Software Recommendations Are Not That Easy

I thought I write a quick insightful post on the review of software.  Let’s face it, in the Window’s world, there are tons of software built for many different audiences.  The problem is, how do you know which one is the “best” software?

Even declaring which software is the “best” is not clear itself.  The word “best” is a relative term, so what is considered the “best” to one person, is not simply the “best” for another person.  For instance, there was a time period when Zone Alarm was the best firewall out there.  Now Zone Alarm has changed over the years from being strickly a firewall program to a security suite.

Now you got other firewall programs like Windows Firewall, Kerio, Sygate, Tiny Personal Firewall, Bitdefender, and more.  For some people, they live by one of the programs mentioned above.  For others, Zone Alarm is perfectly fine for them. Thus, in this advanced software age making a recommendation or review on a piece of software is partly objective, partly personal, and partly cynical.

On Freewaregenius.com, a virtual desktop program named Dexpot was part of the top 20 list.  I tried it, and I didn’t like it.  It just didn’t really “vibe” or click in with my personal computing experience.  For other people, maybe this is just up their alley.  In my review, I might have been biased, and for another reviewer, he may have given it praise.

However, from time to time there are software recommendations that we as a general public maybe able to agree upon.  One example is what is a good anti-spyware program to use.  I’m sure if you had a choice between the 2008 version of Ad-Aware and Spybot, the majority of people would pick Spybot because it is leaner and has less bloat.

But then, you may have Ad-Aware fanboys, so who is right and who is wrong?  Where I am going with this post?  The next time someone says a program is “interesting”, it doesn’t mean it is good or bad, or even a recommendation.  To me, saying a particular piece of software is “interesting” is like not even taking a real side.

A good example is this new Microsoft Program that lets you take a webcam, and turn your monitor into this touch type like application area.  Cool?  Yes.  Interesting?  Yes.  Do myself see it as a life changing event?  No, but then again I may be phrasing the question wrong.

Every software has its niche audience, and for someone out there, the program is sufficient enough for them.  As an author, I respect that.  Some people may try to “push” programs onto me, and vice versa, but that doesn’t mean you have to accept it.

The only way to truly satisfy your own personal computing experience is to try out software on your own, and develop your own preference.  Live a little. Don’t be a drone.  😉

Am I off whack?  Leave a comment.  I’m curious how others act when someone “recommended” something to you, and you felt their recommendation was utter crap or useless. 🙂

Hidden Features in iPhone Firmware 1.1.1

Hey, people like the iPhone. Its pretty, neat, and pretty neat 😛

But there are lots of things about this Phone/Music player that are yet to be revealed. We will try to enlighten you with a series of iPhone mods and hacks that will make your iPhone the best there is.

When Apple changed their Firmware to 1.1.1 “there were a few new features that Apple didn’t mention…[I]  have compiled a list the blogosphere of the hidden features courtesy which you might be curious to find out.”

This list includes:

New Video Playback options

Change voicemail password directly from the iPhone

Change sound for new text message

iPhone Safari’s “Debug console”

Use International characters in Mail or SMS

Play audio attachments in email messages

Stream all Audio to a Bluetooth headset

To find out more, go to the direct source, iPhone Hacks