Where to Download Software

Whether you are looking for an anti-virus program, utilities to monitor kids’ internet usage, or great games to pass the time, Phat Toad Software has what you need. Phat Toad Software offers thousands of titles from independent software publishers, thus offering you cutting edge titles at deep discounts.

One of the most popular titles at Phat Toad Software is President Forever 2008, a strategy game that allows users to simulate key election events and change the course of history in the U.S., U.K., and Australia. President Forever is just one of many outstanding games offered.

Next time you are looking for software to help you at work or at home, check out the selection of titles Phat Toad Software.

Turbo Tax

If you’re looking for a detailed tax program which will enable you to enter every minute detail about your accounts, your receipts and your deductions, TurboTax Premier is probably the ideal tax software for you. That sort of detail requires patience, and TurboTax Premier asks for a lot of patience. While I was doing this year’s taxes, I was required to download nearly 16 updates, plus the program for my specific state, and then while it was downloading all of this, this message kept popping up, “Checking for updates is taking longer than expected. Do you still wish to continue?”

If you’re one of the millions of people who decided to use TurboTax last year, and factors like your living situation and job haven’t changed at all, you can actually import all of your previous year’s tax information into this current program. This act alone will save you half the time it takes to go through the total process.

In general, it’s easy to say that Turbo Tax is actually one of the more comprehensive tax programs out there. Not only is it very comprehensive, it also provides a substantial amount of guidance and information for users who have questions. However, at nearly $80, it’s not nearly as cheap as some of the other offerings out there. Fortunately, you just might make that $80 back by all of the deductions that TurboTax will tell you about.

Norton Anti Virus 2008

Since Symantec significantly improved their 2007 edition of Norton Antivirus, it was highly expected that they would only make slight modifications and additions to the 2008 release of the well known software program. Although Norton Antivirus 2008 often does quite well when compared to competent benchmark tests, the program seems to have lost a fair amount of usability within the interface, hurting the overall experience.

First of all, something that cannot be overlooked is the sheer size of the program. Weighing in at a robust 300 MB, users really start to wonder exactly why it takes up so much room in your computer. Not only is the space requirement a bit extreme, but the software is dumbed down and doesn’t give users the ability to turn on anything remotely advanced.

As far as the using Norton Antivirus 2008 to protect your computer, buyers should refer to analysis and tests recently published by two independent antivirus testing organizations. AV-Comparatives.org and CheckVir.com both tested the program through their own benchmarks and while it received the highest rating possible in some areas, there were a significant number of areas where it was only rated as being standard.

Symantec’s Norton Antivirus 2008 is the latest in a long line of supposedly corporate-ready antivirus programs however, it seems as though the software could benefit by becoming more user friendly, or at the very least, accessible. There are many options that cannot be changed simply because Symantec doesn’t think that the user can handle the responsibility.

MSN Messenger

MSN Messenger, the free chat utility from Microsoft hits and ideal spot in the market. Very colorful, simple, and easy to use, it’s designed very well in a visual manner. Another benefit is that all of the advertised program features actually work on a regular basis. For anyone who already has a Hotmail account, you can simply type in your associated email address and password, rather than making a new user name.

However, most users should probably uninstall and remove the MSN Today welcome screen and turn off a few other options, doing so will make the IM application run slightly faster, but definitely much more smoothly. MSN Messenger makes use of labeled icons for file transfers, video conferencing, IM chats, and voice chats. At first glance, with all of the games and other fun characteristics of MSN Messenger, it might seem as though the program should only be used for talking or communicating with your friends and family, instead of with anyone at your office. However, MSN Messenger also decided to embed a number of business-oriented applications, specifically file transfers and a talent for XP networking. If you are trying to decide between all of the different IM programs out there, you may find out that MSN Messenger is a good choice for both home and work.

Google Talk

If you want to use the Google Talk IM software program, you will need to sign up for Gmail account. It’s simply another in the long list of Google services that are currently in beta form. Once you have your Gmail account, you can start adding your Gmail contacts as soon as you start downloading the Google Talk application to your computer. Downloading and installing is a relatively fast process and the program will start almost instantly.

One of the first things you’ll probably notice about Google Talk is that it’s one of the most simple chat programs available. This is really very rare when you start examining all of the IM programs out there to choose from. While most instant messaging programs have numerous options allowing users to customize almost every aspect of their interface, you’ll notice that Google Talk is comparably bare bones. No really, it’s unbelievably bare boned and has only a very limited selection of settings for customization. Google Talk does not have a video-conferencing utility, but it does seem to handle voice messaging and text features seamlessly.

Some people have been calling Google Talk a chat utility that’s only meant for specific people, namely those who have Gmail accounts. Fortunately, it’s not at all difficult to sign up for an account and start using Google Talk. If you simply want to use a reliable IM chat program, Google Talk is probably a good choice.

Adobe Illustrator CS3

Although Adobe increased the performance factor, and included a rather uniquely interesting and supremely useful tool named the Live Color tool, Adobe Illustrator CS3 is a bit of a let down even for die-hard Adobe fans. Sure the interface has been streamlined, but there’s remains this nagging feeling of disappointment. CS3 is an improvement over CS2 however it does not make any improvements in usability and how artists use the program.

With Illustrator CS3, Adobe attempts to take a small number of changes to the interface and build a new method for operating that will increase productivity. It does not fully succeed, however the new tools are still appreciated. The primary noticeable difference in design is apparent in the areas where artists and users used to simply use a substantial amount of guesswork and trial and error in order to follow lines, or make exact placements. Visually, CS3 helps in these areas.

Adobe also decided to mix and match interface elements from their Flash CS3 program. While it is a good idea to enable these two programs to communicate between each other more effectively, the manner in which Adobe executed this handshake is awkward at best, and at its worst just down right ugly.

Adobe Illustrator CS3 is definitely an improvement over the earlier incarnation, but not enough to go through the trouble of upgrading.