Some of My Favorite Software
Be sure you have a recent backup of everything that's important before you install (or uninstall) software. ;-)
| Category | Program | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Internet | Firefox | Firefox is more than a favorite to me, it's *essential*. :-) Besides being more secure than the other main browsers, the things it can do can be extended by a wide variety of "add-ons". If you do more than basic browsing, you'll wonder how you got along without Firefox. [free] |
| Thunderbird | Thunderbird is a powerful email client with unique protection against viruses, Trojans, and other malware. All your messages, addresses and settings are stored in one folder, which makes backup or transfer to another computer easy. I've tried most of the alternative clients at one time or another. In my view, Thunderbird has become best email client for most users. [free] | |
| FlashGet | Notice: be wary of the free version. My download manager is FlashGet, used in conjunction with the FlashGot Firefox extension. The two integrate seamlessly. FlashGot is very good at finding it's way through the typical download link trail and getting the actual download link. :-) [pay] | |
| Web-based Alternatives | There are many new ways to take advantage of the Internet using only a browser like IE7 or Firefox. Gmail, Yahoo! Mail, and web-based "Office" applications from Zoho, Google and Microsoft are examples. Google Reader is my favorite feed reader. All these services replace programs that you would otherwise need to run on your computer. [free] | |
| Various | Backup Programs | You'll find my recommendations for backup programs on another page at this website. I definitely have some favorites. :-) |
| Metapad | Replace Notepad: Metapad is billed as a replacement for Notepad. I say it's more like Notepad on steroids. ;-) I use Metapad many times on most days because it is simple, yet gives you powerful text handling tools. It's perfect for what it does. You will either find that you have no use for Metapad, or you will wonder where it's been all your life. :-) Don't miss the FAQ for Metapad [free] | |
| PDF-XChange Viewer | Replace Adobe Reader: You'll be amazed at how much faster PDF-XChange Viewer loads than Adobe Reader does. It's a polished professional program, which allows you to do much more with PDF documents than Adobe Reader does. [free] | |
| Agent Ransack | This little tool is perfect if you can't remember the name of file or where it's at on your hard drive, but do remember a snippet of text. It looks in all the files in the folder(s) of your choice and displays all the matches it finds, along with a bit of surrounding text. After you find the file you want, you can open it directly from Agent Ransack. It's also lightning fast at finding files when you do know the file name. [free] |
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| IrfanView | Everyone should have IrfanView. It's a simple but powerful photo viewer, and you can also do some quick editing with IrfanView. It also plays video and sound files. [free] | |
| TreePad™ | I use TreePad Business Edition. I started with TreePad Lite and liked it so much that I "traded up." I've used it to create online class notes for example. TreePad gives you a wonderful way to organize your notes, your thoughts, the book you're writing, or any other information that you need quick, organized access to. Where was this when I was working? [free] |
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| Picasa2 from Google | Here's what Google has to say: "Locate and organize all the photos on your computer. Edit and add effects to your photos with a few simple clicks. Share your photos with others through email, prints, and on the web: it’s fast, easy and [free]." | |
| Process Explorer | Windows Task Manager on steroids: You can see clearly what's going on behind the scene in Windows. Well, after you study it awhile. :-) Everything that's running is displayed, along with how much CPU time each one is taking. You can also "kill" (end) processes with more authority than Task Manager allows [free]. |
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| VLC media player | VLC media player is a highly portable multimedia player for various audio and video formats (Flash, MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4, DivX, mp3, ogg, ...) as well as DVDs, VCDs, and various streaming protocols. | |
| Security | Primary Security Software | Security software is a necessary evil. I rated antivirus, antispyware, firewall and other security software on another page. You'll probably be able to figure out which are my favorites when you get there. :-) |
| TrueCrypt | Use TrueCrypt to create a "bullet-proof" volume. Save your sensitive information in it, and nobody will be able to gain access to it. Seriously. :-) [free] | |
| Password Safe | A simple-to-use, "Industrial Grade" password utility, suitable for your most sensitive passwords. Orginally designed by a master cryptologist, now an open source project. [alternate link] [free] | |
| McAfee SiteAdvisor | This small plug-in/add-on ties in with "automated testers which continually patrol the Web to browse sites, download files, and enter information on sign-up forms." This gives you advance warning about the safety of doing anything, like clicking links or downloading files at websites. [free] | |
| Sunbelt CounterSpy | CounterSpy has been arguably the best antispyware program you can get. Their new version 2.0 adds more innovative ways to head off spyware. It's the one I use. [pay] | |
| My own Security Setup | The description of my own security setup lists the software that I use for online security. It's an unconventional, but I think better way to secure your computer online. Most of the software would fit into any robust security system though. | |
| Web Wrangling | TopStyle | If you want to work with CSS, and are comfortable editing HTML directly, then TopStyle is the best editor you can get. [pay] If you're looking for something with an easier learning curve, then one of the editors in my class notes on web building would be better for you. |
| SHTML Viewer | This simple but elegant tool eliminates the need to have a local server installed to view web pages that include SSI (Server Side Includes) locally. Priceless but [free]. | |
| Windows Live Writer | World class tool for posting to blogs when used in conjunction with the Internet Explorer or Firefox add-ons. Captures Web content (title, source and link, and selected text, photos, maps, etc.). Posts directly to your blog with one click.[free] | |
| Xenu's Link Sleuth | A simple but powerful link checker that can be used on your local set of files or to check your website directly online. [free] | |
| FireFTP | This is a tiny, fast FTP add-on for Firefox. It can be small because it taps Firefox's native FTP protocol. It has everything you need to upload and maintin a website. | |