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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CampTune from Paragon Software Group promises to do one thing and one thing only: resize your Boot Camp partitions without erasing the data on either.  Right now, CampTune is in beta so it is free to brave souls out there.  Paragon will start charging for it once the code leaves pre-release.  CampTune is actually a Linux LiveCD, so you must burn the iso file that you download to a CD and boot off it.  When I tried CampTune on my own computer, it failed to resize my partitions and kicked back an error.  Luckily it did not corrupt anything on my hard drive.  For failing to do the one thing it promised, CampTune will be stuck with the shame of being the first product to be given the Just Plain Tech Seal of Disapproval.  Let us hope Paragon makes their product actually work before they start charging for it.

I like Google, along with most of the software it  has rolled out over the years. One of the gems Google has released is Picasa2, a free fully featured photo organizer. Its the best photo organizer I’ve used on Windows, that’s why it’s the first program to receive our brand new seal of approval, this does not mean previously reviewed programs are not as good, but we just came up with the seal. Read on after the break to find out more about Picasa2.

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Over the years Adobe Reader has tacked on a lot of unnecessary software, today Adobe Reader 9 is 33.5MB. Foxit Reader is a great free alternative, weighing in at a mere 2.6MB.  It’s no frills, but really what do you need out of a PDF reader besides reading PDF’s?  Foxit is also a lot faster than Adobe Reader, read on after the break to find out more.

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So Luofei talked me into trying a new launcher for Windows called Executor and I put it to the test against Launchy. I’m just gonna tell you right now, in my opinion Launchy wins hands down. Read on after the break to find out why.

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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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As a Boot Camp user, I have run into many frustrations when I can access the files on my Windows partition from the Mac side, but cannot access files on the Mac partition from the Windows side.  I know I could just buy MacDrive, but I don’t have $50 to spend on a single purpose application like that.  Luckily, I discovered HFSExplorer.  While not nearly as elegant as MacDrive, HFSExplorer gets the job done for accessing files on my Mac partition.  Since it is free, it can’t hurt to try it if you run Boot Camp.

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.

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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