Return
to Story Page
To print: Select File and then Print from your
browser's menu
Nitya Jacob
Software is as software does. It gets better as you go along too. From the first shaky beta version, software evolves amoeba-like and becomes something vastly more complicated and multi-functional. The latest versions resemble their predecessors only in name and not much else, thanks to the desire for upgrades and Windows.
There are a plethora of software download sites on the Internet. There are programmes for word processing, for graphics, web development, virus protections, systems stuff; it leaves the head spinning. You wonder, why didn't I know of that?
Don't worry, most people haven't the faintest idea of what is out there. And what the latest versions are. Most download sites make it their job to keep up with the latest updates and if you subscribe to their e-mail digests, you can too. It may be annoying at times but the CNET digest is good as it comes from the largest group of sites for software on the Internet.
The CNET group is probably the largest download site on the Internet. It hasbusiness software, games, music and a host of other stuff. The big plus of this group is that it puts out a weekly newsletter on new packages with a brief review of each. If you like it, click the link on the newsletter and you go straight to their sites' download location.
Alternately, you can reach the site and use the search facility to locate what you want.
You can also visit them directly. Type in cnet.com, download.com, shareware.com or gamecentral.com and you reach the group. In the new look, information is not thrown at you. Rather it is arranged in such a way that it is easy to find. But be warned, downloads from the CNET site can be slow at times.
CNET thoughtfully provides you with a download reliability guide, but that is unreliable. Hit download and test out different sites before deciding on getting a large programme if you want to save your Internet connection time.CNET may be the biggest and oldest site around, but another download site called Tucows takes the cake for ease of use andspeed of download. Quite simply, Tucows is better laid out and is easier to use.
In fact, Tucows offers you a choice of download locations depending on which part of the world you are in. It has decentralised itself into a complex array of mirror sites all around the world. The mirror sites earn a commission on all software they sell or is downloaded.
When you enter Tucows, you are asked to select your operating system and then your region of the world. Irrespective of where you live, it makes sense to select the US because the Internet backbone is best developed there. If you choose Hong Kong or Dubai chances are that your download will be slow or the file may not exist on that server. Another good thing is that Tucows indicates in a table the status of each mirror site. It tells you whether it is a primary affiliate (meaning whether it has a large collection) or whether the site updates frequently (meaning whether you will get the latest stuff). Ideally of course, you should choose a site that has bothqualities.
Once you are past this stage, you get to the software menu. Laid out in a table form it is easy to see the major sections and then go to the kind of software you want. Clicking one of these links opens a page that lists all the packages that exist in the Tucows database. The best part of this list is that it gives a brief description of each item, an internal rating in Cows where five is the highest and one the lowest and an option of download or buy. Some of the particularly great stuff is even accorded the Golden Calf award, apparently the highest honour in the Tucows world.
All this helps you decide whether the thing you want to buy is worth it. Another nice thing on Tucows listing is a line that tells you whether a thing is shareware or freeware. If it is shareware, it also tells you what the restrictions are for a 30-day trial, or if it will stop functioning after a certain number of uses. It also tells you about the software costs. There are a few other sites that list tonnes of softwarebut are not as well laid out. They resemble godowns rather than showrooms but are also important resources if you are looking for hard-to-find packages.
Davecentral.com, FileMine.com and FileZ.com are some of the other sites that have material. Or get a programme called FileFerret from www.ferretsoft.com, type in the thing you are looking for (the exact file name) and it will search all the download sites on the Internet for you. Have a cup of tea while it finds the file and then double click to download!
Copyright © 1999 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
------------------------------------------------------------
This story was printed from Net Express located at http://www.expressindia.com. Net Express provides a portal to India, with news from The Indian Express and The Financial Express along with sites on travel and tourism, the entertainment industry, the power sector, the environment and much more.
------------------------------------------------------------