Google Pack

[rridgely]

Google Pack is actually pretty awesome now if you are setting up a brand spanking new PC.

It will let you install a few pretty useful programs all at once but you will still need to do some quick editing.

 

You can install all of the following at once:

Firefox(just uninstall the toolbar extension)

 

StarOffice(If you use Openoffice this is a must switch. StartOffice has a lot of things that make it a much better experience. Just press the google button to get rid of the search toolbar)

 

Adobe Reader(just go back and use the adobe reader speed up tool. Can be found on fileforum)

 

Picasa(Still the best photo management application ever in my opinion.)

 

Google Earth(pretty neat little program. New pc users usually love it)

 

The others in the pack you may or may not use but just those programs there cover 80% of what most people do.

I littlerally just installed those, klite mega codec pack, and then AVG and a few other security programs and they were good to go. (you need to be on broadband though).

 

After you install the things you want just get rid of the dumb google updater thing and your good to go.

 

http://pack.google.com/intl/en/pack_instal...hl=en&gl=us

 

I did try the norton thing and they spyware doctor one too. The norton thing is junk and spyware doctor is still bloated.

Better to keep away from both.

[CeeCee]

I personally don't prefer any software- or codec packs. I rather install them separately.

[rridgely]

Thats fine but being able to press 1 .exe and have it install probably half of the software you would need to download/install all at once is a pretty good thing. If you had to install all of the software in the pack I wouldn't like it but you dont.

 

Its just a time saver. A few less installers you have to run and click through.

While it was installing those I installed the rest of the things I needed on there. Worked out pretty nicely.

[JDPower]

StarOffice(If you use Openoffice this is a must switch. StartOffice has a lot of things that make it a much better experience.)

Care to elaborate a little? How does it compare to OOffice in compatibility with MS word, excel etc?

[Matt_]

Personally I think the Google toolbar is a great addition to Firefox.

 

It allows me to have two search engines, rapidly search the current website, search images, spell check, auto-fill forms, etc...

[YoKenny]

One browser add on I like is McAfee SiteAdvisor:

http://www.siteadvisor.com

 

There is version for Firefox as well.

 

I like the fact that it gives a rating of known sites when doing a Google search.

 

It has four indications and that is Green for safe, amber for not so safe, Red for not safe and Grey for not yet rated.

 

You can then click on the rating drop-down menu and choose View site details to see the links the site goes to and comments left by users' experience with the site.