The Mighty Google Pack

Link: Google Pack

I just formatted and rebuilt my PC yesterday. It was a pretty painless process due to some preparedness that we'll get to in a few posts time!

But for now, let me tell you the FIRST thing I put on my clean hard drive.

Well, actually it was Windows. But after that, the SECOND thing i put on... was my network driver.

But the THIRD thing - that's what i want to talk about. Google Pack.

Google pack is a collection of great utilites you need for your PC in a single package. But the added bonus is it keeps an eye on all of them and updates them automatically when patches or updates are released.

The only issues i have with google pack are this:

1. If you already have an installed piece of software included in the pack, it won't maintain its version (no auto updates).
2. And this one is a bit bigger. All the apps included are free forever - except for Norton Antivirus 2005 SE which will run for a free period of a few months, and then request you change over to a paid subscription. Thee good news is you can unselect this when you install the software, and instead (although not through google pack) install the excellent AVG free instead - see yesterday's posting!!

It should really be one of the first things you put on any PC. Many of these softwares warrant their own posting and no doubt will get one-- but here's the quick rundown -

• Firefox - Throw away your MS explorer and join those who have rediscovered the web with the greatest web browser out there
• Picasa - Google's tip top photo manager, now with web hosting, and excellent photo backup
• Google Earth - Satelite exploration at your desktop
• Ad-Aware - the best ad and spyware detector
  
• Others like screensaver, google toolbar, adobe reader, screensavers
  

What can I say? Other than the virus scanner, you've got a great toolkit ready to go with 1 download. If i were to improve it i might include WinRar and i'd swap out the virus util. But that's just me.