Ask dotTechies: What is your favorite freeware software?
May 30, 2010 128
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In the huge world of software, there is a huge difference between paid-for software and freeware software. However, in each realm there are massive, headache-inducing numbers of choices and qualities. Free software is probably the second most popular thing to review on dotTech–there are 135 articles on them as of the time of writing this! After all, free things are a lot of time really great (although some times, they’re just worse as opposed to being bad). Today, I ask you on Ask dotTechies, what is your favorite piece of freeware software?
If I had to choose one or two, I’d say that my favorite would have to be either GIMP or Firefox. With GIMP, it’s like I don’t have to pay for Photoshop (although it is completely different in how you use it, it has the same basic functionality if you spend enough time learning it)! However, without Firefox I’d have to use Google Chrome or another browser.
Like the two of the last three Ask dotTechies, there is no poll for this thread; rather please share your input via the comments below: what is your favorite piece of freeware software?
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some of mine are:
Avira AntiVir Personal, PStart, NetWorx, Anvir TaskManager, Firefox, Foobar2000, MP3tag, CCleaner, Auslogics Disk Defrag, Revo Uninstaller, USB Safely Remove, File Menu Tools
Imagery:
Irfanview, Picassa, GIMP, paint.net, faststone photo resizer
Video Editing:
Openshot
Multimedia:
Foobar2000, itunes, VLC, Klite codec pack
Coding:
Notepad++ with
http://sourceforge.net/projects/npp-plugins/files/FTP_synchronize/FTP_synchronize%20Plugin%20v0.9.6.1/FTP_synchronize_0_9_6_1_dll.zip/download
Jedit, Eclipse, Bluefish
How to find these:
Type the name of the software that you want to download/look at in the textbox on the following page and click the search button :)
http://www.google.com
Open Office
Opera
foobar2000
KeePass
Virtualbox
SuRun
FastStone Image Viewer/ XnView
FastStone Capture (last freebie version)/ Pickpick
Pidgin
Paint.NET
PDF-Xchange Viewer
K-lite Codec Pack
MyDefrag/ Puran Defrag
Ubuntu
Oh, wow, where do I start?
1st. Moffsoft Free Calc, no doubt about it. I’ve used this since Windows 98 (now using it with Windows 7). I like the feature that shows the “tape” so I can go back and check numbers, in case I entered a wrong figure at some point. Also, I can print out my calculations. They also have a shareware version that includes a lot more features, but the simple freeware version is enough for me.
2nd. FastStone Capture for capturing screenshots, part or full.
3rd. Paint.net
4th PDF Xchange Viewer – works in my browser where Adobe refused to co-operate.
5th. AllFive XP – nice little yatzee game….free of course. This also goes back to Windows 98 and works nicely on Windows 7.
Opera
AVS Media Player
PDF X-change (PDF Viewer)
Accelman (File Manager)
Soulseek (p2p)
Gardens and Plants (plant/tree database…not for everybody but a good idea for those who need it)
a few apps I use daily (or almost)
avg
cdburnerxp
usb disk ejector
usb threat defender
winpatrol
imgburn
logmein
jing
gfibackup
… hummm … Ubuntu Netbook Edition …
1.[Security Tools] Avast Anti-Virus (as well as AVG and Avira (which I got the premium version to free, which has already expired) to compliment it), Spyware Terminator, ThreatFire, and WinPatrol (I use WinPatrol Plus because of the 99¢ offer)
2.[Web Browser] Mozilla Firefox (and Netscape as my backup browser; Google Chrome is nice, so is Opera; I would NEVER go back to using Internet Explorer)
3.[Archiving and Unzipping Utility] 7-Zip (and IZArc and Peazip to add to it)
4.[PDF Reader] Foxit Reader
5.[Registry Cleaner and Useful Tools] CCleaner / Advanced SystemCare (I got the PRO version for free)
6. [Word Processor] OpenOffice.Org / IBM Lotus Symphony
7.[Screen Capture Tool and Screen Recording Tool] PicPick and Camstudio
8.[Image Viewer] XnView
9.[Video and Music Player] VLC Media Player (and DivX Plus)
10.[Image Editor] Paint.NET (and GimPhoto (based on GIMP) to help out)
11.[Email Client] Mozilla Thunderbird
12.[Download Accelerator] Download Accelerator Plus (DAP)
13.[Remote Access Tool] LogMeIn Free
14.[Programming Tools] Notepad++, Komodo Edit, and
Netbeans
15.[Virtual Machine Software] VMWare Player (and sometimes VirtualBox to do other tasks that seem difficult with VMWare Player or crash VMWare Player)
16.[Remotely Running Programs] Spoon
17.[Firefox Addons]
[Useful Tools] Adblock Plus, Nightly Tester Tools, FEBE,
Custom Buttons, Fast Dial, Tab Mix Plus, ScrapBook,
[Security] WOT, Finjan, McAfee, LinkExtend,Toggle Private Browsing, Phishtank SiteChecker, NoScript (Usually I have it set to “Allow Scripts Globally”, I just let it block some scripts after that, that are called something like “ABE” scripts)
[Web Developer] Colorzilla, Web Developer, Toggle Web Developer Toolbar, Firebug
[Others / Toolbars] BugMeNot, 404: File is Not Found ? Now it will be!, Anonymouse Toolbar
@Andrew: Not all of the software you listed is free (I’m pretty sure). AVS Media Player appears to be free, but I noticed a registration page on that product’s homepage (I believe it is for registering other products, though). Also, Accelman is not free (according to CNet). How would you compare AVS to VLC?
@Jon: Oh, and I forgot to mention, another security tool (which is great, I got it from a freebie) that I use is AnVir Task Manager (the awesome program, remember?)
@Jon: Again, I forgot to mention yet another thing in the security category; Malwarebytes Anti-Malware.
So many choices, but 3 I absolutely have to have on all my computers are Win Patrol, LastPass and Revo Uninstaller!
favourite: MegaMek (java based game that does a very good job of converting Battletech to a computer :-)
most used? probably Firefox portable (it’s surprisingly handy to be able to take “my” internet with me :-p )
most appreciated? Malwarebytes’ Anti-Malware because I’ve used it to get some quite nasty/annoying off other peoples computers with little difficulty
honourable mentions: CCleaner, MyDefrag and TeraCopy (the ease of using the copy older files only is something I’ve found very handy for moving file onto/off USB memory sticks)
@blue: You’re on the nail! Agree that the reg cleaner is the main reason for using JV16. I even place the JV16 shortcut in the reg tools folder, not system suites, for that reason. Other apps mentioned by you are also really great. Thanks for the links!
@Norma: use calcute (http://calcute.com/) – its better than Moffsoft Free Calc and you can edit the figures in the tape of calculations – I use it all the time.
Hmm…. Here we go
TrueCrypt
Lockcrypt
Revouninstaller
Maxthon Browser 3.0 (Beta)
East-Tec Eraser 2009
WinUtilities Pro
Everest Ultimate Edition
PeerBlock
AnVir Task Manager
Cleanmem
MyDefrag v4.2.9
Universal Extractor 1.6
FastStone Capture
KeyScrambler
WinX DVD Copy
WinX HD Video Converter
SWF & FLV Toolbox 4
ThreatFire
XnView
Everything
Soundbase (Music)
Vuze
Thats some of em… Theres more ^^
Cheers /
its so many…
Of course Firefox and then the series will begin with:
dropbox
axcrypt
winpatrol
everything
…to be continued…
Thank YOU. Gem of gems
Adobe Acrobat Pro when will be free.Please announce me .Thank.
@Jon: Accelman is now indeed free, you have to register but it is free to do so http://www.flexigensoft.com/accelman . Its a good file manager that doesnt get the popularity or recognition it deserves IMO, very customizable and nice looking too… As for AVS, maybe VLC is better I dont know I never tried VLC, Ill check it out though…Theres a paid version for Gardens and Plants but theres a free version too which shows some ads but they will be blocked with Privoxy for example. Of course theres other freeware I use (like Privoxy) but I tried to come up with programs that wouldnt get mentioned by others for this list.
I personally tend to favour SSuite Office’s free office software. :)
Wow so many to choose from but here are some of my favs
1. LastPass
2. Revo Uninstaller
3. Avast Antivirus
4. Tera Copy
5. DropBox
7. KeyScrabblers pro is best if you can afford
Vidimo Se!
CCleaner & Glary Utilities
GomPlayer
FormatFactory
PAINT.NET & Picasa
Firefox
Evernote & Notepad++
FileMenu Tools & Unlocker
Is Dottech on hiatus?
Loock at tecno 360 india.Are some free promotions there.Make a description please.