The Best Open Source and Freeware Apps

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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