»  SOFTWARE ¤  I am often asked which software I use and which I would recommend. It's not always easy to answer as people tend to find familiarity a major part in choosing software ¤  I find OpenOffice much easier and better to use but many people I know cannot get on with it and prefer Microsoft Office. This is not a fault with OpenOffice, It is a fault with training. ¤  Most training courses I have seen DO NOT teach you how to use computers. They teach you how to use particular software packages. And, as Microsoft is still dominant in most markets, most courses teach you how to use Microsoft packages. ¤  Not that I am criticising Microsoft, although I am not a great fan of their software, I believe the fault lies with the trainers. ¤  However, as more and more companies switch away from Windows to Mac and Linux, I think, or at least I hope, that the trainers will have to teach people how to use a wider variety of packages.. ¤  It is partly the training that keeps Microsoft dominant, People like familiarity, and like to use the package which they are taught on. I look forward to the day when people are taught to use computers properly, and not just given a guided tour of a particular package.

»  RECOMMENDED SOFTWARE ¤  The Software I Use Below is a list of, and links to, software which I use on a regular basis and stuff I use for occasional jobs which I would recommend. Bear in mind that these are my choices and it's a case of 'horses for courses', you may well prefer other packages. You may notice that some of these are quite old programs, or older versions of programs. One thing that nearly 30 years in computing has taught me is that 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it', stick with what works. That's not to say don't try new software, I do it all the time, but if you find something that works for you don't upgrade just for the sake of it, try it, then bin it if you don't like it. I have found so many times that manufacturers add bells and whistle that not only do I not want, or need, but that actually affect the functionality of the program in a bad way. I hope you find this list useful as a 'jumping off' place. ¤  Web Browsing My favourite browser has to be Firefox. It does what I want, when I want. Excellent security. Standards compliant. Fully configurable and customisable. Masses of add-ons and extensions. I think that it will not be long before somebody starts using Firefox as a shell for Windows. At the other end of the browser market is Off-by-One. A fantastic lightweight browser that is fully portable. No installation, just run it. Fast, secure & free. OK it doesn't have all the bells and whistles of other browsers, but when all you want to do is browse the web this program kills them all. Plus I find it useful for configuring routers, none of the problems some other browsers have. It just works.