including a home button that many people will find
unacceptable. But other wise quite good. |
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Google Toolbar for Internet Explorer-
Search from any web page and autofill forms
- Block annoying pop-ups
Note: We use this toolbar ourselves. Primarily for the built
in spellchecker. |
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Spyware Doctor Starter Edition-
Detects and removes spyware, adware, trojans and keyloggers
- Includes Smart Updates and scheduling to
protect your PC
Note: Good product. Ad-Aware seems just as good. We have also
recently heard reports that this has caused problems on some peoples
computers. However we have found through experience that problems
installing software or software damaging a computer is usually because
the computer had existing problems to begin with. So until we have
better evidence, install if you wish to take the chance. Personally we
have not seen any such problems. But of course our office computers are
kept in top working order which is not typical of most home computers. |
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Adobe Reader- View,
print, and search PDF files via a redesigned interface
- Secure your documents and collaborate via
online, real-time meetings
Note: This is a must have program for modern internet use. |
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Google Talk- Connect
with your friends via IM or free voice calls
- Send and receive files and voice messages
easily and quickly
Note: A simple IM client, and is compatible with our new email
services. |
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RealPlayer- Play
popular media formats, organize music and videos
- Transfer music to iPod and other portable media
players
Note: Not really needed unless you need to play back real
media music or video. Install only if you find a need for it. |
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Mozilla Firefox with Google Toolbar-
Browse the web quickly and securely
- Switch between pages quickly with tabbed
browsing
Note: This is a great alternative for Internet Explorer. |
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Norton Security Scan-
Detects and eliminates viruses and internet worms
- Free detection updates and scheduled scanning
Note: Useful to perform scans on your computer to see what is
getting missed by other antivirus products, but does not fix what it
finds. Therefore we suggest it not be installed. It's lack of ability to
fix what it finds renders it useless in our opinion. If you currently
have a good antivirus product this will most likely only find some
cookies which are generally harmless. |
The following items from the Google pack we do not recommend unless you
have a high end computer with at least 512mb of system memory.
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Picasa- Find, edit, and
share your photos in seconds
- Easily remove red eye and fix photos
Note: Some people find this useful for sharing of photos among
family and friends. Personally we don't use it and have not found a real
need for it. |
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Google Earth- Zoom from
space to street level — tour the world
- Find maps, driving directions, hotels,
restaurants, and more
Note: Very nice program. Requires a decent computer to run it
well. |
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Google Desktop- Find
all your email, files, web history, and more
- Get all your personalized info in one place
with Sidebar
Note: We find this program to be to much of a computer
resource hog to be of any use. How much it slows down your computer is
not worth the features it gives you. |
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Google Photos Screensaver-
Display photos from your PC and photo sharing sites
- Watch cinematic slideshows
Note: Not really of any value. At least not in our opinion. |
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Skype- Make free voice
and video calls to anyone else on Skype
- Call landlines and mobile phones at pretty low
rates
Note: You need a good computer and a high speed internet
connection to make any real use of this program. Dial-Up users don't
bother. |
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