What are the first apps you download on a new Windows box? What's the software you just can't live without? This is the best software for XP and Vista that we know of.
Web Browsing
Mozilla Firefox
The premier free, open-source browser. Tabs, pop-up blocking, themes, and extensions. Considered by many to be the world's best browser.Download Page
One-stop Shopping
Google Pack
Includes Firefox, Skype, Picasa, StarOffice (Microsoft Office compatible but free) and many of the best apps on this page. Plus it keeps them up to date, so it's better than downloading them all separately.Video Player / Video Podcasting
Miro
Beautiful interface. Plays any video type (much more than windows media player). Subscribe to video RSS, download, and watch all in one. Torrent support. Search and download from YouTube and others.Download Page
IM - Instant Messaging
Trillian
A powerhouse of an IM client. Supports AOL IM, MSN, ICQ, and Yahoo as well as voice chats, file transfers and more.Download Page
Pidgin
Connect to multiple IM accounts simultaneously in a single app, including: AOL IM, Yahoo, MSN, ICQ, Jabber, and Google Talk. 100% free and open source.Download Page
Telephone
Skype
Talk with anybody in the world for free using Skype. Buy some credits and you can call any phone number in the world, cheap.Download Page
Mozilla Thunderbird
Powerful spam filtering, solid interface, and all the features you need. Way better than Outlook Express.Download Page
Widgets
Yahoo Widgets
An army of cool, tiny applications at your fingertips. Such as: weather, alarm clock, todo lists, notepads, games, dictionaries and more. Very handyDownload Page
Peer-to-Peer Filesharing
uTorrent
A simple, fast Bittorrent client that will download your files without slowing down your computer.Download Page
Limewire
The world's most popular search and download filesharing program. Works great for music and video.Download Page
Soulseek
The community-based filesharing client. Still one of the best ways to find rare music online.Download Page
Video Playback
VLC
Plays more video files than most players: Quicktime, AVI, DIVX, OGG, and more. Pretty good interface.Download Page
Combined Community Codec Pack (CCCP)
Lets you play almost every major video format inside Windows Media Player (or many other video players). Also includes an ad-free alternative to Quicktime.Download Page
Real Alternative Lite
A lightweight, ad-free version of RealPlayer.Download Page
DVD Ripping / Video Conversion
Media Coder
Great tool for ripping CDs, DVDs, etc and converting between tons of video formats.Download Page
Word Processing / Office Suites
OpenOffice.org
Big, full featured suite of tools for word processing and spreadsheets. Compatible with--and a free replacement for--Microsoft Office. A souped up version, Star Office, comes free with Google Pack.Download Page
AbiWord
A word processor. Leaner and quicker than OpenOffice. Compatible with Microsoft Word documents and OpenDocument Format.Download Page
Photo and Graphics
Picasa
The best photo album for Windows. Lets you share photos too.GIMP
Photo editing application that rivals Photoshop in features.Download Page
Music
iTunes
The best music player for Windows. Rip and burn CDs and download podcasts too.Download Page
Ableton Live
For anyone who ever wanted to make a remix, DJ a party, or play with beats. A great manual, good tutorials and a super slick interface make Live so easy to learn. Free demo (hint: use Audacity for saving).Download Page
RSS
FeedDemon
The most popular RSS reader for Windows. Everything you want from an RSS reader.Download Page
RSSOwl
Solid cross-platform RSS client.Download Page
Privacy
Vidalia
Military-grade anonymous web browsing. Vidalia (a front-end for TOR) keeps you anonymous on the web using open source software and military-grade techniques. To use with Firefox see: TorButton.Download Page
Todo Lists
Basecamp
Effortless todo list and project management software. This is web software, but it is hands down better than any competing desktop app.Webpage
Maps
Google Earth
The 3D map of the world that just gets better and better...and creepier. Total must-have.Download Page
Sound Recording
Audacity
Simple sound recording and editing tool.Download Page
FTP / SFTP
SmartFTP
A popular FTP program for Windows.Download Page
Filezilla
Excellent FTP program. 100% free and open source.Download Page
IRC
mIRC
The most popular Windows IRC client.Download Page
More Web Browsers
Opera
A fast web browser packed with great features. Some people swear by it.Download Page
Windows Alternatives
Ubuntu Linux
Sick of endless spyware and viruses? If Windows is a hassle, Ubuntu may be your way out. Try it without installing anything-- just pop in the CD and restart your computer.Download Page