1. GIMP
The Paint application got a much needed improvement in Windows 7, but it doesn't cater to the needs of professionals and by no stretch of imagination can it be considered a Photoshop replacement.
GIMP, a diamond of freebies, is simply remarkable in terms of quality and quantity, with an array of options. From 3D perspective tools to eye-popping render effects, GIMP impresses throughout. (For a less professional based image editor, Paint.Net is a good alternative).
2. VLC Media Player
VLC Media Player is not about the cool menu colours or the glow of the play button seen in its rivals. The developers of this fantastic piece of software have focused on the core aspects of a media player, and it succeeds by being able to play virtually any video and audio format with impressive quality. Great ease of use makes this media player a must-have.
3. Handbrake
Converting video from one format to another is child's play with Handbrake, which accepts practically any format as a source. Handbrake also includes chapter selection, basic subtitle support and audio embedding. With tree diagrams and tabs in the interface, Handbrake is a pleasure to use.
4. Firefox
The browser war is pretty fierce and everybody has their favourite browser. However, the star of open-source development is undoubtedly Mozilla Firefox. Does your browser look dull? Then download one of the many themes from the Mozilla website. Increase functionality and productivity with add-ons such as Sxipper and Firegestures.
5. Picasa
Created by Google, Picasa gathers and organises all your photos to make them easily accessible. Adjusting and fixing your photos, posting them online or viewing a timeline are just a few clicks away, and amateurs will appreciate the simple yet very effective layout in Picasa. Included with Picasa is the excellent Picasa Photo Viewer to preview pictures in Windows explorer folders.
6. Fences
Windows 7 might bring a brand new taskbar, but it doesn't do much to improve upon the main desktop itself. Fences is a great way to make your desktop organised, by arranging and sorting icons into various 'fences' or labelled shaded areas in a well-presented manner. Fences make life a lot easier.
7. CCleaner
Like its predecessors, Windows 7 will tend to run slowly on lower end computers. One way to speed up a slow computer is to clear up unnecessary junk files that pile up in your hard drive, and CCleaner does just that. And with an added uninstalling feature that removes annoying programs that refuse to leave your computer, CCleaner is strongly recommended.
8. Enhancemyse7en
From Cleaning up registry problem to detecting system clutter,Enhancemyse7en notifies you about improvements that could be made on your computer. However, the supreme aspect of this program lies in the insane amount of data and tools provided, including hard drive monitors that measure 'Work Time' and 'Temperature' and helpful options such as 'Time to wait when a program hangs'.
9. Adobe Reader
Adobe Reader might be an unnecessarily larger download than its rivals, but it manages to keep a constant footprint on resources (unlike Foxit PDF Reader that has a constantly increasing footprint) and with a browser plug-in included, it's a good idea to stick to the software provided by the creators of the PDF format themselves.
10. Notepad ++
Unlike Paint, Windows 7 makes absolutely no improvement to the Notepad application. Fortunately, the freebie, Notepad ++, expands on the functionality of the default notepad by including tabbed windows. It's a programmer's dream, with support for various programming languages. This program justly deserves the name 'Notepad++'.
11. Ditto
Since Windows 7 doesn't improve upon one of the most common used techniques used on a PC - copy-paste - the freebie
Ditto enhances copy-pasting by placing a universal clipboard storing every single object that has been copied, to be pasted in whatever order that is required.
12. Defraggler
The creator of CC Cleaner has also created the Defraggler, a defragmentation tool for Windows. The stand-out feature is, however, the ability to defragment individual files or a specific portion of a drive. Defragmenting only what is needed saves a lot of time instead of defragmenting a whole drive that could take a few hours.
13. Recuva
Recuva is a freeware app that recovers files that have been accidentally deleted from the Recycle Bin, MP3 Players and memory cards, claiming to recover files that have also been corrupted by viruses or damaged disks. The slick Recuva Wizard at Startup appeals to both amateurs and professionals, and with no price tag, it can be priceless when you find those important photos or documents.
14. 7Stacks
Stacks is a fantastic addition to the Mac OS X Dock. Wouldn't it be great if you could do that on a Windows taskbar? 7Stacks does exactly that, providing an insight into your documents quickly with a few clicks, and with a matching aero theme effect, there is no reason not to have a great Mac feature on your PC.
15. Switcher
Another great Mac OSX feature is Exposé, the ability to view all running windows in various thumbnails in full screen. Switcher mimics this feature, allowing you to decide which mouse or keyboard shortcut you would like to activate the Switch.
16. 7-Zip
Compressing files has many advantages since they take up less space and are therefore quicker to download from the internet. Featuring a host of compression formats, 7-Zip lets you uncompress almost any compressed data, and with the unique 7z format, files can be compressed up to 40% smaller than Zip formats.
17. Supercopier
Apart from being a tad faster than the standard Windows Explorer,Supercopier also allows you to edit the copy-list while copying. It also includes an error log and allows you to decide the speed of the copying.
18. Windows Live Essentials
Live applications such as Windows Photo Gallery, Movie Maker and Live Messenger are not installed by default with Windows 7. Most of these applications could sell if they were given a price, and there is a lot of effort put into developing them, so it's worth downloading them.
19. Eraser
Most people store some sort of important personal information such as passwords or bank statements on their PC. Files deleted from the recycle bin are not necessarily lost forever, and it could be a disaster if someone managed to retrieve sensitive information. Eraser erases by overwriting the selected file several times in 'carefully selected patterns'. This means that the file is not just deleted, but its left-out counterpart is overwritten to make sure it's gone forever.
20. OpenOffice
OpenOffice, a popular open-source suite, is an immensely powerful set of applications considering the fact that you don't have to dish out a single penny. OpenOffice is very similar to MS Office, and advanced techniques like macros and built-in templates will please advanced users.
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