MetaFilter posts tagged with software and freeware

Computers replace grad students

DoubleLune — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 15:51:15 -0800

A new software program grades essay answers automatically. While not the first to do so, the program released by EdX is expected to gain more traction as it will be used to give instant feedback for the non-profit's free online courses offered by top universities. Critics have already found ways to game the system.

yWriter

Trurl — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 07:11:09 -0800

Since its last* appearance in the blue, yWriter has been updated to version 5. Designed specifically for novels, this freeware "contains no adverts, unwanted web toolbars, desktop search programs or other cruft".

Gizmo's Freeware

Trurl — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 09:14:17 -0800

Gizmo's Freeware is a non-commercial community website staffed entirely by volunteers. Our primary function is to help you select the best freeware product for your particular needs.

LiberKey Portable Applications

Jasper Friendly Bear — Sat, 04 Jun 2011 10:17:00 -0800

LiberKey is a system for installing and keeping updated over 300 free programs (both open and closed source) on a Windows machine. All of the programs are portable meaning that they can run directly off a USB key without installing anything additional on the computer (this is very useful if you’re working on a computer where you don’t have administrative rights). The programs are organized into the following categories: audio, CD/DVD, education, file management, games, graphics, internet, networking, office, security, system utilities, and video. One great feature Liberkey has is the ability to temporarily change file associations. Here is the full list of programs available.

The Ware Tetralogy

brundlefly — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 11:53:26 -0800

Rudy Rucker's Ware Tetralogy is now available online under a Creative Commons license. [via Futurismic]

Kind of like Corel Painter, but without the crashing

JHarris — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 16:17:02 -0800

Artweaver is a freeware "natural media" paint program, of the same type as Corel Painter. Natural media means it uses tools that are intended to simulate actual art tools, like oils, pastels, pencils and so forth. It's not as feature-rich as Painter, but it's getting better. It also leaves out Painter's most aggravating attribute: it's tendency to get hosed periodically and require a reinstall.

Buzz reloaded

deusdiabolus — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 22:39:11 -0800

Oskari Tammelin picks up where he left off. Jeskola Buzz, a flexible and formidable (and free) piece of music composition software created in the late 90's by Oskari, had its growth unexpectedly stunted by a hard drive crash. Oskari indicated no immediate desire to continue the project at the time, but users of the software were so enamored with it they continued to create plug-ins, enhancements and hacks to pick up where the program left off. Oskari made the replay code available to those who wanted to develop software around the Buzz engine (for a price) and soon a number of Buzz clones followed, including variations for Mac and Linux. And so the Buzz community ran...until last week...

Surprise! Fish!

JHarris — Mon, 04 Jun 2007 13:05:17 -0800

La-Mulana is a Japanese homebrew game, with English translation available, for Windows that exhaustively replicates the experience of playing on an MSX home computer, a machine not sold in the U.S. but was contemporary with the likes of the Commodore 64 and Amiga in other markets. (Fun fact: the "MS" in MSX stands for Microsoft!) Although it looks very much like retro warez, La-Mulana is freeware. It is also notoriously long and difficult, with a character who controls like old-school Castlevania, enemies that will frequently knock you around like a rag doll, puzzles of amazing deviousness, and traps that think nothing of walling up a player without escape, or forever restricting access to certain powerups.

That said, the game does have charm, and is basically a love letter to the MSX hardware. Those who want to see it without beating their hands bloody against the keyboard can watch a guy play through the whole game in 85 installments, cursing at it all along the way.

Free condoms for your Windows install

yoz — Thu, 30 Mar 2006 05:33:02 -0800

Safely install software in a virtual layer. Sick of buggy or beta software screwing with your Windows install? Altiris SVS provides a free and nifty alternative to the software diet by letting you install software into protected layers which can be removed or restored with a single click. (It's like a thinly-sliced version of VMware.) Altiris's Juice site lists lots of interesting tricks such as easily rolling back software patches. Pre-layered software installs available here.

The Portable Freeware Collection

nthdegx — Tue, 03 Jan 2006 11:58:18 -0800

The Portable Freeware Collection tracks free Windows software that can be launched from a USB flash drive with no installation. It advises on how to prepare and launch the software (usually as simple as saving and double clicking an exe file), and if/where settings are written to the computer. I'm particularly keen to get to grips with the Pimmy email, newsgroup and RSS client; the KM@ web browser (portable versions of Firefox and Opera are also available); and organizational joygasm NeoMem.

The 46 Best-ever Freeware Utilities

Postroad — Fri, 25 Nov 2005 13:18:29 -0800

The 46 Best-ever Freeware Utilities There are a lot of great freeware products out there. Many are as good or even better than their commercial alternatives. This list features my personal pick of the "best of the best."

MS VP Challenges GPL on Moral Grounds In Speech

rschram — Thu, 03 May 2001 13:57:17 -0800

MS VP Challenges GPL on Moral Grounds In Speech
Admitting that the company is feeling pressure from open source, free alternatives, Microsoft's Craig Mundie, lecturing at NYU, will speak out against G.P.L., which he considers impractical, dangerous and morally wrong. Stallman is quoted as saying something ludicrously funny about the American revolution.

Forbes.com suggests

jhiggy — Wed, 02 May 2001 08:14:35 -0800

Forbes.com suggests you IT people use shareware or freeware office packages instead of that expensive Microsoft stuff.