Where To Download Stuff for Free Part One: Websites to Download Free Tools and Applications for Work
In this two-part guide I’m sharing the sites on the web I’ve been using for the last decade to download stuff. They aren’t much, but also there aren’t many options if one wants to keep one’s downloads 100% legal.
Before the list, I want to write a bit about something that I’ve noticed in the last decade pertaining downloads from the web. It seems to me that those who are in charge of releasing files to the public haven’t had much computer experience. Or haven’t been acquainted with the good file-releasing practices.
I mean by good file releasing practice to name a file in a descriptive way. I hate to deal with files I downloaded say, one week or one month ago, that I already forgot about, which are named idiotically. I mean, names like installer.exe, Sdfpdx.zip, and other non-descriptive or downright cryptic names.
It’s funny when those that released it went overboard with their expression of stupidity. When they not only named the files in a mysterious way but once I open the archive to search for a .NFO (information file) or readme.txt, and I don’t find one. In that case, I conclude that whoever released the file is a careless hack. Someone who has some problem in his person or his life and it reflects in the way he fails at releasing something that will please the user.
Those kinds of files go directly to the recycle bin. Because if they are not something at the top of my mental memory stack that I need, I can do without and don’t have time to see what they are.
Free Software Silos
This is downtown for downloads since the mid-nineties.
Tool-oriented. It also has applications. One thing I note is they call applications like office suites tools. I rather call tool something that helps me with the working of the computer, like a firewall, an anti-virus or a disk cleaner.
Not an application that allows me to do work out from nothing or work in something that I brought to the computer from outside.
Similar to download.com, sometimes has things you cannot get in download.com. Sometimes annoying when they are using their downloader/installer.
Which most of the time is a scheme to push an advertising campaign of some sort for their endorsed software. Anytime you must download a file through any of these sites check what you downloaded.
If you downloaded an installer, then you have to be careful not to install the bundled software they offer. This is generally crap-ware that I don’t understand how prestigious sites like download.com lend themselves to.
Do read the screens of the installer/downloader and tick off the boxes for the bundles. Otherwise you'll install useless software along with the one you really wanted to install.
Computer software for Windows by UK-based Well Known Media. It has a top-ten chart on the index page, which makes for a nice benchmark of the Windows software scene.
Of all the downloads sites it was always FileHippo the one I enjoyed the most, because of the streamlined, uncluttered, easy to browse site design.
It doesn’t repack downloads as other sites do. Downloads are served in their original distribution form, or a link to the developer’s site is given, or both.
An IT corporation specializing in domain registration. Their site has a free downloads silo. Somewhat of a mixed bag, like Softpedia.
Tucows and Softpedia are worthy of mention because like Majorgeeks, they come up in my searches not as often as Cnet and Softonic. When there is something that is not available in those, either Tucows, Softpedia or Majorgeeks have it.
More of an underdog, it’s nice fifteen years after the dotcom bubble, and the fad of web portals, to find a files’ silo designed like a y2k web portal. This time, it’s not useless automatically populated links, but links to files, in a nice showcase of the site’s latest files above the fold.
One of the newest download services on the web. It supports Android, Mac, Ubuntu, iPhone, Windows and, its best feature, it gives links to distributed apps.
Since they’re distributed, they run on the web browser and only the link is needed to fire up the application. In Uptodown distributed apps are called “web apps.”
Has downloads for Windows, Mac, Linux, iPhone, iPad, and Android. It has a store of paid software, but that isn’t the subject of this article. For free downloads, it has sixteen main categories. At the top of the homepage, the site boasts of having 310000+ members, 5000+ reviews and around thirty million downloads.
This site is a delight for those that like minimalism and simplicity. It has a search tab and share and platform buttons. That’s the only content on the page, besides the links to the software downloads. On top of the page, there are two charts with Latest and Most Popular software, and below are categories samples. I guess those samples are the top five for each of the categories as based on popularity.
Sites for Important Specific Downloads
Guru3D.com: video drivers and utilities. If you own a discreet/dedicated video card, then you must become a life member of this site.
HDDGuru.com: disk utilities and tools. In the case of needing firmware for my hard-disks, the place I visit is HDD Guru. By firmware, I mean hard disk fixing and calibrating tools. Software made by the original manufacturer to use with their specific models of hardware.
Image Credit: unknown
Content © Martin Wensley 2018