There are some phenomenal software programs for free. I’m so happy that such talented people can be so generous. There are many free software programs that are such a great help to me and my daily computer tasks. Everybody knows about Firefox and the Google Toolbar and QuickTime and Yahoo Messenger and Windows Live Messenger. But I thought I’d make a list of the ten best other software programs for free. I use these nearly every day; you may find them useful, too!
OpenOffice
Ditch the expensive Office Suite and Microsoft Word. OpenOffice is open source, easy to use, FREE, and is fully compatible with Microsoft Office. I absolutely love OpenOffice. The entire suite includes an Office-like range of applications: a word processor, a database management program, a slideshow program, a drawing program, and a spreadsheet generator. You can also go online to the OpenOffice website to download templates and plugins.
Irfanview
Irfanview is a very handy and comprehensive universal image viewer. I use it mostly for viewing and resizing photos; it’s a speedy little program and works much faster than my weighty Paint Shop Pro. Irfanview will view and save all sorts of image files, including .ico, .bmp, .tif, as well as the common .png, .jpg, and .gif files. Plus, there’s a whole lot more to the program. I love it!
Foxit Reader
I discovered this PDF reading program a few years ago. I was tired of the frequent crashes of Adobe Reader and it’s constant drain on my computer resources. I found Foxit Reader, and have never looked back. It’s lightweight, it’s FREE, and it’s got everything Adobe Reader has, but with more friendliness and style.
e-Sword
This is a terrific Bible study software program. The basic program has Strong’s Concordance and the King James Version, but you can download dozens of various plugins to add dictionaries, commentaries, translations, maps, and much more. Rick Meyers did a phenomenal job; it’s a superior Bible reading and study program, up there with the $200 big dogs.
Google Earth
I don’t often tout Google products, but this is the only Google tool that I use. It is fascinating, and we love it. Google Earth is a compilation of satellite images of the entire world. My kids love seeing Venice, Antarctica, Australia, and the Grand Canyon. It’s a beautiful program. You can do more than view Earth, though: make maps, map distances, see buildings in 3-D, and more.
7-Zip
Finally, a FREE file compression tool! WinZip is OK, but it’s expensive. I don’t frequently compress and uncompress files but I do need a tool on hand for those moments when I do; I couldn’t see purchasing Win-Zip for such infrequent use. 7-Zip is a great (and FREE) alternative that does the job well.
Notepad++
This is a super-charged Notepad-type of program. I use it as a Notepad replacement. It’s an amazing little program. It’s built specifically for coding files (such as CSS and PHP) but it’s terrific for quick documents, fast notes, and viewing source codes.
Opera
Opera is a web browser– a very capable and speedy web browser. I don’t know why it doesn’t get more notice. I’ve been using Opera on and off for a few years. It’s the fastest browser ever, and the company has made it much more user-friendly. The only detriment to Opera is the lack of plugin capability. Oh sure, there are Opera widgets, but I find them clunky and not as smooth as Firefox. Still, Opera is a very, very worthy browser. And fast as all get-out.
Essential PIM
PIM is short for “Personal Information Management,” as in appointments, address book info, phone directories, calendars, etc. This program helps you manage all your information. I love the calendar feature. It’s a complex program with many, many capabilities. If you’re looking for a personal organizer and calendar, this is a good one.
TeuxDeux
This little program isn’t something you download onto your computer; it’s a “cloud” application (it’s a program you run on the Internet, on someone else’s server). It’s a very, very basic “To Do” list. You open it up in your browser. It’s a very simple calendar of seven days; you enter in your appointments, goals, lists, whatever, for whatever day applies. You may cross out the goal as itis accomplished. I love this application– it saves me a ton of money on sticky notes.
So that’s my Top Ten List! I hope you find something useful in there. Feel free to mention other software programs you love, in the comments section.
February 17, 2010 at 4:07 am
I use irfanview, as you do, for resizing some cropping of images but it is a bit limited if you want to do any touching up. For that I use Gimp, also free. It takes a bit of getting used to because it’s fully functional, but I think it’s worth it.
I know several of the programs you suggest so I must look into the rest TeuxDeaux sounds good.
February 17, 2010 at 12:17 pm
Hi, Sheila. Yes, I like Irfanview because it is so small. I use Paint Shop Pro for photo editing, but if I want to resize something quickly, Irfanview is terrific. Thanks for your comment! I’ve heard good things about Gimp, but since I have 4 editions of Paint Shop Pro, I haven’t looked into Gimp.
February 17, 2010 at 10:24 am
Nice list of free software.
But if you are looking for something free and just as good, you should also have a look at SSuite Office for a free office suite. Their software also don’t need to run on Java or .NET, like MS Office and so many open source office suites, so it makes their software very small and efficient and very easy to use.
http://www.ssuitesoft.com/index.htm
February 17, 2010 at 12:14 pm
Thanks for the tip, Andy. I’ll check it out.
February 20, 2010 at 6:37 am
I really like this new blog. Tons of great info and really easy to understand.
February 23, 2010 at 8:09 am
Thank you for your very kind words, Sheila!