Free Software

There are some great applications available for free. Here are my top tips for free software.

FireFox

The latest and greatest web-browser. If you are still using Internet Explorer, download this and see what you have been missing. Once you have used tabbed browsing, you'll never look back.

Thunderbird

If you aren't hooked on Outlook / Outlook Express, try this email client. It has automatic spam filters that learn as you move messages in or out of the Junk folder. Within a week or two you can forget all about those annoying spam messages.

AVG

Everyone knows that you need an anti-virus program to keep your computer safe, but not everyone knows that you can get a professional 100% detection automatically updated Anti-Virus program for free! (for non-commercial home users)

Agnitum Outpost

If you are on Broadband, a Firewall is a must. This award winning Firewall has a version available for free. It's great. It has loads of features and doesn't slow your machine down delivering them.

Skype

Voice communication over the Internet. Like having an extra telephone line for free. What is more, calls to other Skype users anywhere in the world are free, and worldwide calls to landlines are at local rates. My wife called her parents when they were in Singapore and had a 44min conversation for just 73p. (Requires microphone)

SharpReader

RSS aggregator. Displays the latest posts from all your favourite Blogs and other news feeds.

Trillian

If you use Instant Messaging to communicate with your friends online, you must try this. It supports AOL, MSN, ICQ, Yahoo, and IRC all simultaneously, and all without adverts. It's skinable too, so you can make it look just how you like.

Open Office

A full office suite (word processor, spreadsheet, presentation manager, and drawing program) all for free. It's a monster of a download though. Not to be attempted without Broadband! But definitely worth the wait.