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Gizmo's Freeware 2009 Product of the Year: Our Users' Choice
Here at Gizmos Freeware we have been selecting an annual freeware product of the year for the last five years. Normally we make the selection ourselves but this year we have also asked our readers to nominate their choice for the best freeware product of 2009.
Yesterday I released our editors' selections. Today I'm glad to announce our users' selections. This is based on a public poll that was held at Gizmo's Freeware in the period December 18-21. In total nearly 3000 votes were cast. Our thanks to all who participated.
Broadly speaking users tend to vote more for established products they use and like while our editors tend to vote for newer products that they feel have great potential. Both perspectives are entirely valid and taken collectively paint a broader picture than one set of opinions taken alone.
The Top Ten Freeware Products of 2009: Users choice
Users Choice: Freeware Product of 2009 (25% of total vote)
Other browsers may be faster and sexier but Firefox with its huge range of add-ons remains the most capable browser for everyday use. Used by more of our site visitors than any other browser.
2. Avira Antivir Free (12%)
Antivir provides an extraordinary level of anti-malware protection for your PC at zero cost. There have been signature file update problems for the free version in recent months but these now seem to have been resolved
3. Google Chrome browser (10%)
Fast, safe and the shape of things to come. The most recent version now accommodates extensions.
4. Microsoft Security Essentials (9%)
A much better anti-malware scanner from Microsoft than anyone thought possible and low on resource usage as well. A great solution for low risk users.
5. Comodo Firewall (8%)
Extraordinary protection for those sufficiently technically competent to use it.
6. Avast! Antimalware (5%)
The most complete free anti-malware program available. It's a bit heavier on resources than Avira but the detection rates are superb.
7. Picasa 3 (5%)
The ideal way to store, manage and edit your online photos. The user interface is a gem.
8. Everything Search (5%)
Find any file on your hard drive in an instant without bogging down your PC in background indexing. Only finds files by name not content.
9. Opera 10 (5%)
Opera's devoted fans will tell you it's the fastest, safest and most complete browser available. They are probably correct but somehow Opera has never got the traction it deserves.
10. VLC Media Player (5%)
A multi-platform media player that runs mostly without the need for external codecs. It's the player of choice for many experienced users though a little daunting for beginners.
- Article type:
Comments
This is my first time to write in anywhere, but I have been lurking around for ages!I have been trying to teach myself a bit about these computers and some of the programs available.I don't have anyone to teach me, so I am on my on.I have managed to pick up quite a bit about Paint Shop Pro and have a lot of fun with it!I have learned to do a bit with photos and have a wall full of grandkids and great grandkids!I have a lot of trouble with file extensions. The only programs I have found to help me out cost so much!Can anyone tell me if there is a freebie out there that won't drive me nuts?And works? I am a widow trying to get by and really do enjoy my computer.I am more or less homebound and have found my computer is a life saver. Now that I have found my way here, I think I will stay!My grand son is just getting home from his third tour of Iraq and doesn't have time to teach me.Thank Goodness he is getting out now!Have a great time finding all the goodies!
Moderator's Comment: email address removed for safer lurking
Hello great to have you join and all the best to you. A great free program to help you with all your photo needs and file type conversions is Irfanview. Here is the link: http://www.irfanview.com/ Hope it helps it's fairly easy to use.
Hi and welcome :). I have removed the email link you posted for your own security (as per site policy). It's best not to post your email address in a public forum or web page, so here they always get deleted. Anyway, all comments posted are regularly checked so the editors generally respond pretty fast. You may also want to check the forum as some questions you have may already have been asked and answered there.
All the best
grf
Thanks for writing and we certainly hope you "lurk" around a lot more.
This site is all about Freeware. We list almost any type of freeware that you can think of. If you need it, we've probably got it listed somewhere. I wasn't quite sure what exactly you are looking for, but I got the sense that you were referring to software that you can use with your digital photos. Assuming that is the case, here are a couple links from our site that you will hopefully find quite useful:
http://www.techsupportalert.com/best-free-digital-editor.htm
http://www.techsupportalert.com/best-free-digital-photo-organizer.htm
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/great-photo-tips-and-fun-photo-p...
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/how-get-photo-pos-pro-free.htm
P.S. You can use our Search function to find just about anything on this site. The links above I found just by entering "photo" into the Search box.
I hope you had a very Merry Christmas (as I'm a little late coming to the party) and will have a most Happy New Year for you, your family, and your team. I support about 400+ people across the US, and your site is where I guide them to find software to fit their needs. You've made my job so much easier, plus I've learned a great deal from all of your suggestions and reviews. When I really need a new toy or something for a specific purpose, I come here because I have complete confidence in your choices. Your Product of the Year provides me with a few new applications, which is like an unopened present for me. I am, without a doubt, a software "junkie," and you provide me with an ample supply all year long, and the Product of the Year is like a software feast. Thank you all from an avid fan.
Pam in Indiana
Thanks to everyone for posting here. Gizmo does read all of these but with 60+ hours a week (and climbing!)already being spent on the site he doesn't always get the chance to reply.
I want to thank Gizmo for this site and his team and all hi-tech people who contribute with the great volume of informed work they put here. It is very useful for people like me as I know I will never have their level of knowledge and I can find here all the information I need.
A couple of years ago I started to look for a new browser and I did a lot of research to decide which one. I always do a lot of research before I install a new program. Somehow in the end I decided to install Opera. For the kind of user I am it is excellent and I never have trouble with it. Crashes ?. I never had one !. The only thing I could not do is to customize it to send mail in it. I could receive mail in the version before, but now there is a new one and I did not try to set it up for mail. I also use IE8 for sites where you have to fill in forms for example, but I don't use it if I can use Opera. I am not sure Opera is faster than IE8. IE8 has crashed when I installed Trend Micro Internet package. It has a small toolbar plug-in in it which I had to disable, or else it would crash my IE8 right on start. For that reason and others I did not like Trend Micro and I asked for my money back after I have uninstalled it.
For now thank you again and may 2010 be the year you wish it be for all of you...
Bill from Sydney
Just wanted to say Merry Christmas and happy new year to gizmo and friends your site is great!"I think anyway," as far as,the picks go i don't agree but to each his own i like bernard ideal and agree with him firefox avast solid choices that deserve spot top 10 as far as avira its top notch detection wise but i don't like because updates are slow and to many pop up ads to upgrade or whatever i mean its kind of weird to me its suppose to be antispyware antivirus yet it also is adware in always popups and stuff.But still it does a very good job of protecting pc.As for firewall i guess comodo is a solid choice it takes getting use to and while to train i use to use it in fact i used for 2 years but now i prefer pc tools firewall or online armor free versions but comodo protection rate is better than my choices, "so i been told"! As for google crome other than being super fast i cant see whats so great about it opera i not use to and i only try it for 2days then uninstalled it not because it was not good but just hooked on firefox i guess anyways as for the rest top ten give thumbs down but it just a matter of choice i think anyways gizmo i think u and team doing solid job keep up good work!As far as the negative comments on Gizmo's site, get a life homie serious got nothing better to do with u time even on the holidays wow! that must really suck and be quite depressing but don't take it out on gizmo and workers they do hard work for all for free if u think u can do better than handle that shit. otherwise shut it up!go somewhere different i half to say it must not be all that bad here you keep coming back huh anyway gizmo thank u for everything and i wish u the very best best!god bless...........
Thanks for the appreciation. One post like yours kills a thousand of the other type you mention although we do get used to living with them after a while. Sometimes though the criticism is valid and we are able to learn and move forward accordingly. I hope 2010 keeps your family safe and gives you enough free time to spend some of it here :)
I like trying the picks that either the editors or the techie readers come up with, and I'll give Avira and VLC a 'go' this time around.
But rather than make any more comments at this time, I'd like to THANK Ian and ALL the contributors who make this website the BEST technical one around {and I've been around since the early 90's!}.
They're AIN'T{!} none better!
All the best in 2010.
Darrell
{in Canaduh!}
Thank you Gizmo for all the hard work.
Happy and Prosperous New Year to All!
Bob, from the Philippines.
just wondered how a web browser gets to be 'sexy' Geez
Just curious, why do you call it "Picassa" instead of "Picasa"? I've seen it too many times for it to be a typo. Is it different down under?
The typo is fixed. Thanks.
FF with it's horrible Xul interface? A no-go no matter what addons it have.
Panzer
XUL for those that don't know is XML User Interface Language. And XML is the "Beauty" of it. It makes it flexible and it is Open Source so you can bend it to your will. Open Source is always beautiful. Remember Eye-Candy is only skin deep. And come on I spend like maybe 1% of the time looking up there at the interface. The rest of the 90% is spend looking at the awesomely rendered web-pages of the "Maserati V8" Gecko engine it has under its hood.
Ok. Ok! I know that's a little over the top, but "horrible" and "no-go?" The 270 million FireFox users don't seem to mind.
FF:
pros: add-ons (with big if)can be adware, are not open source
cons:
crashing
memory leaks
First thing I install on a clean system is Revo Uninstaller. Works perfectly. And try KM Media Player, it plays anything you throw at it with an fantastic array of audio and video tweaks.
Half the .flv files I tried to play with KM Media player weren't read properly if at all. Plus KM has a monstrous cpu usage. VLC reads everything properly with a normal cpu load
Interesting that four of the top ten choices are security products, and accounted for 34 percent of the total vote.
Hello Gizmo ,
Just to add my Seasons Greetings and huge amounts of thanks to you and your merry band of helpers .
As a devout non-techie , your old newsletter and it's accessible advice on using "Sandboxie" set me off on the right road ; followed up by software like Secunia OSI/PSI , clear advice on not runnng too many active protection layers etc., has maent that I can happily surf in Firefox and Chrome and my paranoia is throttled right back :))
I recommend the "new" website whenever !!
Take care and may your god go with you .
Anthony
i use firefox,avira,comodo and picassa.they are very good and useful,any one can try and will thank me.merry xmas for all and happy new year to all Gizmo folk
I have tried FireSnail, and I don't thank you.
I have been using Firefox, Antivir, and Crap Cleaner for a long time and never had a crash. I've had crashes to XP and Vista, but they were caused by something else. It was usually only a matter of deleting the last program I installed. Thanks Gizmo.
After trying Opera and the Chrome clones (Google, Plus, SRWare Iron),
I went back to Firefox:
-The content of some pages could not properly viewed.
-W.O.T. presented problems.
-I missed the Easiness and the Add-Ons of Firefox.
Firefox cannot be as Fast as
Opera or the Chrome clones (Google, Plus, SRWare Iron),
BUT
one thing is sure about it: It gives uses the Least Troubles!
user choice? i don't recall voting or being asked to do so lol
That's strange. The poll took place on December 18-21. An invitation to vote appeared prominently on the top of every page of the site. Ten thousand users went to the poll page and nearly 3000 voted.
Maybe you didn't visit the site in that period. Next year I'll try to leave to the poll open for longer.
Happy new year to all
Gizmo
Try to be more time,here, Mr. Richards.
You have abandoned this site and left it
to a bunch of inexperienced and arrogant ""helpers"".
This site is Not the Great site it used to be...
You know it and we know it...
Thanks for the kind words about my old site but I can't agree with any of the assertions you make. I currently spend around 60 unpaid hours a week on this site and our editors would collectively spend thousands. If you feel unhappy with any aspects of the site you are most welcome to volunteer your services to help improve them. - Gizmo
I couldn't expect a different answer.
The arrogant style of your Helpers have made
many people to go away!
If a poster canNOT agree with the Gang (your ""helpers") promote,
he is wiped out!
I am Not the only one who misses your presence...
I am courageous enough to write what the others are afraid of admitting.
I am not the only reader who believes that things are Abandoned, here!
Your absence has been irreplaceable.
I like how "I am courageous enough to write what the others are afraid of admitting." And yet you sign it Anonymous.. Funny.....
It is time to wish you and to your team and collaborators a merry Christmas and a happy, healthy, peaceful new year! Good work Gizmo! God bless you all!
Great to see Opera on the list.
Merry Christmas to all
If you are a fan of Mother Google tracking your every on-line action, Google Chrome is a nice alternative. If you'd rather NOT let Google have that info, Chrome PLUS is a much better idea. Same browser, but it doesn't phone home to Google.
Or you could try SRware IRON browser another 'Chrome' without the built-in supergrass.
I've flirted with IRON on and off on several occasions but it never quite matched my expectations. Now though having loaded up the latest beta I'm much happier. I also installed the adblock file, WOT (as a bootmarklet) a different theme and the (LOL) YouTube downloader. I like this now.
+1 to Opera being in that list.
i love you as well gizmo i hope you are around for many many years to come god bless you. dan from chicago.
Well done Gizmo and volunteers. Take a break and have a very Merry Christmas and all the best for the New Year. You've all well and truly earn't it. Your site is the number one place I head to, and point friends to. Regards, Keith Harvey, Oz
LOL I just tried to comment on my satisfaction with FF3 and it crashed - again. Yep! Time for a change.
If Firefox ever crashes repeatedly on you I recommend you uninstall it, delete your Firefox profile then reinstall Firefox and all extensions again from scratch. This solve 95% of stability problems.
Gizmo
I have used Fire Fox for a long time now and it is my default browser.I have to say though that I experience at least one crash every day.This has been happening from FF3. Might be time to change I think.
Firefox 2009 is not as advanced as GreenBrowser 2002 (morequick.com), let alone the latest version. I think the browser is only well-known in China but it has English documentation and is the most customisable browser of any I've ever used. I also use Chrome which I think is the fastest, IE7 when I have to (hardly ever) and Firefox when I'm travelling.
Mozilla Firefox 3.5 is my number one choice
I am curious, do all of you that praise FireFox not have the same problem that I and ALL of my friends and colleagues have with it? It constantly crashes!!! We are talking numerous times a day, not just once a week.
I use Firefox only when I need to use ActiveX. And even though the amount of time I use it is limited, it still crashes constantly. Not just one computer either and different configurations. Tried reinstalls, fresh installs, removing add-ons, etc....no diffence.
As much as I hate to even write these words, I have found IE8 to be much faster than FireFox when I need to use the sites that require ActiveX.
I was watching the this poll for a couple of days and Opera had the highest percentage of the votes (25%) and FF was among the lowest. So how did Opera end up with only 5% and FF with 25%?!?!?!?
Hmmmmmmm.....
hmmmmmmm.....
Never crashes for me, I always update tolatest version and have quite a few add-ons in use as well.
IE8 is fast and does work well, to start with... but over time it gets emory clogged and slows down... Firfox (imho) works well all the time.
All of the computers are decent computers or better. (2GB+ RAM, Dual Cores, Quad Cores, etc.).
Yes, I update FF all of the time. Did you notice that every single update since I can remember fixes "stability issues"?
I have tried all of the tweaks for FF I can find and it still falls short.
I rarely use IE and my use of Chrome is virtually non-existent.
I will stick with Opera. I have been using it forever, back in the day when the free version has ads.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all!
Well it's all very strange, because I can't honestly remember the last time Firefox crashed on me...
I have very few crashes on Firefox and when I do its usually my fault. I don't use any other browser and am very happy even though I read its slower than some others which I can't comment on because I don't have anything to compare it to.
As far as the negative comments on Gizmo's site, Silence is Golden and you can always let your fingers do the walking if you are unhappy. Go find another site that makes you happy and leave us alone to enjoy the hard work put into this site by many. You are wasting everyone's time with your negative attitude.
I surely should double that. What an interesting array of realities! Hmmmmmmm...
Are you allowing updates on Firefox. I set mine to update automatically. I have not had crashes with Firefox 3.5....IE8, however, is a nightmare.
To me, Firefox is pretty solid, last crash I remember was in August this year (2009). Tried IE6&7, 6 was very problematic with occasional crashes and no tab browsing, 7 has tab browsing but was slow with more crashed than 6, didn't bother with 8. Tried Opera and Chrome, both are quite fast in loading and rarely suffers from lags or crashes. Your mileage may vary though depending on your OS, PC specs and any possible conflicts with other softwares or services running in the background.
Wow! That's a lot of crashing. I have been using the Fox for a looooong time and have only had a couple of crashes and even those were months apart. I use it everyday for extended periods. My only real complaint, and I'm sure there's a way around it, is that too many times when I start it, I have to wait (only briefly) while some update is done.
As for speed, I have ran a batch of tests - of course, this is my computer, my programs, and my internet connection - I found Google Chrome to be the fastest compared to FF or IE.
I experienced the same.
You just misread the poll dude - you were looking at the firefox results not opera. The results appear below the product name not above. See here -
http://www.techsupportalert.com/readers-choice-freeware-product-of-2010.htm
You are right, my bad. Thanks for pointing that out.
It should have been the other way around anyway! Opera is so much better than the rest. I have used Opera for years, all the way back to the day when the free version had ads. It is still the best.
For #1 Anonymous
I am not all that techno literate so I really will be of no help. I, though have been using Netscape into the transformation to Firefox and now almost exclusively use Firefox.
To the best of my recollection it has never crashed on me.
go figure. And my experience with trying IE8 was exactly opposite yours, much more like yours with Firefox.
not helpful I know, just something to figure out by someone who knows a lot more than I do. The only thing I wonder about is whether the type of connection a user has to get on the net can create the problems.
Sam
BTW great thanks for Giz and the crew, my internet life would be considerable more difficult without this site. Happy whatever they have where you are :))
Hi Gizmo, Thank you so much for everything you have done this year to help us us less knowledgable guys have free access to the newest and best software as it becomes available.
I wish you and your helpers all the very best for 2010.
Jim.
A very merry Christmas and a happy, healthy new year to you Gizmo, your hard-working team, and your loved ones. Day after day you perform a first-class service. Well done! Please keep up the good work.
Reg from Adelaide, Australia.
Gizmo...take a well deserved bow.
Number 1 and 2 above have truly nailed it. All of us who have followed your recommendations over the past few years have been richly rewarded with outstanding programs and apps.
It is only 2:30PM Xmas eve here in Phoenix,AZ USA, but I just realized I have been getting gifts all year through thanks to your gracious sharing of great free goodies. May you and your family enjoy a very happy holiday full of joy and safe travels.
With great appreciation...Dan from AZ
ditto!!!!
Gizmo,
Sorry, Sorry, Sorry, you missed it Mr Gizmo -
Easily the best product and it continues to be updated, every single day by far is ............... and I've been using it for years is ... something that I tell all my friends about ...
Gizmo's Freeware - It's the absolute best ... and it continues to supply all my needs - ( My haven't things grown since the tiny list of 46 products )
Merry Christmas and Thanks for the BEST site. Your recommendations are the BIZ.
Cheers
Rick
Absolutely! Not only that, it just keeps on giving. Thanks Giz and gang! Happiest of whatever you celebrate -
Just like to FULLY agree with you!!
Merry Christmas Ian
cheers
Rod
Thanks for kind words Rick. They are most appreciated.
It's early in the morning on Christmas day here in Australia and my family and friends will soon be arriving for lunch.
Before departing for the festivities I would like on behalf of the 90 unpaid volunteers who run this site, to wish all our site visitors health, happiness and prosperity in 2010.
Gizmo
Great work, Gizmo. Have a merry, happy, wonderful holiday sesaon and keep 'em coming next year and the one after that and so on . . . . . . . .
Conrad.
Google Chrome--without Roboform, Nein! I'll stick with good old slow Firefox 3.5.2
I'm a Firefox user and am not surprised it was the viewers choice. I've downloaded Chrome and will give it try.
Norman W Wilson
[link moderated. Please do not post commercial links here.]
Google chrome I do not like because it does not have a drop down menu in address space. I find Avant to be the most user friendly browser .
I'm an Avant user for years and it seems like most of the others are just catching up to what Avant has had all along. No matter what I try nothing beats Avant. Guess you guys just don't miss what you've never had.
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