duCklinG's Top 7 Most Useful Free Software

This is a countdown list of free alternative software that I currently have installed. Not everyone realizes that these alternative programs are available to make their computing life easier. But if you are aware, maybe you'd like to compare your list of "must-have" software against mine. I'd also like to hear what other people are using.

7. The GIMP (Linux, Windows) - This is number 7 because I don't really use it a lot. The GIMP is a full-fledged image editor. I don't regularly have reason to manipulate images, but when I need to, the GIMP offers features similar to high end and expensive software like Adobe's Photoshop (R). The only thing is that the menus are not that easy to use.

6. VLC Media Player (Linux, Windows) - If you watch your movies on your PC, or need to play many different formats of media, it can be quite frustrating to have to switch between programs to play different things. VLC Media Player can play many different formats including Ogg, and it can play them well. It also supports streaming and skins.

5. TuxPaint (Linux, Windows) - Another paint program! This is much better than Windows Paint. It's easy to use and it's fun. I found this while trying to find kids programs for my son. The kid-friendly interface has got him painting and doing silly things without me ever having to coach him. If you install this, remember to install the stamp package as well. Some stamps also have sounds associated with them, which amused my son to no end. There is also a handy and well thought out configuration program as well. When I first set my son loose on this, he would click the exit button and then ask me to turn it on again. Using the configuration program, I removed the exit button until he got used to using a mouse. Now he can turn it on and off on his own. This one is really a gem in my book.


4. IrfanView (Windows) - IrfanView is an image viewer and converter that's fast and easy to use. I also prefer using IrfanView when I am resizing or reducing the colors on a picture, as I just get better quality with it. You don't even need Photoshop(R) or Gimp if all you need is to convert image formats, or do some cropping and resizing. There is also a batch conversion feature which I find very useful, and a slideshow feature. Very handy program.

3. CutePDF (Windows) - This will enable you to convert documents to PDF format. You don't need this if you are using OpenOffice. For the rest, CutePDF will install itself as a printer on your machine. Any document that you can print, e.g. MS Word, can then be "printed" into a PDF file. To do that, print your document and just select the CutePDF Printer in the print dialog box. Once you confirm the print job, CutePDF will ask you to provide a location and filename to save the PDF file to. CutePDF is also free for commercial use so I actually use this at work as well. :)



2. Foxit Reader (Linux, Windows) - Adobe's Acrobat Reader is what most people will be using to read PDF files, but I find that software to be bloated and slow. I use Foxit Reader instead. It is small, fast, and has good compatibility. It takes a lot less time to open any given PDF document, and I've yet to come across a PDF document it cannot open. If there are features it does not support, it will offer to download the plugin to enable it. I find this to be less invasive than the Acrobat Reader which comes with features I may never need.

1. Launchy (Windows) - Do you have a lot of programs installed in your Windows? So much so that it is getting harder to launch programs? If so, then Launchy is for you. Launchy is keyboard-based. Once you hit Alt+Space (configurable), launchy will appear and you can type in the first few characters of the program you want to run. Then just press enter when you see the right program. Launchy does this by indexing the links in your start menu. You can also configure it to index other directories and other file types. For instance, I like to keep programs which do not require installation in a separate folder. I get Launchy to index this and I can launch them in the same manner as well. To top it all off, Launchy is very configurable and skinnable too. This is number 1 for me.


Well, that's my list. Leave me a comment if you also have little programs which you find very useful, I'd like to try them too.