Google Pack

Yesterday at CES, Google introduce their new free service. This time around its a suite of essential software aimed at Windows users. According to Google, Google Pack is:

- Essential: Enjoy safe, useful software for your computer
- Simple: Download and install everything in just a few clicks
- Customizable: Choose only the software you want
- Up to date: Get updates and new software via Google Updater

So what does this free pack offer? Well heres the list..

• Google Earth - 3D Earth browser. We all know what this is by now. A great app that lets you travel the world from your own computer. Geography class can be fun, you see?


• Picasa - Photo organizer. A Windows "iPhoto" of sorts. I have never try it personally, but I have heard great things about this app. One of the good things about this app, is the tight intergration with other web services, like Blogger for example


• Google Desktop - Desktop companion. A cheap "Spotlight" you could call it. Like Spotlight in Tiger, Google Desktop indexes your hard drive and makes it easier for you to find files, emails and more.


• Google Toolbar for Internet Explorer - Search toolbar. A toolbar for Internet Explorer (who still uses this crap?) that includes easy access to Google Search, and includes pop-up blocking.


• Google Pack Screensaver - Photo screensaver. Pretty self-explanatory right? Nothing to loose sleep about.

Along with the in-house software, they also bundle some great 3rd party applications, like:

• Mozilla Firefox with Google Toolbar - The defacto standard for Windows browsers. Although, they couldve done it sans the Toolbar thing..


• Ad-Aware SE Personal - Spyware removal tool. Helpful to have if you run Windows, and you tend to visit iffy sites. I recommend Spybot Search & Destroy.


• Adobe Reader 7 - A must have nowadays for documents on the web.


• Norton Antivirus 2005 Special Edition - Free Antivirus is always good. Norton Antivirus, not so good. You see, this antivirus tends to be a resource hungry alternative. Not the best choice, I wonder why Google chose them in the first place.
  

So there you have it, a quick rundown of Google's Pack. A great all-in-one solution if you tend to use plenty of Google's Applications, and you just installed Windows, or got yourself a new PC.

By the most part, is a pretty good suite of software. Some hits, some misses mainly Norton, and the inclusion of their toolbar with Firefox. Interested in obtaining a copy?

Go here: http://pack.google.com/