(NOTE: This is an updated version of a blog I ran in December 2008)
Looking for a Christmas Present for that hard to please tech geek (that won't break the bank)?
For the price of a blank CD and a little download time, you can compile a collection of the best Freeware available on the web (for PC).
Freeware is exactly that - FREE. No nag screens, ads , crippled features or time limits. They are free to distribute.
Best of all, you can make one CD and send a copy to all your friends
Here's my favorites list for 2009.
My Top 20+ Freeware DownloadsAbiWord 2.8.1 – Just need a good basic word processor? AbiWord could do the job nicely. Lots of add-ons available too (Thesaurus, Language Translation etc.)
Ad-Aware SE – Keep your system free from Spyware. Update files are provided regularly via the internet
Avant Browser – Based on the I.E. Kernel, this web browser is faster than almost any other browser out there. One of the first (and best) tabbed browsers.
Avast Anti Virus Home Edition – Simply the best anti-virus program that money can’t buy. Period.
Audacity 1.3.9 – Truly the neatest audio utility I’ve ever seen. Cut, paste, change tempo, pitch, add echo, fade in, fade out .. it does it all (mp3 & wav)
Copernic Desktop 3.2.1 – Now where is that file and what did I name it? Sound familiar? Copernic Desktop indexes everything on you computer (not just the file name but the file content too) and allows you to search for any word string. It’s lightning fast – like using Google on the Web.
Essential PIM – Currently at version 3.1, this Personal Information Manager is evolving nicely. I won’t give up my registered copy of Time & Chaos 7.0 anytime soon, but this is a solid PIM for the price (free)
Faststone Capture 5.3 – Ever need to capture a map or picture from a webpage. With this little utility, you can save a jpg of anything visible on your screen. NOTE: The newest version of FSCapture is now SHAREWARE. The Freeware version is still available online
hereFaststone Image Viewer 3.9 – A great image viewer similar to AC/DC. Simple built in editing tools and fast rendering of large galleries makes is a winner.
Filezilla 3.3.0.1 – There are a number of good FTP clients available on the web. I try them all and keep coming back to this one.
Fences – Clean up your desktop with this novel program that allows you to group your icons the way YOU want them! My favorite “new find' of 2009!!
Freecalc 1.2.0.6 – A Calculator with a running tape.
Foxit PDF Viewer 3.1.3 – Tired of waiting for Acrobat Reader to load? Try this lightweight PDF reader (it even works on a USB drive!)
Great News 1.0.0.383 – a very good RSS Reader. Easy to use and update.
Open Office 3.10 – If you want the equivalent to MS Office without the price tag, here it is. You get a word processor, database, spreadsheet, PowerPoint equivalent and drawing program. The download is over 100 meg so have a high speed connection…and patience.
Photofiltre 6.32 – Not all the bells and whistles of “Photo Shop” but far easier to learn. Great for touching up photos.
Qlock 1.88 – Know the time anywhere in the world. This world time program allows you to place as many clocks for specific locations worldwide on your desktop as you want.
RadioSure 2.0.872 – Probably the best Internet Streaming Radio Program on the web. You can record too!! Over 12,000 Stations in it's search-able database.
Skype 4.1.0 – Talk free with other Skype users world wide or call any telephone in the world for just pennies. Requires a high speed connection.
Spider Player 2.3.1.1 - After years of using Winamp, I've switched to Spider Music Player. It's a leaner program that doesn't hog resources.
Stickies 7.1 – Virtual “Post It” notes for your desk top. Couldn’t live without them
Trillian 4.0 – You have chat friends on Yahoo, MSN, AOL and ICQ? Don’t open four programs, use Trillian to handle all your major chat platforms.
Weather Pulse 2.2.4.1 – Weather forecasts (up to 10 days) for anywhere in the world. Satellite maps, Doppler radar, severe weather alerts included
You can always find the latest freeware at
http://www.snapfiles.com/ and
http://www.freewarefiles.com/There you have it – the best of the best – and best of all, they are all free!