Free Software
In today's technological world it is unnecessary to spend money on software to be productive and current. The following is a list of just some free software available on the Internet. If you are a Tech student and you don't have Internet service, our IT shop students can make you a CD free of charge. Call the help desk at extension 323.
OpenOffice OpenOffice is a free open source office suite including a word processor, a spreadsheet program, a presentation program and much more. It is largely compatible with Microsoft Office which we use at Cape Tech.
OpenOffice Portable OpenOffice Portable is functioning version of OpenOffice that a student can carry around on a flash drive or a CD. It works without being installed on the computer. How cool is that?
AbiWord AbiWord is a very good word processor which takes up very little space on a computer. The portable version of AbiWord is absolutely tiny (about 22 MB) and perfect for smaller flash drives.
Antivirus Software is critically necessary for your computer, particularly if you are connected to the Internet. If you have a subscription-based service and your access to updates has expired, you need to renew your subscription or consider switching to a free product. If you choose to switch, make sure to completely remove your existing antivirus software prior to installing any other product. Computers with more than one antivirus product installed can freeze and become unstable. There are several products to consider. Here are two of them: AVG, Avast.
Spyware prevention and removal is a must for any computer connected to the Internet. Be careful! Some products claiming to fight spyware are actually perpetrators of spyware themselves! Some safe bets are SpywareBlaster (an immunization only product), Spybot Search & Destroy (immunizes and removes existing spyware) and Ad-Aware. It is ok to have more than one installed on your computer. These products do not update automatically, so you need to run the updates manually (do it frequently!).
Cape Tech does not specifically endorse any software products and bears no responsibility for any problems users may experience. The information here is provided only to help users make informed decisions. Users are encouraged to conduct their own research prior to installing any software on their computers. The exclusion of information here should not be interpreted as disapproval of any software product.