by Dan Gayle
Staff Designer

We all need good software. Some, like the Microsoft Office package, are nearly indispensable to college students. But do we need them badly enough that we will stoop to stealing via illegal downloads? We hope not. So here is a good roundup of sites that carry free and legal software that will help you stay honest, but also help you get your work done.

MAC

Pure-Mac.com
As the resident Ebbtide Mac enthusiast, there are quite a few websites that I am regularly perusing. But Pure Mac is always the first on my list. It isn’t all free software, as it also lists shareware and commercial software, but it is easily the most usable resource for seeing what the field has to offer. There aren’t any ratings and whatnot, but with the ease of navigation that this site provides, you’ll be happily downloading software into the wee hours of the night.

FreeSMUG.com
This is another Mac-only site, but with a pronounced emphasis on the products of the Free Open- Source Software movement that derides the monopolistic and commercial tendencies of mega corporations such as Microsoft. Most of these applications also have their Linux/Windows counterparts available from the developers, so it won’t hurt you to look if you’re Mac-less. The site also has listings of OS X portable applications, a nifty bonus.

PC

Freewarehome.com
This is the motherload for free stuff. It lists Windows, Linux and OS X software that is free for all to use. Their website sums it up best: “Freeware Home is an indexed collection of FREE programs commonly found on the Internet around the globe.” There is even a forum to post a question if you don’t know exactly what you’re looking for.