Computer club discussion

Copyright (c) 2008 Jim Edwards

I started writing this column way back in 1998 and one thing rates as true today as it did ten years ago: people love free stuff online. Free software tops the list of free things they love. People particularly love free software that solves annoying little problems, offers some fun, or saves them time and effort.

If you own a PC, the following free software will help you save time, enjoy a little fun, and protect yourself and your computer too.

** EULAlyzer **

Log on to www.javacoolsoftware.com and download the “EULAlyzer” software that helps you spot troublesome language in those “End User License Agreements.” You know, the software installation agreements we should all read, but normally we just click “Agree” and keep right on installing the software.

However, blindly agreeing to those EULAs means you could potentially consent to all sorts of unpleasant things, including your desktop getting assaulted by advertising “spyware” and worse. EULAlyzer helps you by analyzing virtually any EULA for trouble.

As they say on their site, “If you aren’t reading the license agreements, you have no idea what you could be agreeing to.”

** Want To Make A Movie? **

Ok, this software resides online instead of running on your PC. But that actually works out better because you only need a web browser to access it.

Log on to www.jumpcut.com and you can create your own cool videos to share on YouTube and other sites. No, it won’t make you into a Spielberg, but it can help you get a basic video done with text overlays and more without complicated software.

A must-look website for the online video newbie.

** Fast Photo Changes **

Did you ever need to resize a digital photo or just crop it?

Did you ever need to take a huge 8 mega-pixel photo and resample it to make it work as an email attachment?

Well log on to www.irfanview.com and install the “IrfanView” software that makes these two tasks easy as 1-2-3!

Though the software takes a bare-bones approach to look and feel, it does exactly what you need to resize and resample photos and images on the fly.

** Online Flash Games **

Everybody loves video games! Ok, well, maybe not everybody, but did you know that online gaming by adults represents the fastest growing segment of the game industry?

If you love to play games online (but hate to pay for them), then log on to www.Kongregate.com. This website boasts thousands of flash games you can play right in your web browser.

Sure, some of them are a complete waste of time, but, isn’t that what playing online games is all about? I guarantee you’ll find at least one game to enjoy on this ever-expanding site. (I admit I got hooked on “Desktop Tower Defense.”)

** Free Anti-Virus **

Log on to http://free.grisoft.com and download the free anti-virus protection. It doesn’t come with any tech support, but it sure beats running your computer without any protection.

I like AVG anti-virus products because they don’t seem to bog down your system the way Norton does and, in this case, you can’t beat the price.

At the quality electronic sales website there are various electronic items which can be purchased. From well known and accredited manufacturers like Canon, Garmin and Samsung, your online shopping for electronics will be spoiled for choice. At the quality electronic sales you will not only get high quality merchandise but the prices are quite low as compared to any other online stores. Quality electronic sales offer a one stop shop for all your electronics needs. To make the search easy the website is organized in such a way that you are able to personalize your search so as to search according to the manufacturer or the brand name which you might be interested in.

Here you will find all the categories of the electronics you might be interested in. These include such items as cables and connectors, cellular accessories, batteries, computers and their accessories, GPS navigation devices, home theater devices, iPhones and their accessories together with other many products of either Canon, Garmin Or Samsung manufacturers. You just need to name it and it will be availed to you.

This store receives all orders through online billing as it is an e commerce store. In case there is a typological error made on the price of a commodity then the order is discarded. In case your credit card has been charged before this error is discovered then the credit is issued to your credit card based on the amount of money which had been deducted.

The most common reason which makes people to shop in this store is because the products are of high quality and the price is quite affordable. The staff of this store is also helpful and is easy to work with.

We all need to shop for the various articles and items from time to time. Sometimes we need small things that are needed for our day to day lives while at times we may be wanting a high tech gadget. Shopping is certainly an indispensable part of our lives. We spend large sum of money in buying the objects of our needs and liking. Everyone simply loves to shop however there are various constraints like time, distance, lack of company that refrain one from moving out for shopping. However the advancement in technology has bestowed the humans with great comfort and ease. The advent of online shopping has given immense facilities to the people and now we can shop within the comfort and privacy of our homes. The internet has given great convenience to the people and now the customers can get their desired products with great ease.

Online shopping is a unique concept in which the customers can easily seek all the information regarding a particular product with great ease. They can easily look out for the various brands and models to determine which product is most suitable for them. One can easily seek details like price, make, features, design etc from the various websites and portals. Shopping online has become extremely popular amongst the people across the world. Prime reason for the immense success of this kind of shopping is the easy access to loads of information and simple procedures that appeal to today’s generation. Due to lack of time it is difficult for the consumers to visit the markets and stores and spend hours trying different products. There is so much variety available in even the simplest of products that it needs a lot of time to compare the various products. Moreover you cannot expect to find all the products at a single store. In an online store you can find all kinds of items. The items are listed with complete information like prices, specifications etc. You can find everything from beauty products to medicines, from high tech electronic gadgets to home decor etc. A wide range of products are readily available on the internet. By simply logging on to the world of web you can have access to all your favourite products.

These days you cannot only find products and details on the internet but can also seek advice from the experts. The various shopping portals provide the users facility to compare the prices and also discuss the quality and performance of the items on the forums. The users have the facility to write reviews and also get clear insight of the product by referring to the opinions and the reviews of other users. These days price comparison shopping is creating waves in the market as the users prefer to analyze and compare the features of the various products to avail the most perfect one. You can also find listing of various products along with the prices and features. They can compare the costs and then decide which product they want to avail and from which brand or seller.

The various sellers provide great offers and discounts on different items. By carefully examining different online stores, the users shall be able to identify the best products. They can get great benefits like free gifts, free subscription, cash back etc. So now you can easily get your desired items with great ease. Shopping online is extremely easy and is a sheer fun. You simply need to connect to the internet, search for the product on the various websites, log on to a reliable shopping portal and order the product. Making payments for the products that have been purchased online is very simple. You can pay with the help of credit cards, debit cards or through your bank account. However one needs to be careful and cautious while shopping online. The customers should only log on to the reliable comparison shopping websites that promise security of information regarding credit cards numbers.

If you haven’t shopped for laptop computers lately, you probably don’t know what you’re missing. Gone are the days when you had to give up ease of use and functionality in order to get the convenience and portability of a laptop computer. These days, laptops are powerful, well-built, and packed full of all the features that you expect in a modern computer. And the best thing is: you can get it all at a price that comes close to rivaling a desktop system.

Traditionally, laptop computers used underperforming screens that were easily damaged, bad at reproducing color, slow to update, and driven by graphics cards that would make your grandmother snicker in derision. However, modern laptop computers feature beautiful, full-color displays and mid-range graphics cards that not only have the power to drive graphics-intensive games, but are designed with power-saving features which don’t gobble battery juice like it’s going out of style. Many modern portable computers come standard with widescreen displays that would have been the envy of the owners of top-notch desktop systems in years past.

The keyboards offered by manufacturers of laptop computers are no longer the chicklet-style horrors that were forced upon us back in the day. Now, it’s perfectly realistic to engage in typing-intensive tasks such as word processing, data entry, or frantic, late-night instant messaging, all from the comfort and convenience of your portable system. If size is not your number one concern, you can find laptops with full-sized keyboards and a number pad. With ergonomics as important as functionality, the “feel” of modern keyboards are sure to please.

The first truly portable computers had no integrated mouse or equivalent pointing device. Then, manufacturers developed miniature, thumb-operated joysticks that were supposed to take the place of a full-sized mouse. Needless to say, those sorts of devices were quickly relegated to hardware history. Today’s laptops have well-built, integrated touchpads that work like a charm. Many people grow so accustomed to using a touch-pad that they dispense with a mouse altogether. Now that’s progress!

Obviously, there’s only so much that can be packed inside a portable case. When you consider that modern laptop computers feature a beefy graphics card, an optical drive, decent RAM capacity, a wireless card, and more, it’s no wonder that most people occasionally like to supplement their laptop with external peripherals. To make this easy, today’s laptop computers bristle with just about every connector under the sun. If you need additional features, it’s a simple matter to plug in extra hardware.

If you have been wondering whether a laptop computer is suitable for your needs, give some of today’s models a try. Today’s laptop computers rival their desktop counterparts in price and performance. So, you may find that they’re just what you’ve been waiting for. The age of the laptop is here, don’t be left behind.