Judging by the hub statistics of my last article pertaining to free programs up for download, I take it that you guys would probably like to see more! After further exploration of what the ‘net had to offer, I’ve mustered up yet another list of great, free programs. My original list of free programs was a bit classic and traditional, but this time I tried to mix it up to give you guys some helpful free software you have possibly never tried of before. So here it is, 10+ more free programs for you to gobble up for your using pleasures.
OpenOffice.org – If you’re looking for something similar to the Microsoft Office suite but really don’t have the money to splurge on all the expensive brand names, there is a free program out there designed especially for you. OpenOffice.org specializes in word processing, presentation, graphics, spreadsheets, databases, and any of your other office software needs. It’s multilingual, able to read documents that were created using other Office programs (such as Microsoft), and extremely easy to use. So if you’re still saving up for an office suite that will perform just as well as one for free, forget about that. It’s a thing of the past. Give this a try!
Audacity – Can we say practical? After downloading this audio editor, I was blown away by the user-friendly interface before even working with a single file. If you’ve used other audio editors, then you probably got the uncomfortable feeling as if you were in the control center of a spaceship. Not so with this one. With Audacity, expect to be able to do a number of things such as work with large files quickly, record up to 16 channels simultaneously, import several file types (WAV, MP3, AIFF, AU, OGG, etc.), apply loads of effects to your sounds, and so much more. You can even use plug-ins with Audacity which in turn reveals an endless amount of possibilities. This was a great find in my search for free programs!
Quick Media Converter HD – With Quick Media Converter HD, you are able to convert between almost ALL audio and video formats including DVD, AVI, MPEG, Flash, Quicktime, MP4, MP3, Xvid, DivX, WMA, and many more. Converting multiple files all at once is another great option with this as you don’t have to work with each file one-by-one. One more feature of this program that I particularly love is the fact that you can record desktop activity straight to a video. If you’re into creating tech tutorials, then this is a pretty nice find for somebody like you.
Roboform – Ever get tired of performing tedious tasks such as filling out login forms, registration forms, coming up with clever passwords, etc.? Roboform does all of that for you with the simple click of a button. You use the free program by creating a profile with all of your information specified, and when you reach a screen that prompts you to fill out a form or log-in, you easily press your profile button and everything is magically entered into the boxes. Talk about time-saving! You have the option to create multiple profiles as well, in the case that several people that use the computer want to make use of Roboform. If you are fan of using GPT sites as well, you can possibly see how this tool would be beneficial to you.
Daemon Tools Lite – I absolutely love this program. With Daemon Tools Lite, you are able to insert important CD-ROMs that you want to protect into your CD drive and create ISO images from them on your computer. ISO images, in a nutshell, are files that contain every single thing a CD contains. It’s like a CD-ROM, but in file form. With Daemon Tools, you can open the ISO and the program will create a virtual CD drive on your computer, so it is like running the actual CD-ROM, but you aren’t. ISO’s are also “burn-able,” so if you want to create copies of your CD’s in this particular way, it is possible (depending on copyright laws, of course). Check this free program out!
Google Earth – By now, you’ve probably heard of Google Earth unless you’ve been living under a rock, but I don’t think this list of free programs would be complete without it. Google Earth is great because it allows users to view satellite photos of the Earth and even zoom all the way down to street views of most locations. Rad, right? You are able to view photos of anywhere ranging from the galaxies of outer space to the ocean floors. In addition, the program offers exploration of the moon, recordings of tours, Mars exploration, and so much more.
CCleaner – This multilingual PC optimization gizmo is awesome in that it clears your computer of unnecessary baggage such as Internet Explorer’s, Mozilla Firefox’s, Google Chrome’s, Opera’s, and Safari’s temporary files (history, cookies, cache, URL history), cleans your Recycle Bin, and so much more. For a full run-down of everything that CCleaner takes care of for you (because the list is pretty awesomely extensive), check out the product website by click the link above. Another great addition to the list of free programs!
Spybot Search & Destroy – I wouldn’t consider this a newer free program since it has been around for quite awhile, but it still seems to do an outstanding job of fending off spyware, adware, trojans and more. With a constantly updated database of more than 10,000 baddy entries, you really can’t go wrong. Also, in the event of deleting something you realize later is safe, you are given the option to recover those files! There is even email support as well as forum support in case things get confusing!
YouTube Downloader – You’ve possible never heard of this, but now you have! I know I searched for a long time for some sort of tool that allows users to download YouTube videos straight off the website without the use of other bulky software (such as RealPlayer). And this is definitely the tool for the job, people. By specifying the URL of the YouTube video you want in the tool, the program does the rest of the work for you and shortly you are given a video file of your desired video. There is also a small, useful video converter included so that you can convert your downloads for your iPod, iPhone, cell phone, PSP, etc. This thing is awesome, and it’s definitely a must-have for your free program collection.
