Some stuff I thought you might want to check out that I've been using lately.
Firefox is a great internet browser that works faster, better, and more secure than browsers like Internet Explorer. Firefox comes with many cool add-ons like themes and extensions to make your "browsing experience" more enjoyable.
Download at: Mozilla.com
Thunderbird is another application by Mozilla that is designed to be as secure as the Firefox browser, with email. Works similar to Outlook Express, but many times better. This app can be used with online email accounts, like Gmail.
Download at: Mozilla.com/Thunderbird
Microsoft Virtual PC is basically a computer inside your computer. Virtual PC installs another operating system to be used like an application on your PC. The Virtual PC can be used to visit sites that you think may have viruses (but you just HAVE to check them out), mess around with system files and "see what happens", and to install random programs that look so cool but you KNOW have viruses.
Download at: Microsoft.com
GIMP 2 is a image editing program similar to that of PhotoShop. While it obviously doesn't have all the awesome features of PhotoShop, GIMP is a free download (confirmed to have no malware) that can still satisfy the needs of the amateur photographer.
Download at: Gimp.org
Audacity is an audio editing program that was also a free download.
Download at: Audacity.sourceforge.net
AxCrypt is a file encryption program designed to password protect your *secret* documents. It's a small download, and, just in case you need your files on the go, a decryption program is included that needs no installation. Carry it around on a USB!
Download at: Axantum.com/AxCrypt
Windows Defender is a free anti-malware program made by Microsoft. This was a free inclusion for Vista users, but XP users can still download the application, which includes virus scanning, startup programs manager, and much more.
Download at: Microsoft.com
TweakNow WinSecret is an application for use with Windows XP that can edit the registry settings. Some things that you can do with this is to enable and disable settings that will affect your computer, speeding it up. Another cool feature is turning the start bar to varying levels of transparency. Because this edits the settings of your computer's system, in case something goes wrong, there is one of those *magical* reset buttons.
Download at: Tweaknow.com/WinSecret
Spybot - Search & Destroy is an anti-spyware application designed to actively protect your computer. If a change is made to your computer that could interfere with it, Spybot will ask you if you want to allow it. If you say no, the change will be reverted and you can go on surfin' the web.
Download at: Safer-networking.org
7-Zip is a file compression application much like the zip files of Windows. This program can decompress seven different types of compression folders commonly found on the internet today. Once again, free!
Download at: 7-zip.org
Styler is exactly what it sounds like, a styling program for your desktop. No, not a hair styler, a program that lets you customize some of the more common areas of your computer. Similar to WinSecret, styler adds additional options like smooth-scrolling, ClearType, transparency, and many more useful features.
Download at: Crystalxp.net
Dizzler is a website-based free music player. Almost every song imaginable is on this web site, with more daily. In addition, a player can be downloaded to play right from your desktop, whenever. The songs are, unfortunately, not stored on your computer, but downloaded from the website as you search. A few customization features are included, like changing the skin to one of the many available online.
Download at: Dizzler.com
Hypercam 2 is camera software for your computer. Anything you do on your computer can be filmed and saved to your computer with the touch of a button (literally, just press F2). The only downside is the text box at the top left corner, saying "Unregistered Hypercam 2". However, the camera can be registered by moving around a few files. A video showing this is available on YouTube. To download the hypercam, you need to download WinRar.
Download Hypercam 2 at: Megaupload.com
Download WinRar at: Rarlab.com
Register Hypercam 2 at: Youtube.com
Download Helper for Firefox is an add-on that can download nearly any media file that plays on an internet page. For example, when a movie is playing on YouTube, the Download Icon will animate, indicating the file can be downloaded. Click the file you want to download, and save it to a folder on your computer.
Download at: Mozilla.org
AdBlock Plus for Firefox is an add-on that very efficiently blocks several kinds of advertisements commonly found today on the Internet. As you browse webpages, right click advertisements and select "AdBlock Image". This will block the advertisement and any future ones from that link's location. If you wish, you can select a filter subscription to block images already spotted by the AdBlock community. Eventually, no ads will be left, and you can even load pages faster. Because pages load ad images as you connect, your loading time is slowed. Now imagine these images were gone. Rapid loading! With AdBlock Plus!
Download at: Mozilla.org
More to be added later!