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Software has become an everyday necessity for our lives. In a broad sense, software is really anything that controls hardware'including your car, cell phone, digital camera, and calculator. Usually, however, when you hear the term, software is referring to a tool or program that you can run on your computer to perform some task, like playing a game, creating a document, or scanning your computer.

One of the most popular places to obtain software is to download it from the Internet. There are thousands of software downloads available on the Internet'many of them free or having a free trial. They are often presented in an appealing tone'promising to make your computer faster, save you money, or provide some sort of enjoyment.

Some software requires you to purchase it before downloading, but in completely worthwhile. Software for a price usually means you're getting high quality tools and programs. If you need a professional program or have a hobby worth spending a little money on, buying software is sometimes the only way to go.

There is also lot of good free software. Many paid services offer free versions of their software, and many companies simply produce free software for marketing/awareness purposes. Firefox, an alternative to Internet Explorer, is always free and provides a secure, well-made browser with hundreds of add-ons and features many people love. AVG Antivirus Free Edition is one of the most all-time popular downloads and offers a considerable amount of protection for coming at no cost to the user.

Some software, however, especially that which is available for free download on the Internet is harmful, and secretly meant to attack your privacy or use your computer system remotely. They often appear in pop-ups or appear after you click on a link or advertisement. They try to catch your attention by telling you you've won, or promising to fix your computer, etc. Sometimes, they come as warnings or prompts to download something in order to see the next page. If you look closely and do a little research, these scams can usually be avoided. Here are a few tips.

*If you want to download something because it looks helpful, necessary, or cool, research it on Google or another prominent search engine first. Find out what the consensus is. Many times, you will find more than one forum or website that will tell you if it's legit or not.

*Don't download more than one security program that will perform basically the same task. For example, if your antivirus includes a firewall, email scanner, and antispyware tools, you're covered! You don't need to download a firewall or email scanner. Not only will you use up your bandwidth and system resources doing the same thing twice, you'll also run the risk of the programs clashing with one another and both programs malfunctioning.

*Don't download something that originated from a pop-up or banner ads. No matter how cool it seems, you are asking for trouble. You are probably downloading spyware, adware, or some other harmful, or system abusing program.

The more time you spend online (and a little trial and error) the more you will learn about software and software downloads. In the meantime, do some research on malware and how to avoid it. Also, try downloads.com for free downloads that often come highly recommended and are considered safe for your computer.