602PC Suite

ROVIN' AND RAVIN' WITH MIKE

The Sweets of 602PC Suite

It is always sad for me, when I review my columns, to see how many favorite sites, especially favorite freebies, are no longer with us. Some free sites and services that I once took for granted and raved about here have gone the way of the floppy disk. So, it is good to see that something as useful and impressive as 602PC Suite is out there in cyberspace for the picking.

As I celebrate this great freebie, it seems appropriate to recall the best free programs that are still available, in the Rovin' and Ravin' Freebie Hall of Fame.

The Rovin' and Ravin'

Freebie Hall of Fame

     602PC Suite obviously gets top billing for its practicality. Almost everyone with a computer needs a word processing program and a spread sheet. (I have never tried the other two parts of the suite.)

     Another very useful program, which I have never raved about, but I do use, is AVG, Anti-Virus System. With all the things creeping and crawling around the Internet, we all need a little love, I mean a little protection, and AVG provides quite a lot, including updates every two weeks.

     Now, with usefulness out of the way, let's have some fun. I enjoy finding new ways to present my ideas, and one of the best is as Adobe PDF e-books. To my surprise, there is a free program that converts my documents into PDF files, complete with photos and links, with the press of a single key. You can read by rave about Pdf995 and find the link to download it here.

     Then, there are two graphics programs that have me asking, "Where have you been all my life?" PowerBullet Presenter and Advanced Effect Maker, I'm pleased to report, are now on my computer. You can read my rave, see their amazing results (yes, you, too, can have a Marlene Dietrich jigsaw puzzle or take a virtual trip to a monastery), and get the download links here.
     Obviously, I write a lot, so a very important part of my work at the computer involves Microsoft's WordŽ program. Although it is fashionable to criticize Microsoft products, I can't say anything bad about Word... except that it is expensive.
      Guess what? You can download for free a program that is every bit as good (or as bad, if you are a Microsoft-basher) as Word itself is.   I had heard about 602PC Suite but just could not believe what I was hearing. The suite offers not only a word processor, but also a spreadsheet (think of MS ExcelŽ), a graphics editor, and a digital photo organizer. And the price couldn't be right-er: free. Yep, and while they're at it, they'll throw in title to that bridge into Brooklyn.
     In the interests of fairness, and frankly, out of curiosity, I downloaded the suite, and for two weeks, I did not touch Word... just a lot of words, using the increasingly sweet suite. The thing worked. It opened any document I had created with Word, and at the end of two weeks, I found that Word could open any document I had created with it.
     If I were asked which word processor I prefer, I honestly could not answer, because I honestly see no difference except price between the two.
     Now, I very seldom use a spreadsheet. In a typical two week period, I do not use a spread sheet at all, but I did a couple of mailing lists with the suite, and later I found that Excel did not know the difference between them and its own creations.
     So, how (or perhaps, why) do they do this? There are no advertising screens, no keys to purchase, no time limits. Of course, when you go to their suite site (or is that sweet site?) you get to look at a variety of other products they offer, and I have to think that, gee, if their freebies are so good, think how great their for-sale products must be.

When film reviews were a major part of Rovin' & Ravin' I always avoided the temptation of awarding films one to four peanuts. But, I'm going to break my own rule and give each of these fabulous free programs five peanuts. Now, get busy downloading all of them. With these "prices," you can't afford to miss any of them. Keep your feet dry, your heart full of noble thoughts, and your money in your wallet.

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