Computers and networks
Computers have always been my main interest and I got my first computer, a Sinclair ZX Spectrum, in the early 80's and in the late 80's I got my first PC, an Amstrad PC 1640. I've had many different PC computers after that, and my current main home computer is a watercooled home build running Windows XP. The weatherstation software is running on an old computer running Debian Linux.
Since the late 90's I've been working with computer networks and IT security, and very often I see people that don't think about the risks and problems that exist in the IT world. It is amazing how people seem to believe that all their digital photos are safe on the 5 years old computer that sound like it could die any second, or how they think computer viruses only happen to other people and only to those that surf on XXX pages. The fact is that hard disks where we save our photos and important documents aren't magic devices that work forever, but devices with moving parts that can fail at any time, even when they are brand new. And viruses can hit you from anywhere, even new software that you bought from a store can contain viruses because mistakes can happen anywhere.
To protect your computer and your important data I recommend the following products:
Antivirus and firewall: AVG Internet Security with Anti-Virus, Anti-Spyware, Anti-Spam, Web Protection & Firewall, becaus it's cheap, easy to use and safe. It's also very lightweight so it doesn't take all power from your computer. The best deal you get if you buy a 2-years license. If you have more than one computer, you can also get a 3-pack for a very reasonable price! There is also a free version of the AVG anti-virus for home users, but if you use that, you loose the anti-spyware, anti-spam, web protection and firewall functions.
Backup software: Genie Backup Manager Home, because it's easy to use and also handles files that are locked or in use. If you are tired to do manual backups, or have never done any backups of your photos and important files, this is something for you!
Move settings to a new computer: If you have ever bought a new computer, you know how much trouble it can be to move all your programs and settings from the old computer to the new one! With PCmover (for windows XP and windows Vista) you can make this task much easier, and much faster. Either move all programs and settings or select what you want to move, the PCmover software does the rest.