The most wonderful thing about freeware software is that it is free! This of course holds enormous appeal for most of us. When it comes to using freeware though it does pay to use your common sense and be cautious, especially with freeware games.
It is not so much that malicious people are out there to infiltrate your PC with nasty Trojans, worms and other viruses, although there are of course such people and freeware is a common way of infiltration, but more the risk of other glitches. The problem is that most freeware, especially games, is never tested apart from the computer it was written on. This means that it may not be compatible with the particular version of operating system you are using. So what can you do about this?
The answer is fairly simple – Google it before downloading. Type in the name of the software, read any reviews and check for any bug reports, and what answers or solutions have been provided. It doesn’t take long and can save you problems later on.
There are literally thousands of freeware games available to download and the majority of them are perfectly safe. Just make sure you have an up to date anti virus program installed on your computer. There are some excellent freeware antivirus programs available too. Probably the most trusted of the anti virus freeware programs is AVG (they also offer extra benefits for the paid version). Avira is another popular and trusted choice. As always, do your research and decide for your self. Using a backup freeware program is also a good idea if you are going to be downloading a lot of software.
There are freeware games available for PC, Mac and Palm os. For palm pilot freeware a good place to start is freewarepalm.com. They have a huge selection of categorized games and other freeware. For other operating systems there are numerous sites, and it can be fun to find your own favourites.
There are also many sites that offer both freeware and shareware. Shareware simply means that you get either a free trial, which you need to pay for later, or a limited version with fewer functions.
Whatever freeware grabs your interest, always remember to follow the golden rule. Google before downloading! This way you can be sure to get the most out of all the great freeware that is available.
