With the release of Windows Vista, Microsoft has taken steps to move all the operating systems forward to support the growing use of multi-tasking applications. The Windows platform supports a variety of operating systems which can be used to power different kinds of software including Unix-like systems. With the introduction of the Windows Vista platform, there was a marked increase in the usage of multi-tasking programs which ultimately necessitated the need for a new platform for the platform. With the launch of the Windows 7, Microsoft managed to expand the user base of the system which now supported free applications.
With the rise in popularity of the free applications, many companies like Adobe who are in the business of developing applications for the software industry now focus on providing these free applications in the form of paid software downloads. As with all free applications, there is always the risk of malware and spyware infecting the system. A number of users have complained that downloading software from the Internet has led to many different malicious viruses and spyware to infect their computer. As a result, many people like to download their software from official sites like Microsoft's website instead of downloading software from third party sources.
Software downloads from online sources can also be susceptible to hijacking by hackers as the personal information of the user is leaked into the hands of a hacker. For this reason, downloading software from reliable online sources is still the best option. As a matter of fact, free software downloads also tend to share the same virus as the paid software downloads do. It is advisable to be cautious of software downloads as this will help you ensure that your computer will not be compromised by malware or spyware. There are a number of online software download sites that provide free software downloads that are still safe to use.