I used to use Symantec Anti-virus, which is not free, and it would cause errors all the time. Then finally I switched to AVG Anti-virus, the free edition of course.  I’ve been using it for some time now, and it has worked flawlessly.

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For Mac users out there who want to run Windows programs frequently, Boot Camp does not really cut it because it requires a restart to get into Windows.  Parallels and VMware Fusion both allow you to run Windows apps in Mac OS X seamlessly.  Those two programs solve the issue of constantly restarting, but they are also rather pricey (at least they are too expensive for my budget).  For those people, there is another option: VirtualBox.  VirtualBox works the same way as Parallels and VMware Fusion and has most of the same features as well.  The main thing it lacks is the price tag.  I have not used VirtualBox myself, but I have found a comprehensive tutorial on how to set it up for your Mac.  Follow the link after the jump.

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There are none.  I’m pretty upset about it, but the LiveCD wouldn’t even work on my desktop.

I love using Pidgin on my personal computer, but when I’m out and about in the real world I often need access to instant messaging.  Meebo fills this large void in my life by letting me IM my contacts from anywhere with internet access. It works with AIM, Yahoo, Google talk, MSN and more.  Meebo is great for use in public spaces like on library computers.  Give it a try and I guarantee it will become one of your more useful web apps.

Linux Mint Live CD

I make it no secret that I love Ubuntu, and usually love any offshoot of the project.  Linux Mint is supposed to be a more user friendly variation of Ubuntu.  I gave Revision 1 of  Linux Mint 5 Elyssa Main Edition a test run and it was less stable than I anticipated for a revision of a release edition, but it does show promise.  Read on to find out more.

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If you’re like me you’re not willing to shell out the ridiculous $650 for Adobe Photoshop, but you are willing to spend nothing. Here’s the good news, there is a free alternative to Photoshop called GIMP, here’s the better news, it’s cross-platform. That means all you Linux, Windows, and Mac OSX users can get on the GIMP wagon. Read on after the break to find out more.

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Around a year ago, Asus created the soon to be dubbed “netbook” market with its diminutive Eee PC.  The Eee was a surprise hit and spawned many imitators.  Pretty soon, it seemed like everyone and their mother had a subnotebook device in their product pipeline.  Some of those products have been hits, while others have been misses.  With all these new models from the likes of HP, MSI, Acer and soon to be joined by Dell and Lenovo, is there really a market for all these devices?  Or is this just a flash in the pan like so many other attempts at watered-down technology?  (Internet appliances, anyone?)  Read on after the jump.

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We’ve mentioned gOS on the site before, the Ubuntu based, Google software laden gem of the low end PC market. I decided to give the liveCD a try, if you don’t know, a liveCD is a good way of testing a Linux distribution without making any changes to your hard drive. Before testing I thought gOS would be good, solely based on the fact its built off of Ubuntu, which is great. After testing gOS I realize it’s even better than i had expected. Read on after the jump to find out why.

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In one word, Linux is awesome. Most of you out there are probably Windows, or recently converted Mac users. I’m sure if you’ve never used Linux you think its only for the Tech elite but in the past couple years Linux has made huge strides and become much more user friendly. To find out more, read on after the jump.

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Pidgin is AIM’s open source thus much more awesome cousin. It’s no secret I’m a huge fan of open source software and one reason for this is that it makes it impossible to bundle random unnecessary crapware in in with software, something AOL often does. Pidgin is great because it does exactly what it’s supposed to, and if you really want it to it can do so much more. Read on after the jump if you’re interested.

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