This is a list I've compiled of software that I have found works best if your using windows. We have a wide range of programs from photo editing, office software to anti-virus. Most of these programs are open source, or freeware which means no cost to you the user.

I do recommend that if you do use these programs and like them to either buy the commercial/home version or donate some money to help with the continued development of these software applications.

If there is anything you would like to have us add to the list please feel free to email the link for the software to us and we will give it a full review.

Adobe Players:

I highly recommend going to adobe.com and loading the following players from adobe.com:

Adobe Flash, Adobe Air, and Adobe Shockwave

Download Adobe Players

Anti-Virus:

Microsoft Security Essentials

Microsoft Security Essentials provides real-time protection for your home PC that guards against viruses, spyware, and other malicious software.

Highlights include:

Comprehensive malware protection
Simple, free download
Automatic updates
Easy to use

Download Microsoft Secuirty Essentials

ClamWin

ClamWin is an open source Antivirus tool and is only recommended for experienced users only!

Features:

Scanning Scheduler
Automatic Virus Database Updates
Standalone Virus Scanner

Please note that ClamWin Free Antivirus does not include an on-access real-time scanner, that is, you need to manually scan a file in order to detect a virus.

Download ClamWin

Anti-Spyware:

Spybot Search & Destroy

Spybot - Search & Destroy can detect and remove different kinds of spyware from your computer. In my opinion it is the best Anti-Spyware out there.

Download Spybot Search & Destroy

Malwarebytes

Malwarebytes has developed a variety of tools that can identify and remove malicious software from your computer. When your computer becomes infected, Malwarebytes can provide the needed assistance to remove the infection and restore the machine back to optimum performance.

Download Malwarebytes

Office Software:

Open Office / Star Office

OpenOffice is an open-source, multiplatform and multilingual office suite comparable with MS Office.

It is compatible with all other major office suites and is free to download, use, and distribute. It was previously known as StarOffice before it became an open-source project. OpenOffice comes with OpenWriter - a word processor (basiclly the equivalant of Word), OpenCalc - a spreadsheet (basiclly the equivalant of Excel) and OpenImpress - a presentational package (basiclly the equivalant of powerpoint).

Features

The first office suite to use the new OASIS OpenDocument format, the future-proof international standard for office software
Easy to install, looks and feels like microsoft office (only better)
More intuitive, more easy to use than ever, with a host of new usability features
Complete with Base: an easy-to-use database manager with a fully integrated database

You may download OpenOffice.org Version 2 completely free of any licence fees, use it for any purpose - private, educational, government and public administration, commercial - and pass on copies free of charge to family, friends, students, employees, etc.

Download Open Office

Photo Editing / Management

Google Picasa

Google Picasa is a free photo editing, managing and sharing program.

Features

syncing of your photos with your online account
A retouch (clone tool)
Create and edit movies
Screen capturing
Adding text or watermarks
intuitive management

Download Google Picasa

Music and Video Player / Management

iTunes

iTunes is an audio player for playing and organizing digital music and video files. You can purchase digital music and video files from iTunes and uses the FairPlay digital rights management format.

Users are able to organize their music, video and podcast into playlists, edit file information, record compact discs, DVD's, and copy files to a digital audio player.

iTunes includes the Quicktime Player installer.

Download iTunes

Video Player

VLC Player

VLC (initially VideoLAN Client) is a open source multimedia player which plays just about every type of format and various streaming protocols. It can also be used as a server to stream in unicast or multicast in IPv4 or IPv6 on a high-bandwidth network.

Download VLC Player

Graphics Editor

Adobe Photoshop Elements

Adobe gives you some of the power of photoshop without the huge price. This software is perfect if your looking for something to fix pictures, add text and effects. Photoshop Elements is perfect if you want something more complex then what Google Picasa gives you for graphics editing. For $140.00 US it's not a bad deal.

Download Adobe Photoshop Elements Trial

The Gimp

Is a open source graphics editor program. Like photoshop is can color correct and fix anything wrong with any pictures. It is just not as easy to use as photoshop is. When it's free though why would you complain? If you need to do some basic graphics editing and you don't want to buy photoshop elements then the gimp is perfect for you!

Download The Gimp

Backup Software

Cobian Backup 9

Cobian Backup is a multi-threaded program that can be used to schedule and backup your files and directories.

Features:

FTP Backup
Scheduling
Encryption
It can be run as an application or a service
It can email when a backup is completed or if an error occurs

Download Cobian Backup

Other

Adobe Acrobat Reader

Adobe Reader is free software from adobe that lets you open, view, search, and print Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) files.

Download Adobe Acrobat Reader

PDF Creator

PDF Creator is a free tool to create PDF files from nearly any Windows application. It is Open Source and released under the Terms of the GNU General Public License.

Key Features:

Create PDFs from any program that is able to print
Encrypt PDF Files
Send generated files via eMail
Create PNG, JPG, TIFF, BMP, PCX, PS, EPS
AutoSave files to folders and filenames based on Tags like Username, Computername, Date, Time etc.
Merge multiple files into one PDF

Download PDF Creator

Mozilla Thunderbird with the lightning plugin

Mozilla Thunderbird in my opinion is on of the best email clients out there and it's free. With the lightning plugin you get everything Microsoft Outlook has for free.

Download Mozilla Thunderbird

Download The Lightning Plugin For Mozilla Thunderbird

Mozilla Firefox

The safest and most customizable web browser currently available.

Download Mozilla Firefox

Inkscape

Inkscape is an Open Source vector graphics editor, with capabilities similar to Illustrator, Freehand, and CorelDraw. Inkscape natively supports the SVG file format and other vector based formats.

Download Inkscape

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