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The Best Open Source and Freeware Apps

1 - I can do better 2 - Jury's out 3 - Pretty darn good 4 - Splendiferous 5 - Awesometastic (by 6 people)   Your rating: 1 - I can do better 2 - Jury's out 3 - Pretty darn good 4 - Splendiferous 5 - Awesometastic

Ranked #1338 in Tech, #32784 overall

Rated G. (Control what you see)

The Official Short Version of PCMAG.COM's - The Best Free Software

Most software is expensive and bloated. But freeware, free-software usually does only one task but does it very well. Among the thousands of free apps available on the Web, those listed here are the best and most reliable ones - according to PC Magazine.

View the full version: PCMAG.COM's - The Best Free Software

Security 

avast! 4 Home Edition avast.com - An antivirus application

AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition free.grisoft.com- Another antivirus application

Comodo Firewall comodogroup.com - Firewall protection

McAfee SiteAdvisor us.mcafee.com - Harmful site deterrant.

SpyCatcher Express tenebril.com - Spyware software

StartupMonitor snpsoftware.com - A startup monitor

SuperStorm Freeware thegreatpuzzle.com/superstorm.php - Protect sensitive files by encryption

Windows Defender microsoft.com - Spyware - built into OneCare and Vista

ZoneAlarm zonelabs.com - Firewall program

Productivity 

EditPad Lite editpadpro.com - A notepad text editor

Notepad++ notepad-plus.sourceforge.net - Another notepad-style text editor

OpenOffice.org openoffice.org - An alternative to Microsoft Office

SQL Manager Lite sqlmanager.net - Database tools and applications for data management.

WordPress wordpress.org - Personal blogging tool

Utilities & PC Management 

AllChars allchars.zwolnet.com - Font character accents creator

AnalogX MaxMem maxmem.com - A realtime physical memory management program

AutoHotkey autohotkey.com - Repetitive task automaton

Clipomatic mlin.net - Clipboard extender

eCleaner ecleaner.tripod.com - Text extractor

FileZilla filezilla.sourceforge.net - A full-featured FTP

Foxit Reader foxitsoftware.com/pdf/rd_intro.php - A standalone PDF application

Gaim gaim.sourceforge.net - A chat service - multiprotocol instant-­messaging client

Google Desktop desktop.google.com - An online desktop application with widgets

Mozy mozy.com - A web-based backup storage system

MWSnap mirekw.com/winfreeware/mwsnap.html - Screen shop capture tool

PopTray poptray.org - A pop-up mail checker for standard POP3 and IMAP mail accounts

RoboForm roboform.com - Password manager, form filler, and password generator

Tweak UI microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/powertoys/xppowertoys.mspx - A super-tweaker tool for Windows XP

Ultimate Boot CD for Windows ubcd4win.com - A CD boot creator

WinMerge winmerge.org - A visual text file differencing and merging tool

WnBrowse ngthomas.co.uk - A super-fast, no-frills file viewer

Yahoo! Desktop Search desktop.yahoo.com - A desktop search program

Music & Audio 

Audacity audacity.sourceforge.net - A powerful audio editing/recording software package

Media Monkey mediamonkey.com - A digital music player for organizing, ripping, burning, converting, and playing your tunes

dBpowerAMP Music Converter dbpoweramp.com - A do-it-all program to rip CDs, convert files, and record audio

Cdex sourceforge.net/projects/cdexos - A CD-ripping and file-conversion application

Video & Graphics 

DVD Shrink dvdshrink.org - Software to backup DVD discs

Gallery 2 gallery.menalto.com - A photo album organizer

GB-PVR gbpvr.com - Schedule and play back DVD recordings

GIMP gimp.org - An alternative to Photoshop, image and font editor

Google SketchUp sketchup.google.com - A 3D modeling tool

IrfanView irfanview.com - A quick image editor

Picasa 2.0 picasa.google.com - A photo-management tool from Google

QuickTime Alternative and Real Alternative codecguide.com - A QuickTime alternative

VLC media player videolan.org - Another media player

Winamp nullsoft.com - An alternative music player

Firefox Extensions 

Adblock Plus adblockplus.org - An add blocker

Bookmarks Synchronizer extensions.geckozone.org - A home and office bookmark synchronizer

FireFTP fireftp.mozdev.org - An FTP client

FlashBlock flashblock.mozdev.org - Flash animations blocker

Forecastfox forecastfox.mozdev.org - A weather station for your Firefox status bar

FoxyTunes foxytunes.com - A miniature media-player control panel for your Firefox status bar

Gmail Space getgspace.com - Use your Gmail account as storage

Greasemonkey greasepot.net - A Firefox extension that allows you to customize the way webpages look and function.

MR Tech Local Install mrtech.com/extensions - Save extensions and themes to your hard drive

ReloadEvery reloadevery.mozdev.org - Automated page refresher

RSS Editor rsseditor.mozdev.org - A lightweight editor - RSS feeds modifier

Session Manager sessionmanager.mozdev.org - An extension that saves the layout and addresses of all your tabs

Zotero zotero.org - An extension to help collect, manage, and cite research sources

Networking & Mobility 

Altiris Software Virtualization Solution juice.altiris.com/svs - Application Virtualization & Streaming

FreeProxy handcraftedsoftware.org - A free proxy server

LogMeIn Hamachi logmeinhamachi.com - Securely access your home PC from anywhere on the Internet

NetStumbler.com netstumbler.com - A tool to detect 802.11b, 802.11g, and 802.11a wireless LANs

PowerGramo powergramo.com - A Skype audio recorder

Snort snort.org - Intrusion detection and prevention software

SightSpeed sightspeed.com - VoIP/VoIM video call system and Web

Skype skype.com - A PC-based VoIP

SurfSpeed go.pcmag.com/surfspeed - Test your surfing speed

UltraVNC ultravnc.com - Access your work PC from home

Fun & Games 

Banshee Screamer Alarm tucows.mundofree.com/winnt/preview/156803.html - A multipurpose alarm/computer clock synchronizer

BZFlag bzflag.org - A multiplayer 3D tank battle

Cartes du Ciel stargazing.net/astropc - Sky maps, star charts

ConWare IconAr conware.org - Edit and create icons and cursors

Freeciv freeciv.org - A multiplayer strategy game - you can become the leader of your own civilization

Google Earth 4 Beta earth.google.com - A virtual globe to help you plan trips

Nexuiz nexuiz.com - A 3D first-person shooter, multiplayer death match, - 15 different player models

Tux Racer tuxracer.sourceforge.net - Tux Racer with realistic physics

ZSNES zsnes.com - A superior Super Nintendo emulator

New Guestbook 

ricky-macleod

some really good freeware
5 stars from me too

Posted April 24, 2008

funwithtrains

Nice lens! Please visit my Marklin Trains lens.

Posted March 18, 2008

riff999

What a useful list of resources. Thanks for putting it together.
~Jane

Posted March 16, 2008

LaraineRose

Thank you for the lists and lists of free software. I have some of these but now I know where to get more. 5***** I invite you to come see my lens and rate it.

Posted February 09, 2008

calicoskies

5 stars! Good job!
Klean Kanteen Check out my newest lens!

Posted January 22, 2008

The List of Lists of Lists 

- Another one of my Lens' on lists

37 Best of the Best, Big Lists, List of Lists, Multi-site Applications and Tools Web Collections for Webmasters & Designers
The List of Lists of Lists
1) 101 Essential Freelancing Resources freelanceswitch.com/general/101-essential-freelancing-resources - The web is such a big and wonderful place, packed with tools and resources which you all too often don't know about. So to help all you freelancers out there we have compiled a gigantic
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stevestuff

About stevestuff

I live in the Seattle/Tacoma area and I am currently studying web development at Bates Technical College.

My previous design experience involved architectural concepts. For 38 years I designed, fabricated and installed custom casework and fixtures. And now I am moving my three dimensional design experience to the two dimensional cyber world.

I am currently president of Webdev Club at my college, Bates Tech, helping my classmates with their studies and career advancement. While I am in training at Bates Technical College (8/2006 - 7/2008), I am offering clients discounted design services.

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