windows software must have list

 

TOP Windows Software is a simple list of the best applications available for Windows XP and Vista. We aren’t trying to be a comprehensive listing of every Windows application, and obviously there are a few big, expensive applications that are missing from this list

Rather, we want to showcase the programs that everybody should have, that are cheap or free, or that are just too fun not to try out. We see this page as a handy reference for anybody staring at a brand new Windows machine and wondering "what can I even do with this?". Or when you end up on your neighbor’s computer and there are a half dozen absolutely essential apps they don’t have. Finally, this page is a work in progress; if there are any great apps missing from this list, please let us know

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Web Browsing

Mozilla Firefox

The premier free, open-source browser. Tabs, pop-up blocking, themes, and extensions. Considered by many to be the world’s best browser.
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Video Player, Torrents, Podcasting

Miro

Beautiful interface. Plays any video type (much more than windows media player). Subscribe to video RSS, download, and watch all in one. Torrent support. Search and download from YouTube and others.
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One-stop Shopping

Google Pack

Includes Firefox, Skype, Picasa, StarOffice (Microsoft Office compatible but free) and many of the best apps on this page. Plus it keeps them up to date, so it’s better than downloading them all separately.

IM – Instant Messaging

Trillian

A powerhouse of an IM client. Supports AOL IM, MSN, ICQ, and Yahoo as well as voice chats, file transfers and more.
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Pidgin

Connect to multiple IM accounts simultaneously in a single app, including: AOL IM, Yahoo, MSN, ICQ, Jabber, and Google Talk. 100% free and open source.
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Telephone

Skype

Talk with anybody in the world for free using Skype. Buy some credits and you can call any phone number in the world, cheap.
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Email

Mozilla Thunderbird

Powerful spam filtering, solid interface, and all the features you need. Way better than Outlook Express.
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Widgets

Yahoo Widgets

An army of cool, tiny applications at your fingertips. Such as: weather, alarm clock, todo lists, notepads, games, dictionaries and more. Very handy
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Peer-to-Peer Filesharing

uTorrent

A simple, fast Bittorrent client that will download your files without slowing down your computer.
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Limewire

The world’s most popular search and download filesharing program. Works great for music and video.
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Soulseek

The community-based filesharing client. Still one of the best ways to find rare music online.
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Video Playback

VLC

Plays more video files than most players: Quicktime, AVI, DIVX, OGG, and more. Pretty good interface.
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Combined Community Codec Pack (CCCP)

Lets you play almost every major video format inside Windows Media Player (or many other video players). Also includes an ad-free alternative to Quicktime.
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Real Alternative Lite

A lightweight, ad-free version of RealPlayer.
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DVD Ripping / Video Conversion

Media Coder

Great tool for ripping CDs, DVDs, etc and converting between tons of video formats.
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Word Processing / Office Suites

OpenOffice.org

Big, full featured suite of tools for word processing and spreadsheets. Compatible with–and a free replacement for–Microsoft Office. A souped up version, Star Office, comes free with Google Pack.
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AbiWord

A word processor. Leaner and quicker than OpenOffice. Compatible with Microsoft Word documents and OpenDocument Format.
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Photo and Graphics

Picasa

The best photo album for Windows. Lets you share photos too.

GIMP

Photo editing application that rivals Photoshop in features.
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Music

iTunes

The best music player for Windows. Rip and burn CDs and download podcasts too.
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Ableton Live

For anyone who ever wanted to make a remix, DJ a party, or play with beats. A great manual, good tutorials and a super slick interface make Live so easy to learn. Free demo (hint: use Audacity for saving).
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RSS

FeedDemon

The most popular RSS reader for Windows. Everything you want from an RSS reader.
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RSSOwl

Solid cross-platform RSS client.
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Privacy

Vidalia

Military-grade anonymous web browsing. Vidalia (a front-end for TOR) keeps you anonymous on the web using open source software and military-grade techniques. To use with Firefox see: TorButton.
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Todo Lists

Basecamp

Effortless todo list and project management software. This is web software, but it is hands down better than any competing desktop app.
Webpage

Maps

Google Earth

The 3D map of the world that just gets better and better…and creepier. Total must-have.
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Sound Recording

Audacity

Simple sound recording and editing tool.
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FTP / SFTP

SmartFTP

A popular FTP program for Windows.
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Filezilla

Excellent FTP program. 100% free and open source.
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IRC

mIRC

The most popular Windows IRC client.
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More Web Browsers

Opera

A fast web browser packed with great features. Some people swear by it.
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Windows Alternatives

Ubuntu Linux

Sick of endless spyware and viruses? If Windows is a hassle, Ubuntu may be your way out. Try it without installing anything– just pop in the CD and restart your computer.
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Finally, this page is a work in progress; if there are any great apps missing from this list, please let us know