Software

Latest revision as of 00:41, 6 August 2010

Adapted from the Sticky of Stickies in the OCAU Forums. Due to the fluid nature of Wikis, content found here won't always match that in the forum thread.

We get a lot of "What <insert application name here> is the <insert variables here> for me" questions here at OCAU, and these questions tend to get repeated on a weekly basis. In an attempt to avoid forum duplication several members have created lists containing links to the most valuable applications that OCAU members use, and in an attempt to avoid "sticky overflow", previous stickies were combined into the sticky of stickies, enjoy:

[edit] Freeware and Open Source

• The Freeware List - The definitive collection of the freeware preferred by OCAU members
  • Audio Visual / Graphical
  • CD/DVD - CD / DVD
  • File Management / Office Applications
  • Gaming
  • Internet / Communications
  • Operating Systems
  • Portable Applications
  • Programming Interfaces / Utilities
  • Security
  • System Utilities

• Freeware Websites - More Free Software

• Open Source Your Day - The (in)Complete Reference to Open Source Software (OSS) for the Win32 platform.

• OpenOfficeGuides - MS Office isn't the only way to Word and Excel

• The Mozilla.org Wiki - Everything Firefox, Mozilla and Thunderbird related

• Opera - Awesome Browser

• FossGuides - Free Open Source Software!

• Slim software Wiki + Forum The slim software megathread - Programs that have a small footprint but do not lack functionality

• 101 ways to help improve open source

[edit] Anti Virus

• The Massively Massively Large List of Anti-Virus, Firewall and Spyware Programs - The.....title says it all really.....

[edit] Tweaking

• The Serious Samurize Thread - get your fix of tweaks, hints and fixes here

[edit] Benchmarking / Overclocking

• Programs and Links For Overclockers

• The Official (ish) 3DMark03 SCORES Thread - how good is your system at useless...er...informative and interesting performance benchmarks

[edit] Windows

Info on the widely used Microsoft Windows

• Windows 7
• Windows Vista
• Windows Media Center Edition (ie. MCE)
• Windows XP (Home, Professional,64)
• Windows 2000
• Windows NT
• Windows Millennium Edition
• Windows 98 Second Edition
• Windows 98
• Windows 95
• Windows 3.11 (for Networking)
• Windows 3.1

[edit] Related Topics

• BSOD messages
• Nlite Tutorials
• Useful Windows Mobile Software
• Windows 2000/XP console utilities
• Windows Update and other useful links

[edit] Other Operating Systems

You don't have to use Windows - Sometimes your Other Operating Systems can even be free!

[edit] Mac (Apple Mac)

• Mac OS

[edit] Linux

• Linux
  • Linux Newbie Guide
  • LinuxGuides
  • Linux:Using Xorg with BenQ FP202W
• Ubuntu
  • DebianUbuntuGuides

[edit] BSD

• BSD
• FreeBSD
• OpenBSD

[edit] Other

• AtheOS/Syllable
• BeOS/Zeta/Haiku
• MenuetOS
• Operating Systems
• OS/2 Warp
• SkyOS
• Solaris
• OpenSolaris
• UNIX

[edit] Programming

• Programming
• Java
  • J2EE
• SQL

[edit] Extra

• Bootloader
• Palm
• DIRMS
• MenuMeters
• Nero Lite

[edit] How Commercial Software Works

To make money from software, the license holder (maker of the software) must have a method of ensuring that the only people who utilise their software are the same people who have purchased it. This is accomplished through a variety of different methods, usually depending upon the retail price of the software.

At the bottom lies Shareware, used by small developers. The concept behind Shareware is that person A downloads a copy of the software off of the internet and is then free to distribute it to persons B, and C who can then distribute it further. This model has, with the advent of a relatively high speed internet, become a system where a potential end user has the opportunity to try before he or she buys.

Due to the nature of shareware, the end user must be able to use the software before they buy it and also be encouraged to buy the software if they do use it.

This is done one of two main ways. A full version is distributed, with partial functionality, or a timer that locks the software after a set period of time, or that simply uses popups at startup or during functioning to encourage the user to pay to remove the annoyances.

A user then pays the author a small amount of money (usually under $30), upon which the author of the software will send a serial number/code that will unlock the software, providing full functionality with no restrictions.

The other way, whilst slower and less automated, provides for slightly better protection. A demo version is publicly available, and a full version is provided to the purchaser. The full version will be shipped with a unique serial number/code. This, at least makes people either pay or search somewhat harder for illicit copies of the software. Adobe Software, for example, implements this. You cannot download anything apart from demos from their web site, to get the full version, you need to either buy a copy online or go to a retailer.

[edit] Warez???

Warez refers primarily to copyrighted material traded in violation of copyright law.

Warez If you post all about a game/software thats not released or how you downloaded it you can expect to be banned. The first offence will be a temp ban, followup offences will be perm bans.

We dont care if you downloaded the leaked version, got it first, want to brag about it. Warez is illegal and not to be discussed nor promoted on this forum. Consider this the first and last warning on the subject. Banning commences NOW.

[edit] Related topics

• Microsoft
• Serial number