Free Computer Software

There are a ton of free computer software applications out there. Some of these are larger downloads, but they are all free. From word processing and spreadsheets, to email programs and desktop managers.

OpenOffice - http://www.openoffice.org

This is one of the most popular free computer software applications on the Web. It includes word processing, spreadsheets, graphics, database applications and more.

Google Docs - http://docs.google.com/

Google Docs is a free online service that allows you to create Microsoft Word style documents and store them online. The service also allows you to upload documents for storage.

Thunderbird - http://www.mozilla-europe.org/en/products/thunderbird/

Thunderbird is an email application that is a great alternative to Outlook. It integrates well with Firefox web browser, and has hundreds of add-ons that can be downloaded for it at no cost.

Firefox - http://www.firefox.com

Firefox is a free web browser that is open-source, meaning that anyone can make plug-ins and add-on for it. It is quite a bit more secure than Internet Explorer, and has all the functionality of IE and more.

Google Desktop - http://desktop.google.com/

Google Desktop is a great free application that you install locally on your computer. It adds a search bar to your desktop that allows you to search your computer. It will not only search for programs, but will include images, email, and pretty much anything you have on your computer. You can also have a sidebar like Vista and install gadgets and widgets like weather information, RSS feeds, mini games etc.

DVD Shrink - http://www.dvdshrink.org/

DVD Shrink is one of the top free computer software utilities for backing up your DVD collection. DVD Shrink will take a full length movie, allow you to make changes to menus and such, and compress it for backup onto a single layer DVD. I use it all the time and it works great.

Media Player - Media Player Classic (very long link)

This is a very lightweight video playback application. It plays almost any video format, and does not require installation.

PDF Online - http://www.pdfonline.com/

PDF Online is technically not an application as it is online only. However, it's so useful that I figured I should mention it here. Have a document that you need converted to PDF format? It's simple. Upload your document, leave your email address, and they will email your document when it has been converted. Easy as that.

Gadwin Printscreen - http://www.gadwin.com/download/

Gadwin is a great free computer software program that allows you to take screen captures. Simply hit the printscreen key, and you can draw a box around what you want an image of.

IsoBuster - www.isobuster.com

IsoBuster is a great program that allows you to access individual files from CD, DVD, and even Blu-ray disc images without having to burn them. It may even allow you to recover data from damaged physical discs.

Audiograbber - http://www.audiograbber.com-us.net/

Audiograbber is CD ripper that will copy audio directly from a CD. The interface is not that flashy, but it does a great job, and has many features.

Paint.NET - www.getpaint.net

If you have a need to work with digital imaging, but don't want to shell out for Photoshop, then this is your answer. Paint.NET is maintained and updated regularly, and there is a large library of add-ons.

LogMeIn Free - www.logmein.com

If you have a need to access your home computer while at work, or away, this is a great free computer software application. Simply download and install, and you can access your computer from their website. The only restriction is that you cannot transfer files, but you will be able to control everything else on your computer.

SmartFTP - http://www.smartftp.com

SmartFTP is an FTP (File Transfer Protocol) application that allows you to transfer files between your computer and and a file server on the Internet. It will allow you to upload and download images, software, and music - pretty much any computer file you can think of, and share them with friends.

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