GooglePack - content and usage

From all posts I wrote about Google, the most accessed is the one about the Googlepack. If you don't remember, the Googlepack is the set of applications that Google provides for Windows users, as a way of providing a "patch" for the normally broken Windows installation.

So, what is the Googlepack composed of? There are several utilities, among them an antivirus, web browser, adware removal, a Google toolbar, and other organizers. Here is a list of the ones that I think are the most important software in the Googlepack:

• Firefox: the king of the alternative browsers is the best way to view web content. It is recommended by Google and it is part of the package.
• Google Earth: how never got impressed in seeing their own house on Google Earth? This is a breath taking application, where you can see the whole world, your own city, or a place that you are going to visit next week. I think is one of the best applications around, and it is nice that you can have access to it in the Googlepack.
• Picasa: this is the main picture organizer provided by Google. It has a lot of nice features, that make it possible to give some order to the thousands of pictures we have in our computers. It performs the same function on Windows that the iPhoto does so well in the Mac. Given this "whole" in the Windows offer, nothing better than having something free to fill the gap.
• Google desktop: this is a piece of software that is aimed directly at a weakness of Windows. It gives users the change to search files in their desktops with the same easy with which they can find files in the Internet with Google.
• Googlepack screen saver: see the nice pictures that we took on the desktop, using several effects. It is not essential, but is nice to have.
• Adware SE Personal: gives you a way of protecting your computer against the nasty adware that you find in may pages nowadays.
• Norton Antivirus: the Googlepack even comes with its own antivirus, a free version of Norton. It will not last forever (only one year), but it can go a long way into protecting your computer.

The best thing about the Googlepack, however, is that it automatically installs and updates all these applications. You don't have to worry about getting the latest versions, the Googlepack will do this for you. Although it is possible to get all these programs for free, it is hard to keep track of the updates -- the Googlepack allows you to forget about this, and have your software updated automatically.

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