Useful computer-related links - Techwatch: Satellite TV forums, FTA, Cable, Hardware, & Tech forums

BGonaSTICK · 25-08-06, 05:10 PM

I'm starting a catalogue here of those really useful links that you can never find once you've bookmarked them in your browser.

Please post any others you may have in this thread and I'll add them to the list. Please include a short description too.

Don't include run-of-the-mill stuff like microsoft.com/boring, just the things you've found really useful and maybe slightly unusual.

I'll start off with this little gem of a resource. Everything you ever wanted to know about broadband enablement on your local exchange. Very neat.

Broadband enablement and telephone exchange info
http://www.samknows.com/broadband/search.php

If you don't want to use the Google toolbar or similar, a simple spell checker for Internet Explorer
http://www.iespell.com/

Win XP tweaks:
http://mywebpages.comcast.net/SupportCD/OptimizeXP.html

Free security software (Antivirus, Spyware killers, Adware killers etc.etc.) Thanks for this one satsid:
http://www.webuser.co.uk/forums/show.../page/0#219333

Analoguesat · 25-08-06, 11:15 PM

Win XP tweaks:

http://mywebpages.comcast.net/SupportCD/OptimizeXP.html

RobH · 29-11-06, 04:03 PM

As I've already gotten so much help on the sat side here, I thought I'd post some (hopefully) good stuff here (computers are something I know about):

Free Windows Anti-virus Software

AVG Free | http://free.grisoft.com/ (in English; if you want another language, you need to pay or - ahem - patch)
Antivir | http://www.free-av.com/ (this is available on other languages, but this is the English link)
Avast Home Edition | http://www.avast.com/eng/avast_4_home.html (not sure about other versions)

You'll notice these all start with "A"; don't know why that is, but they're the ones I know. There others out there, but I don't know them (either by use or reputation), so I haven't included them here. Google if you want to see what else is available.

I use AVG Free, which has just done an upgrade to version 7.5. I don't use the E-mail scanner, as I find it slows everything down too much

You can also get six months of free virus updates with Symantic's Norton Anti-virus if you download the Google Pack, but I wouldn't recommend running Norton unless you intend to later buy it and keep up with the updates. Removing this little gem can be a real bear.

I hope this is helpful!

Best,

Rob

BGonaSTICK · 29-11-06, 08:10 PM

Nice one Rob. Avast 4 Home is supposed to be very good.

RobH · 20-12-06, 04:03 PM

Having made a post above after I'd gotten some good help here, and then gotten sick and been out of the loop for awhile, I thought I'd come back and post some more links. I haven't gotten my satellite kit yet, so I may as well play around in here!

Anyway, this first link is the place I always look first for software when I want something to do something and nothing I already have will do it. You'll not necessarily find replacements for all commercial software, but if you're trying to do something specific, there's a chance that someone has already designed something to do it and shared that with everyone. So, here's the link:

http://www.sourceforge.net/

Note that a lot of the stuff that's developed is for linux, so you need to watch the operating system. Also, these are voluntary projects; they may have been started and never finished, and they may have lots of bugs (and the designers may or may not care about updating them anymore to fix said bugs). Still, there are lots of little projects that do this or that specific thing, and it's useful to try there before you turn to commercial (ie, paid) software (even shareware).

The next is a replacement for Microsoft Office, called "OpenOffice", available here:

http://www.openoffice.org/

It has a word processing program, presentation program (ala PowerPoint), and much more, and the files it creates can be read in Microsoft's versions (ie, Word and PowerPoint). Free, solid, and well regarded.

That's it for now; next post will be about spyware detection, from the basic to the paranoid (and I think I know someone that may really like that last bit).

Best,

Rob

BGonaSTICK · 20-12-06, 04:41 PM

Good stuff Rob.

Hope you're feeling better!

Lots of satellite folks will find the sourceforge site useful, what with many satellite boxes running Linux.

I certainly raid it regularly for bits and bobs for the website here.

With the advent of Vista, a lot of folks will probably turn to Linux/OpenOffice too.

supermario · 02-09-07, 08:41 AM

Hi RobH

Thanks M8, nice information.

B/Rgds
Supermario

BGonaSTICK · 02-09-07, 09:53 AM

This is very powerful. An Internet archive!

You really can travel back in time on the Internet. You have to try it if you don't know about it.

Unfortunately, it's so good that some of the larger commercial sites now block it from crawling their content, because the historical records have successfully been used as evidence against them in court!

www.waybackmachine.org

Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wayback_Machine

maverick007 · 03-10-08, 11:34 PM

I always Install the google pack as its good selection of free useful aps.

Just search google pack.

25-08-06, 05:10 PM	#1 (permalink)
BGonaSTICK Super Murderator Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Brighton Posts: 10,633 Thanks: 3 Thanked 64 Times in 37 Posts	Useful computer-related links I'm starting a catalogue here of those really useful links that you can never find once you've bookmarked them in your browser. Please post any others you may have in this thread and I'll add them to the list. Please include a short description too. Don't include run-of-the-mill stuff like microsoft.com/boring, just the things you've found really useful and maybe slightly unusual. I'll start off with this little gem of a resource. Everything you ever wanted to know about broadband enablement on your local exchange. Very neat. Broadband enablement and telephone exchange info http://www.samknows.com/broadband/search.php If you don't want to use the Google toolbar or similar, a simple spell checker for Internet Explorer http://www.iespell.com/ Win XP tweaks: http://mywebpages.comcast.net/SupportCD/OptimizeXP.html Free security software (Antivirus, Spyware killers, Adware killers etc.etc.) Thanks for this one satsid: http://www.webuser.co.uk/forums/show.../page/0#219333 __________________ Dreambox 7000, Skystar2 PCI, Skystar USB, Fibo 90cm on Moteck SG2100, Triax TD110 multi-LNB. Sky + ART cards. 45.0°E - 58.0°W

25-08-06, 11:15 PM	#2 (permalink)
Analoguesat satellite expert Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Scottish Borders Posts: 8,309 Thanks: 10 Thanked 270 Times in 242 Posts	Re: Useful computer-related links Win XP tweaks: http://mywebpages.comcast.net/SupportCD/OptimizeXP.html __________________ To all the cable boys - do not post: keys of any sort firmware for receivers links to sites carrying files, keys or fixes Read the rules before you post - click here to read them

29-11-06, 04:03 PM	#3 (permalink)
RobH Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 64 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Useful computer-related links As I've already gotten so much help on the sat side here, I thought I'd post some (hopefully) good stuff here (computers are something I know about): Free Windows Anti-virus Software AVG Free \| http://free.grisoft.com/ (in English; if you want another language, you need to pay or - ahem - patch) Antivir \| http://www.free-av.com/ (this is available on other languages, but this is the English link) Avast Home Edition \| http://www.avast.com/eng/avast_4_home.html (not sure about other versions) You'll notice these all start with "A"; don't know why that is, but they're the ones I know. There others out there, but I don't know them (either by use or reputation), so I haven't included them here. Google if you want to see what else is available. I use AVG Free, which has just done an upgrade to version 7.5. I don't use the E-mail scanner, as I find it slows everything down too much You can also get six months of free virus updates with Symantic's Norton Anti-virus if you download the Google Pack, but I wouldn't recommend running Norton unless you intend to later buy it and keep up with the updates. Removing this little gem can be a real bear. I hope this is helpful! Best, Rob __________________ Gibertini 60cm dish watching 19.2E, Edition II Twin LNB, Technomate TMS-1000 D.

29-11-06, 08:10 PM	#4 (permalink)
BGonaSTICK Super Murderator Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Brighton Posts: 10,633 Thanks: 3 Thanked 64 Times in 37 Posts	Re: Useful computer-related links Nice one Rob. Avast 4 Home is supposed to be very good. __________________ Dreambox 7000, Skystar2 PCI, Skystar USB, Fibo 90cm on Moteck SG2100, Triax TD110 multi-LNB. Sky + ART cards. 45.0°E - 58.0°W

20-12-06, 04:03 PM	#5 (permalink)
RobH Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 64 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Useful computer-related links Having made a post above after I'd gotten some good help here, and then gotten sick and been out of the loop for awhile, I thought I'd come back and post some more links. I haven't gotten my satellite kit yet, so I may as well play around in here! Anyway, this first link is the place I always look first for software when I want something to do something and nothing I already have will do it. You'll not necessarily find replacements for all commercial software, but if you're trying to do something specific, there's a chance that someone has already designed something to do it and shared that with everyone. So, here's the link: http://www.sourceforge.net/ Note that a lot of the stuff that's developed is for linux, so you need to watch the operating system. Also, these are voluntary projects; they may have been started and never finished, and they may have lots of bugs (and the designers may or may not care about updating them anymore to fix said bugs). Still, there are lots of little projects that do this or that specific thing, and it's useful to try there before you turn to commercial (ie, paid) software (even shareware). The next is a replacement for Microsoft Office, called "OpenOffice", available here: http://www.openoffice.org/ It has a word processing program, presentation program (ala PowerPoint), and much more, and the files it creates can be read in Microsoft's versions (ie, Word and PowerPoint). Free, solid, and well regarded. That's it for now; next post will be about spyware detection, from the basic to the paranoid (and I think I know someone that may really like that last bit). Best, Rob __________________ Gibertini 60cm dish watching 19.2E, Edition II Twin LNB, Technomate TMS-1000 D.


Technology Forums: FTA, Satellite, Cable, Home Media, Hardware & Computers \| Home \| Forums \| News \| Blog \|

20-12-06, 04:41 PM	#6 (permalink)
BGonaSTICK Super Murderator Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Brighton Posts: 10,633 Thanks: 3 Thanked 64 Times in 37 Posts	Re: Useful computer-related links Good stuff Rob. Hope you're feeling better! Lots of satellite folks will find the sourceforge site useful, what with many satellite boxes running Linux. I certainly raid it regularly for bits and bobs for the website here. With the advent of Vista, a lot of folks will probably turn to Linux/OpenOffice too. __________________ Dreambox 7000, Skystar2 PCI, Skystar USB, Fibo 90cm on Moteck SG2100, Triax TD110 multi-LNB. Sky + ART cards. 45.0°E - 58.0°W

02-09-07, 08:41 AM	#7 (permalink)
supermario Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 55 Thanks: 2 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Useful computer-related links Hi RobH Thanks M8, nice information. B/Rgds Supermario __________________ Life is short, enjoy it. Dreambox DM-7020S, Nabilo images, Sandisk USB stick 512mb, Humax VACI-5300,

02-09-07, 09:53 AM	#8 (permalink)
BGonaSTICK Super Murderator Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Brighton Posts: 10,633 Thanks: 3 Thanked 64 Times in 37 Posts	Re: Useful computer-related links This is very powerful. An Internet archive! You really can travel back in time on the Internet. You have to try it if you don't know about it. Unfortunately, it's so good that some of the larger commercial sites now block it from crawling their content, because the historical records have successfully been used as evidence against them in court! www.waybackmachine.org Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wayback_Machine __________________ Dreambox 7000, Skystar2 PCI, Skystar USB, Fibo 90cm on Moteck SG2100, Triax TD110 multi-LNB. Sky + ART cards. 45.0°E - 58.0°W

03-10-08, 11:34 PM	#9 (permalink)
maverick007 Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 21 Thanks: 1 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	Re: Useful computer-related links I always Install the google pack as its good selection of free useful aps. Just search google pack.