Web Browsers
Using an alternative web browser (that is, one other than Microsoft Internet Explorer) is a great way to protect yourself against many website-based security exploits that could harm your computer. Here are four great (and completely free) alternative browsers:
Other Software
Adobe Photoshop Elements
Adobe Photoshop Elements is a consumer oriented version of Adobe's popular Photoshop application. Photoshop Elements will help you edit, enhance and organize all of your digital photography.
Adobe Premiere Elements
Adobe Premiere Elements is Adobe's consumer version of the popular video editing application, Premeire. Premiere Elements is a powerful application for editing home movies from a digital camcorder. Premiere Elemements can add transitions, titles, mix and match audio and encode your video for playback in a variety of different formats.
Burn Aware Free
Burn Aware Free is a simple and easy to use CD and DVD authoring tool. It includes most of the useful features found in competing products.
Dropbox
Dropbox is an online file backup and synchronization service. Store your files online, and synchronize them amongst different computers. Make sure you have what you need in a safe off-site location. Helps keep your files up to date on all your computers, regardless of their physical location. Free for 2 gigabytes of store. Check prices on their website if you need more.
iTunes
iTunes is an online storefront for music, movies, and tv shows. Generally you buy and own content from iTunes. It also includes high definition content and movie rentals.
Microsoft Office
Microsoft Office is considered to be the industry standard for most productivity tasks. The Home & Student version of Office includes Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote. Higher versions add additional applications to the suite. Microsoft Office is a separate application from Windows and typically only a 60-day trial version comes preloaded on most new computers.
Microsoft Security Essentials
Security Essentials is Microsoft's free antivirus program for Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Windows 7. Aside from being free, it is known for having a organized and simple interface.
Norton Antivirus
Norton Antivirus is the industry standard antivirus tool. In 2009 it received a major overhaul making it faster, and far more effective. When programs enter full screen mode (like when watching a movie or playing a game) Norton holds off any automatic tasks until it can be sure it won't interrupt what you are doing.
OpenOffice.org
Openoffice.org is a free and opensource alternative to Microsoft Office. It contains most features found in Microsoft Office. This includes compatibility with Microsoft Office file formats, so you can read, write, and share most Microsoft Office files.
Pidgin
Have friends on different instant messenger services? Don't like using two or three different programs to keep in touch? Pidgin Instant Messenger let's you use many different services (AIM, Yahoo IM, gTalk, etc) all in one easy to use program.
