Who doesn’t love a good freebie?…because like momma told ya…Money doesn’t grow on trees.
Here are some great freebies for your computer you can find around the web…
FireFox
A web-browser that, in my opinion, far exceeds Internet Explorer (IE)…you should check it out here.
FreeMind
An excellent mind mapping/brainstorming software. You can download it here.
GIMP/Paint.NET
For those of us that don’t have the need for Photoshop or don’t want to dish out money on PS Elements, these two programs work wonders on your pictures. They offer more than enough to keep the casual or even advanced photo editor busy. GIMP is here whilst Paint.Net is here.
OpenOffice
I have mentioned this handy little software application before, but it bears repeating. This office suite rivals MS Office in many ways, but is 100% free. It has a word editor, a spreadsheet program, a math program, a presentation (PowerPoint) program and more. And it can both open and save as many different formats, including MS Office formats. Download it here.
Audacity
An audio editor that can do just about anything a layman would ever need to do with audio. Slice it, dice it, improve it, speed it up, slow it down, and a whole whole lot more. You can download it here.
JDarkRoom
The J stands for Java, which means this program can run on a plethora of operating systems. It is an excellent writing program and offers a black screen with green text which is easy on the eyes. Check it out here.
Notepad ++
Notepad ++ is basically notepad on steroids. It has many features including syntax highlighting for many different computer languages. If you are a programming editor, an html designer, or just someone who could use a beefed up text editor, Notepad ++ is swiftly becoming the industry standard…and it’s free!
KompoZer
A WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) editor for the casual web designer. Advance users may wish to use this in conjunction with Notepad ++. You can download it here.
Windows Live Writer/Zoundry Raven
Two excellent programs for bloggers which allow you to compose and publish blogs in a clean, simple, familiar interface. LiveWriter is here, Raven is here.
ooVoo
An alternative to Skype that offers many excellent features…the downside is that while the basic program is free, the advance features (such as video conference calls with 3 or more people) will cost you. Still, the sleek interface and perspective style camera chat interface make this a winner over Skype for me.
IN CONCLUSION…
These programs have a lot to offer, but this is by no means a comprehensive list. PC Mag has put together an amazing list of free software that I highly recommend you check out. In these times of woe and want, a little something free feels…well it feels kind of good. Another great thing about the aforementioned software is that most of the listed programs are both highly customizable and extensible, so you can tailor them to fit your needs. Until next time… keep on.
