Google offers a great little download which I highly recommend. It includes several of Google’s best freeware offerings and, most importantly, an automated service to keep them all up to date.
Select the following link to download the package:
The Google Pack will automatically install Picasa, Google Earth, Google Desktop, Google Pack Screensaver, and the Toolbar for Internet Explorer as well as the Firefox Web Browser. It also gives the option of installing some other 3rd party software.
Here is why you would want each of the things offered in the Google Pack:
- Picasa is one of the easiest programs you can use to manage your digital photo album. It gives even rank amateurs plenty of power to manipulate, edit and print images.
- Google Earth will allow you to plan trips, see the planet from a satellite view, and generally waste time. It is also required for some of the posts on my blog which offer a virtual tour of famous places.
- Google Desktop will allow you to have a nice sidebar that keeps all your favorite plugins up to date with things like weather, stocks, news, etc.
- Google Pack Screensaver will turn your photo collection into your screensaver.
- The Toolbar for Internet Explorer will add features including a Google search, form filler and pop-up blocking to your IE.
- The Firefox Web browser is a very useful secondary browser even if you want to keep using IE. If you encounter a site that isn’t working properly in Internet Explorer open up Firefox and see if it works. Many people prefer to use Firefox permanently because it seems to be more secure and offers many useful plugins.
And for your amusement, here is an example of what Google Earth can do. Find more videos like this here.
