3 Free Essential Software For Your Laptop

Don’t you just hate it when things don’t work the way you want them to? Take, for instance, when a virus invades your laptop that makes its laptop parts work wonkily. You find that the antivirus program you’d been using has just run the course of its trial period and now requires you to pay for it to continue running.

Easier said than done for some people; but most just aren’t able and/or willing to shell out the cash. There have got to be better solutions, they say to themselves.

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And they would be right; for as pricey as essential programs like Microsoft Office and Norton Antivirus come, alternatives are available that wouldn’t cost them a dime.

Below are three of these programs that you need to install on your laptop in lieu of their expensive counterparts.

1. Avast

One of the first things that you should have on your laptop is a program that safeguards its data and laptop components from unwanted hacking and corruption. In today’s more Internet-connected world, viruses are inevitable, making it prudent to avail of software that stops these invaders dead cold.

While programs like McAfee, Kaspersky, and the aforementioned Norton are more than capable of halting these viruses in their tracks, they usually come at hefty price tags.

Fortunately, free antivirus software are available. Not all of them are particularly effective, but at least one brand, Avast, has what it takes to go toe-to-toe with the other three. It also comes with a firewall feature that further expands its protective scope.

It won’t be able to defend your laptop and its laptop parts from other types of malware, though. For that, you will need to upgrade Avast by actually buying the thing. That said, viruses make up the vast majority of invading malware; and it’s only with totally reckless computer use that people encounter worms and Trojans and such. In any case, there are other free software as well that handle the other malware types; you can just install those in tandem with Avast.

2. Open Office

Another essential program your laptop needs is an office program. After all, office functions are one of the primary uses of computers; your computer just won’t be complete without them.

The leading brand, Microsoft Office, is rather pricey, though, coming in at upwards of $150. The program is essential, yes; but not everyone is willing to spend that much on a program.

Enter Open Office. Open Office is (as its name implies) an office program that could very well give Microsoft a run for its money. Its central features are no different from those of MS Office’s, and it can open the latter program’s files too.

3. Prey

Finally, if you truly want primo security for your laptop, you may want to consider installing a device tracking application. Prey is among the cream of the crop; utilizing a combination of GPS technology and Wi-Fi signal analysis to accurately pinpoint the location of your laptop should it become stolen.

It can also screencap your laptop to let you see what the thief is up to. Even better – and provided your portable computer has a camera – it can also take a picture of the perpetrator.