Opinion Wanted On Best Freeware Apps

[chanchao]

I'm compiling a CD-ROM with the best free and/or open source Windows software to give to business partners or really just any interested party.

I include the list below. What I'd like to know if you disagree with me on which is the best free version in a particular area; Like Open Office (close to 2.0!!) is the best general office productivity suite, I bet we can all agree on that. But for other choices I'd like to know if you consider another free app better than the one I included.

Note: We're talking WINDOWS software here, as that's what all my customers are using.

Here we go:

Free Software Disc

v. 1.1

June 2005

Software on this disc:

+---Open Office

| +---Version 2 (Beta)

| \---Version 1.1.4 (Stable)

|

+---Internet

| +---Free Download Manager

| +---LimeWire

| +---NVU Website Designer

| +---Firefox Web Browser

| +---Thunderbird Email

| +---Mozilla Internet Suite

| +---Trillian Messenger

| \---BitTorrent & Azureus

|

+---Database Servers

| +---MySQL Database

| | +---MySQL Database

| | \---MySQL Administrator tool

| \---MS SQL Server 2000 DE Database

| +---MS SQL 2000 DE

| \---Database Management Tool

|

+---Enternainment, Games & Education

| +---Celestia Solar System Simulation (Cool!)

| +---Games

| | +---barrage-1.0.1-win32

| | +---foo-billard-3.0

| | \---groundfire-0.25

| \---Flight Gear Flight Simulator

|

+---Imaging, Sound and Multimedia

| +---VCD Gear

| +---FastStone Image Viewer & Screen capture

| +---Media Monkey Media Player

| +---Blender 3D Imaging

| +---The GIMP Image Editing

| +---Windows Media Player 10

| +---Video Codecs

| +---BS Player

| \---Picasa

|

\---Tools, Anti Virus & Security

+---AVG Anti Virus

+---Notepad 2

+---TrueCrypt

+---Zip File Archivers

+---Eraser

+---DirectX

+---Java Runtime Environment

+---Microsoft Anti Spyware

\---Adobe PDF Reader 7 (Acrobat)

Note that some software is just free versions of software made by commercial companies.. I even included MS Anti Spyware and MS Media Player 10 as I like these a lot.. That they're made (or bought) by 'evil' MS is of no concern for me here.

Opinions?

Cheers,

Chanchao

[chanchao]

Note:

For video codex I'm still a bit undecided... I did K-Lite Full, but haven't found out how to get decent MPEG2 playback on interlaced video.. It looks terrible. I've just installed a compilation called 'Codecs All In 1' and so far it displays MPEG much better.

Then for ZIP archivers my favorite is FilZip... I know 7-Zip is open source and 'free-er', but the interface is so crap it's unbelievable.. And the 7z format that's supposed to be loads better than zip actually resulted in a slightly bigger file! Anyway I still include 7-Zip as well, but recommend FilZip.

Then MS SQL Server is of course the MSDE 2000 (Desktop Engine), exactly the same as the full SQL Server except it's only for up to 25 simultaneous database connections.

Cheers,

Chanchao

[Nickerelastic]

Email; Incredimail

Image editor; Irfan View

Cheers

[Erwin1011]

For months now I've been on the look out for a free, reliable, simple registry cleaner/fixer.

[chanchao]

> Email; Incredimail

I'd LOVE a better, free email app than Thunderbird.. So I was quite excited following your link.. Then it came up with this:

http://www.incredimail.com/english/splash/splash.asp

Wow... I don't know weather to go laugh uncontrolably or go find some latex gloves before installing it..

Ok I'll try it. :D 8)

Cheers,

Chanchao

[bangbuathong]

-----security

Lava soft Ad-aware

[Nickerelastic]

> Email; Incredimail

I'd LOVE a better, free email app than Thunderbird.. So I was quite excited following your link.. Then it came up with this:

http://www.incredimail.com/english/splash/splash.asp

Wow...  I don't know weather to go laugh uncontrolably or go find some latex gloves before installing it..

Ok I'll try it.  :D 8)

Cheers,

Chanchao

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Well it made you smile.

[Nickerelastic]

Security

Hijack This; http://www.tomcoyote.org/hjt/

CWSHREDDER; http://www.intermute.com/spysubtract/cwshr...r_download.html

Spybot S&D; http://www.download.com/Spybot-Search-Dest...4-10289035.html

[Nickerelastic]

Security

Peperfix; http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/How...html#entry23190

[francois]

hi'

and please never forget to turn off the system restore if you are running Xp ...

do it before to do any scan, then create a new one after cleaning.

other way, the trojan will come back ... and might bring some relatives around.

francois

[JSixpack]

http://www.pricelessware.org/thelist/index.htm

[stumonster]

irfanview - image viewer

filezilla - ftp client

real alternative http://www.free-codecs.com/Real_Alternative_download.htm

cdex - mp3 encoder http://cdexos.sourceforge.net/

and you will need lame http://lame.sourceforge.net/

xvid codecs - http://www.xvid.org/

maybe more later

[joka]

http://www.majorgeeks.com/download460.html

this is the regcleaner you are looking for

[waldwolf]

chanchao - A constructive and challenging project. A couple more suggestions are:

Tools, Anti Virus & Security:

- EasyCleaner v2.0.x (Registry Cleaner) http://personal.inet.fi/business/toniarts/ecleane.htm

- WebTime 2000 (PC Clock Synchronizer) http://www.gregorybraun.com/WebTime.html

Imaging, Sound and Multimedia:

WinAmp Player 5 http://www.winamp.com/player

Internet:

- Netscape 8 (Web Browser) http://browser.netscape.com/ns8

One note you may wish to address in a "ReadMe" file, either on the CD itself, or in accompanying literature. Certain of the programs in your list will only run on specific versions of Windows. For example:

. Windows Media Player 10 (Windows XP Home, Pro, Media Center or Tablet PC)

. Adobe Reader 7 (Windows 2000 w/SP2; XP Home, Pro, Tablet PC)

. Microsoft AntiSpyware (Beta) (Windows 2000, XP, or Server 2003)

cheers

Edited May 31, 2005 by waldwolf