[ Graphic Art ] [ JAVA Glossary ] [ Fees ] [ Products ] [ Software ] [ Tech Talk ] [ The Web ] [ FAQ ]

• Download.com - Perhaps the most popular resource on the Net for finding and downloading software. Search by title or type, read reviews, then download.
• Happy Puppy - Popular games resource furnishes Windows, Mac, and DOS demos and shareware, plus news, reviews, cheats, hints, and FAQs.
• Mac Software - CNET Download.com - Access Mac demos, shareware and freeware, categorized and annotated. Includes a most-popular top-10 list.
• Shareware.com - Database of shareware offers a comprehensive range of plug-ins, browsers, helpers and assorted Internet tools.
• Stroud's Consummate Winsock - Get freeware and shareware 16- and 32-bit Internet applications for Windows.
• Tucows Network - Search a massive selection of Windows, Linux, and Macintosh applications and utilities. Includes Net, audio, and graphics utilities.
• Win Files - Windows 95 shareware, freeware, and hardware drivers, with reviews. Off-site web and ftp downloads.
• ZDNet Software Library - Discover more than 10,000 shareware files for Win95 or NT and Mac OS. Files are reviewed, rated, and virus screened.

• AnandTech - Access a variety of candid, informed and updated hardware reviews. Topics include CPUs, memory, motherboards and video cards.
• CNET - Digital Photography Center - Get news and reviews on digital cameras and Web cams. Find auctions and bargains, read editors' picks and use the buying advisor.
• Computer Shopper - Find hardware product descriptions in this ZDNet publication. Also features a search function and extensive product reviews.
• HardwareCentral - Get advice on computer optimization and troubleshooting, or read feature articles, news and reviews. Includes discussion forums, too.
• HotHardware.com - Offers articles, reviews and news about PC hardware products, such as motherboards, processors, hard drives, graphics cards and CD-ROMs.
• Tom's Hardware Page - Contains hardware reviews of the latest computer hardware. Also contains a down-to-earth explanation of various terms.

Multimedia

• Communication Arts - International magazine covers creative issues in graphic design, art direction, photography, and multimedia.
• Developer.com - Professional developer's resource provides detailed Java coverage, as well as sections detailing both established and emerging technologies.
• MP3.com - Check out these free MP3 music downloads, audio software and hardware and music industry news.
• Publish - E-business communication publication features news and articles on e-marketing, e-commerce, Web design and development, and rich media.
• RealNetworks - Offers real-time audio and video playback over the Internet for most platforms. Download the player, server, encoder or developer's kit.

The Adobe Acrobat Reader by Adobe Systems, Inc.  plug-in allows you to view and print PDF files on all major computer platforms.

Click for helpful hints on the following software

The distinction between software and hardware is sometimes confusing because they are so integrally linked. When you purchase a program, you are buying software, but the software is stored on a disk which is hardware.

Think of it this way - your brain is hardware but your thoughts are software.   A computer is hardware but it needs software to function.   A computer without software is like a brain without thoughts. 

Software is often divided into two categories:

• systems software : Includes the operating system and all the utilities that enable the computer to function.
• applications software: Includes programs that do real work for users. For example, word processors, spreadsheets, and database management systems fall under the category of applications software.

Hardware refers to physical objects that you can actually touch, like disks, disk drives, display screens, keyboards, printers, boards, and chips. In contrast, software is untouchable.