Here goes a list of software that’s been verified by Virtual Alliance Systems to be free from ad/mal/bloat/crapware.
Health of the computer is directly linked to the quality of the software you utilize.
Developers
Lightweight, efficient, supports secure encryption over various protocols, actively developed
Very lightweight, easy to use, numerous convenient functions, file shredder that supports DoD Sanitization method (DoD 5220.22-M)
Lightweight and efficient, gets shell work done without extra overhead
Supports WLAN and LAN protocols, IPv6, user friendly GUI, actively developed and supported, absolute basic for any technology enthusiast
General
Extremely lightweight and efficient, excellent audio capabilities in one package, actively developed and maintained, theme/plugin upgrades available, actively developed and maintained
Lightweight, does its job without anything in between, excellent for those who are night owls, actively maintained
Alternative to Adobe PDF Reader, lightweight and efficient, works in most browsers, maintained
Alternative to Adobe Photoshop, works well for most applications, actively maintained,
Everything you need to enjoy your media content’s needs, efficient, fast, lightweight, has most supported stream formats available, and is very stable, actively developed and maintained,
Basic usage, easy to use GUI, ability to save results for comparison, maintained
Fast (even with 5mb+ files… *cough* Microsoft Notepad), basic plugins, language parsing and conversion, reads all files correctly, open source, actively developed and maintained
The only program that can tell you information about your GPU, overclock your GPU, and edit advanced game specific driver settings all in one package, actively developed and maintained
Very lightweight and efficient instant messaging program that supports the majority of protocols, open source, many plugins available that expand protocols and compatibility, actively maintained
TeamViewer
Free remote administration tool that is reliable, secure, and fast, supports encryption over all communications, user friendly interface, actively developed and maintained
Update 11/02/2017: Due to the controversial security practices the company responsible for developing TeamViewer implement, we have decided to remove it from this list.
A very fast and efficient picture browser, minimal setup available, supports many systems, actively developed and maintained
Internet Browsers
Fast. Efficient. Free. Open Source. Reliable. Compatible. V8 Javascript engine. Google. (That could be a bad thing though…)
Palemoon
Extremely efficient, based on Firefox engine, open source, just works
Update 11/02/2017: Palemoon is a good web browser no doubt, but the slow updates to feature, function, and security makes this not the best choice. Palemoon was initially chosen over Firefox for its good use of hardware optimizations, but with the release of Firefox 57, this is no longer the case.
- Firefox Quantum (a.k.a. Firefox 57)
Internal testing shows Firefox Quantum is essentially on the same speed and efficiency level as Chrome 62. Before, the issue with Chrome had been the Internet’s only choice for fast Internet browsing, but this doesn’t seem to be the case with Firefox Quantum. It’s nearly on par, without the concern of your privacy being invaded. One can also appreciate the amount of work going into the new architecture, namely the new CSS engine.
Torrents (P2P)
Incredibly lightweight and fast, efficient DHT algorithms, no adware, self-contained, actively developed and maintained
We’ve used this service for years, and it has never failed us in anyway. When used correctly, the lists will prevent your ISP from gathering evidence to pin you down legally. Trackers and DHT users often snoop the traffic, in exchange for deals with certain ISPs. These lists can be used with IP filters in any way. We recommend at the most basic level, applying lists “level1” to “level3” for protection.
VPNs
A very basic, but powerful VPN service. The privacy policy is deemed OK, and no logs are kept. The ToS is also inline with the privacy policy, so really you shouldn’t be concerned when using this service. They are based in Sweden, so already you know strict U.S. privacy laws do not apply to them.
List revision — 4.0 @ 11/02/17
Due to the way software updates are deployed, there are occasional circumstances that defame listed software. We will remove the respective software if deemed fit. As such, we will try to keep this list updated.
Virtual Alliance Systems | VAS Network 