Features

Buying a computer and all the necessary peripherals and software can quickly empty your coffers. It used to be the case that a new PC would come with a range of software included as standard, and although this is still sometimes true, more often than not you get little more than a Windows installation and maybe some trial versions of office and security packages. So even if you can get started, you're going to have to either pay out or find alternatives within a few weeks. Anything that can reduce your costs should be welcomed.

Hardware is difficult to blag, since it costs hard cash to make. Software, on the other hand, can be produced from thin air by anyone who's prepared to put in the time and effort, and for various reasons quite a lot of people are happy to do so without the direct financial reward that would come from flogging the end result in a shiny box.

Whether you need software for everyday household tasks, office use or creative purposes, it's natural to think first of the big names. But it's well worth investigating the world of open source and freeware, because you may well find that a free program exists that can do everything you need. These offerings don't usually compete with high-end commercial titles costing hundreds of pounds, but if you were planning to compromise on a budget product, you may find you can get just as good a compromise for nothing.

Free software comes in a variety of forms, the most common being freeware, which is completely free of charge, no strings attached, and is usually produced by little known companies or individuals. Next on the list are 'lite' versions of commercially available packages. These cut-down versions of paid-for titles are usually lacking a number of key features, leaving you with an incentive to upgrade to the full version. We'd also include in this category the kind of 'demo' software that doesn't time out and refuse to run after a specified period, but excludes certain features until you pay up. This is more commonly offered by smaller developers.

Open source software is similar to freeware as far as the user is concerned, in that it usually comes from people you've never heard of and doesn't cost any money. The key difference is that the source code of the software - the programming gubbins that makes it work, as opposed to the sealed-up package you buy and run on your PC - is freely available and can be edited by anyone who wants to do so, as long as they in turn release the results as open source. That often means well known open source software is more intensively developed and well rounded. In the past, you'd often have to wade through a fiddly installation process to get it working on your PC, but now most programs have proper installers.

It's not just obscure companies that make free software available. Serif is just one example of a software maker that regularly releases older versions of its titles free. At www.freeserifsoftware.com you can download a free image editor, desktop publishing package, HTML editor, logo creator and 3D design software. While these programs lack many of the features of the latest versions, they're complete in themselves and ideal starting points.

We've listed some of the best free programs available, and mentioned a couple of useful free online services - but there are lots more to be found. If you can think of something you'd like to use your computer for, there's a good chance that a free program could help you achieve it. You can find our recent roundup of office suites, which included the excellent free OpenOffice.org, and online office programs, many of which are free, by clicking Labs at www.computerbuyer.co.uk.

Follow the money

Rather than finding free software, the challenge lies in choosing among the bewildering range of titles available. Rather than trying out every program for yourself to see which is best, first read the opinions of others. At download sites such as Tucows (www.tucows.com), SnapFiles (www.snapfiles.com) and Download.com you can find hundreds of user ratings and reviews to help you decide what's worth trying. Another good source of free software is your Computer Buyer cover DVD, since we only include programs that seem useful.

1 Online storage Although hard disks are now larger and cheaper than ever before, you can never have enough storage space. If you're running short of room, or want somewhere to back up files, take a look at Xdrive (www.xdrive.com). 5GB of storage is available completely free of charge (with upgrades available for a fee) and you can access your files from any computer with an Internet connection. The service can also be used to share photos with friends and family, using the Xdrive Shows feature to create slideshows. It's one of a number of online storage services.

2 Disc burning Although many CD and DVD recorders come with disc burning software, you don't always get a program that you're happy with. CDBurnerXP (www.cdburnerxp.se) supports not only CD and DVD burning but also creation of BluRay and HD-DVD discs, as well as the option to create and work with disc images. With support for a wide range of drives, this is an excellent alternative to commercial packages, with features to rival many of the leading burning programs you can buy.

3 File compression There are so many file compression programs to choose from that it's hard to know where to start. Many of them lack support for a particular compression format, so you can end up installing several programs to achieve the same thing. This is where ZipGenius (www.zipgenius.it) can help. As well as support for the familiar Zip format, it can also handle ISOs, RARs and many more types of compressed file. An integrated FTP client makes it easy to compress files and then upload them to the Internet - a useful way to make a manual backup of important files or exchange files with other users without hitting email attachment size limits - and best of all the program is wonderfully easy to use.

4 Getting organised Windows XP's Outlook Express, or Windows Mail in Vista, is somewhat lacking as an email client, and offers nothing in the way of personal information management. Download a free copy of Forté CRM Solo (www.fortecrm.net) and you can manage emails, contacts, appointments, notes and tasks with a single application. A truly impressive piece of software, it rivals commercial PIMs and shows that some of the best software is free of charge.

5 Entertainment Watching TV on your PC doesn't necessary mean having to invest in a Freeview tuner add-on and connect it to a rooftop aerial. Pay a visit to wwiTV.com and you can watch hundreds of television channels from around the world free of charge from the comfort of your computer screen. With channels from dozens of countries broadcasting online, there's something to suit all tastes, and there's often a choice between live and recorded programming. All that's required is a broadband Internet connection and the relevant plug-ins, usually Windows Media Player or Real Player (www.real.com). Don't forget you can also get the free iPlayer from www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer and watch recent BBC shows free of charge.

6 Image editing Despite the absence of a price tag, Paint.NET (www.getpaint.net) can cater for the image editing needs of even quite demanding users. Although no Photoshop killer, the program includes a wider range of features than is found in the majority of free image editors, including support for layers, a curve drawing tool, gradients, advanced special effects and much more. Unlike other image editors, Paint.NET beautifully balances power with ease of use and is frequently updated with new features. The GIMP (www.gimp.org) is often cited as the classic example of a free image editor, but Paint.NET benefits from having a more familiar Windows-style look as well as enhanced performance.