I’d given a list of freeware I like several years ago, and while several are repeated, there are some new ones to add to the mix. So without further adieu, here’s my list for 2009:
Mozilla Firefox — People have been gushing over Chrome lately, but its lack of extension support (mainly AdBlock Plus) keeps Firefox as my default browser.
Crimson Editor — This is still my default code editor. The built-in FTP support is great since I currently work in text-based Unix development.
CLCL — This keeps a history of the last X number of items you copied into your clipboard (the number is configurable), so you can reuse them later. I don’t know how developers can work without using this or a similar utility. I wouldn’t be able to count the number of hours this has probably saved me in development time.
FreeCommander — Windows Explorer is fine for basic tasks, but this dual-paned, feature-filled replacement keeps a lot of useful functions at a single button click or a single menu level.
FileZilla — This open-source FTP client gets better with each new version. Everything you could possibly want to do with FTP is supported, as is SFTP, and the multi-thread transfer mode makes uploading entire web sites a breeze.
CCleaner — Help keep your PC in tip-top shape by cleaning the Registry and unused temporary files left over from your applications. It’s amazing how much stuff accumulates over time. This is especially good to run before defragmenting your hard drive, which brings us to…
Defraggler — While it uses a lot of the same libraries as the built-in Windows Defragmenter, Defraggler puts it in a much friendlier interface, and it gives a few extra run options for advanced users.
PDF X-Change Viewer — Adobe Reader has turned into a bloated security risk waiting to happen. PXCV gives you all the features you really need, plus additional options for annotating and saving PDF files. Foxit isn’t a bad choice either, but it doesn’t have as many features as PXCV.
7-Zip — This has been my default archiving tool for a while now. It gets great compression ratios without sacrificing speed. People who need a more user-friendly interface might want to give jZip a look since it repackages 7-Zip to make it work more like WinZip.
Panda Cloud Antivirus — Because I’m on broadband, have firewalls built into both my DSL modem and my router, keep Windows and other software updated, and practice safe surfing, Panda is more than sufficient for my needs. People on dial-up or those who do a lot of P2P transfers may want something like AVG or Microsoft Security Essentials (MSE is not recommended for computers with single-core processors) for the extra protection they offer.
VLC — Sure, it’s not as flashy as some of the other media players, but this program opens every media format I’ve thrown at it without having to install additional codec packs.
CutePDF — This is a simple print-to-PDF driver, which is handy when you want to print off invoices and receipts, but don’t want to waste paper unless it’s absolutely necessary. There are tons of these out there, but what I like about CutePDF is that it doesn’t open the document after you print it out.
KeePass — Because, really, who can remember all of their passwords?
IrfanView — An image viewer on steroids. View and do low-level editing of pictures. This has been a great piece of software for well over a decade now.
jStrip — You’d be surprised on how much wasted space is eaten up by your pictures. If you don’t need the internal EXIF data (which lists time the picture was taken and other info), just run this against a directory of photos and be amazed at how much space you get back.
Launchy — This is a program launcher, which may not sound overly useful, but just typing the first few characters of a program name is for me a lot quicker than trying to find it in the Start Menu.
ImgBurn — While it’s not quite ready for the general populace yet due to a somewhat non-intuitive user interface (especially if you’re used to Nero or Roxio), this free disc authoring and burning software has an impressive list of features and capabilities.
AutoIt — Whenever I need a quick program to do something or I just want to automate a few tasks, this comes in real handy. If you’re not a programmer or have no interest in programming, this won’t be of any real use to you, but I can’t imagine life without it.
SharpDevelop — Speaking of programming, I’ve just started using this as a replacement for Visual Studio .NET. So far, it’s done everything I needed it to do, and you can’t beat the price.
Those should keep you busy for a while. Enjoy!
