Instead of Norton AntiVirus or McAfee VirusScan, use Avira AntiVir Free Edition
Whether you like it or not, every PC needs virus protection, and if you’re not receiving regular updates, you’re not protected. So next time the antivirus software that came preinstalled on your PC hits you up for money and warns you that it’s out of date because the free trial expired, uninstall that junk and download Avira. Not only is it totally free – including updates – it’s some of the best virus protection available. Independent tests from AV-Comparatives.org consistently place Avira near the top of the list for detection rates. It tagged 99.7 percent of viruses in tests – compared to 99.1 percent from McAfee and 98.7 percent from Norton in the same tests. That has to burn, considering both those companies want big bucks for their AV suites. We do have to warn that the free edition occasionally hits you with a nag screen, though.
Instead of Adobe Audition, use Audacity
Looking to perform some minor edits on your next podcast, or clean up pops and clicks in old audio? Audacity will do the trick for a lot less than Adobe’s pricy alternative. The Swiss army knife of audio editors performs most basic tasks without flinching, but keep in mind that some must-have features will force you to go looking for add-ons. For instance, you’ll need to install the LAME MP3 encoder to save files as MP3s, because legal concerns prevent the creators from including it by default. A bit of a pain, absolutely, but well worth the $350 saved.
Instead of Alcohol 120 or Virtual CloneDrive, use Daemon Tools Lite
Spare yourself a new spindle of blank CDs or DVDs and put those image files on a virtual drive, which tricks your PC into thinking there’s actually a physical disc in it, without having to burn anything. Alcohol 120 and VirtualCloneDrive are the old standards for drive emulation, but Daemon Tools Lite pulls off the exact same trick for free. Of course, it won’t burn and rip image files like Alcohol 120, but partner it up with ImgBurn and you’re good to go.
Instead of Windows Vista or OS X Leopard, use Linux
We couldn’t help ourselves. Even though one of these operating systems comes installed on just about every computer you can buy down at the local retailer, you’ll still have to drop some serious coin to buy them separately. But you can download hundreds of different versions of Linux, in the next hour, for free. DistroWatch.com maintains our favorite list of what’s popular, and Ubuntu makes one of the most user-friendly introductions to the Linux world, if you’re so itching to try it.
Check out our podcast on Linux basics to learn more.
Instead of Civilization II, play FreeCiv
To be fair, you can pick up Civilization II (which FreeCiv most closely mimics) for about $5 if you play your cards right, but downloading FreeCiv is a lot quicker than combing bargain bins, garage sales and eBay. And unlike the original, FreeCiv has built-in multiplayer, so you can have head-to-head barbarian battles with your friends in the same style as one of the greatest turn-based games of all time.
