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The Windows 8 Freeware Machine

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freeware baby!
(last updated 31 August, 2014)
This is a Windows 8 version of the previous articles I wrote called The Freeware XP Machine,  The Vista Free Machine, and the Windows 7 Freeware Machine. This version is Windows 8 specific and has several additions and deletions of software I have tried based on recommendations of readers (and THANKS for the suggestions).
This is not a comprehensive list of freeware apps, there are lists like that all over the place. This is a list of apps I use and/or recommend. The goal of this list is to hopefully make your computing experience a little better and less expensive. I know that many of you already use a lot of these programs but perhaps this list would be something you might want to pass on to friends and family to help them out.
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Recommend Me A VPN

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helpbuttonI’m in the market for a new VPN solution for my laptop and Droid phone.

Requirements:

– Not on home server.

– 100% Windows, Android, Linux compatible. No hacks to make it work.

What are you using? Why?

Thanks!

*note 25FEB2013 – I should have been more specific. This isn’t for home use but rather on the road.

The Freeware XP Machine

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freeware baby!(Last updated 31 August, 2014.)
This is the story of my attempt at making a 100% usable freeware Windows XP machine. It has been revised several times since I first published it thanks to feedback and suggestions from readers. I’ve done a lot of research and tried a lot of programs. There are also 2 companion articles: The Windows 7 Freeware Machine, and The Windows 8 Freeware Machine. This is not an exhaustive list of freeware programs but the result of the aforementioned research and installs blended with my own personal preference and opinion. You are free to recommend a FREE program but you must list exactly why you think it is better. i.e. – If you say it uses less resources then provide a concrete example (with stats), if you call it bloatware then show why, etc.
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Java is the new king of foistware

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javaEd Bott has a good article up: A close look at how Oracle installs deceptive software with Java updates

Summary: Oracle’s Java plugin for browsers is a notoriously insecure product. Over the past 18 months, the company has released 11 updates, six of them containing critical security fixes. With each update, Java actively tries to install unwanted software. Here’s what it does, and why it has to stop.

Original XP Pinball Game

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xp_pinballThe usual Geek news sites today have featured a blog post entitled, “Why was Pinball removed from Windows Vista?”
The post is interesting but that ain’t why I’ve posted this.
Like many others I’ve been using the original XP pinball game in 64-bit Windows since Vista came out without a single issue. [Read more…] about Original XP Pinball Game