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In computer news this week  12/27/2006

 

The Raw Bytes products of the year 2006

 

Best web browser – the Firefox 2.0 browser – wins hands down over Internet Explorer. Firefox first of all is a safer browser, as its software design makes it not vulnerable to the many bad things that attack internet Explorer. Secondly, it’s a better browser, with better features, customization, and speed and security of operation. Best of all it’s free to download at Mozilla website, and it will install and automatically copy all your current information from Internet Explorer – favorite places, home page etc – and you’ll be up and running in a new dimension of web browsing.

 

Best USB Flashdrives – Sandisk – the company that invented the concept, and now sells their products everywhere – Hastings, Costco – with a 2 Gb drive now selling for $ 49.95.  Better engineered than many of its competitors drives, and always reliable. Remember that new computers don’t come with floppy disks anymore, and you need a USB flashdrive for data storage and transportation.

 

Best software for Anonymous web surfing and protection from phishing and other bad things,  Anonymizer. This great package lets you hide your identity, or your IP address, as you surf the web, and protects you from many of the dangers lurking out there.

 

Best anti spyware/antivirus software – Xsoftspy – a small Canadian company with a big product. I’ve used this for 2 years now and have never had a problem. This has removed some of the toughest trojan viruses, where McAfee, Norton, and the others have failed.

 

Best software for making movies – Windows Movie Maker – and the best thing about it is that it’s free – included in Windows XP and Vista.   

 

Best Website creation software – Web Studio 4.0 – a wonderful easy to use and small business friendly website creation program with tons of capability and great technical and user support. Break out of the monotony of  web pages that all look alike with this powerful and easy to use program and you can try it for free for 30 days.

 

Best DVD creation software – Roxio Easy Media Creator 9.0 – everything you need for making and burning dvd’s/cd’s of the movies you make and put on your computer. Allows you to create professional dvd’s/cd’s with your own music and background,  movies, slideshows, labels, backups,  convert music to MP3 format, and many other features.

 

Microsoft is coming out with its new Vista operating next year, and we’re already hearing rumors of security holes in it. Which means that we’re always going to need 3rd party software to accomplish our business and personal tasks in our day to day worlds of computing, and these Raw Bytes products of the year are among the best of them.

 

Wishing you a safe and sane computing New Year,

 

For Raw Bytes

This is Frank Delaney

(C) 2006 MTA Micro Technology Associates

http://www.mtamicro.com/kpbx.html

PO Box 31522  Spokane, Wa 99223-1522

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mailto:frank@mtamicro.com