Windows software I use(d)
Firewall: Kerio (very detailed), Zonealarm (either one in combination with a LinkSys hardware firewall)
Antivirus: none (use online scanners at TrendMicro, Symantec, .. )
Email: Thunderbird, with extensions Enigmail (indispensable privacy !), Webmail, Hotmail, TB attachment tool, Quick reply
Browser: FireFox, with extensions Sessionsaver (no worries about crashing !), Tabbrowser (let all your search threads run wild)
PIM: Palm desktop
Encryption: GnuPG, PGP
SSH: Putty, OpenSSH (or install complete Cygwin package)
Virtual desktop: RealVNC (use SSH to make it secure !)
FTP: WS_FTP (pro), FileZilla (still testing)
(De-)Compression: WinRAR, WinZip, Stuffit(rarely), MonkeyAudio (lossless), IsoBuster (to access disk images)
Backup: MS backup (rather finnicky and will fail easily)
Diskmanagement: Partition magic
Anti-spyware: Lavasoft Ad-Aware, Spybot search & destroy
Mediaplayer: (use “DVD region+CSS free” to play DVDs from anywhere) VLC, Zoomplayer, WinAmp (with Valex AC3 and Musepack MPC plugins), Quiktime (rarely) , PowerDVD, RealPlayer (annoying), dBPowerAmp (rarely) and MS mediaplayer (last resort)
Codecs: Xvid, AC3 and (rarely needed) DivX, 3ivx
VOIP: Skype
Chat: Skype, Gaim (still testing), MSN messenger (rarely)
CD ripper: CDex (using VBR, alt-preset-standard)
DVD ripper: AutoGK (with DVD Decrypter)
DVD copier: 321 Studios DVDXcopy
CD/DVD burner: Ahead Nero, Roxio EasyMedia (still testing)
Screencapture: Techsmith Camtasia
Video editor: MS Moviemaker, Adobe Premiere (haven’t really used it yet tho .. )
Photo editor: Adobe Photoshop (what else .. )
PDF editor: Adobe Acrobat
Graphics editor: Adobe Illustrator
Flash editing: Flash Studio Pro (still testing)
Web editor: Macromedia Dreamweaver (sucks), Nvu (still testing)
P2P: eMule, Azureus
Sound & MIDI programming: Cycling74 Max/MSP, Propellerheads Reason and (still testing) Sony Acid , Pure Data, Open Sound World
Sound sampler/synth: IK Multimedia Sample Tank and (still testing) Sonik Synth, Tascam GigaSampler
Video programming: TroikaTronix Isadora, Cycling74 Max/Jitter (very techie)
Word processing: I have used Word, but now I’m glad to use OpenOffice …
Spreadsheet: I have used Excel, but now I’m glad to use OpenOffice …
Presentation software: I guess I may have opened powerpoint a few times to see someone else’s presentation
If you don’t want to pay for some of these softwares you’ll need to download the right (cracked) copy (and perhaps a serial number) from eMule, Limewire or some other P2P network.
There’s still a lot more software that I use to get my things done - many tiny software tools that I only use rarely. Also, I have a lot more software that I think I could make good use of - just didn’t have time to get into it yet. There’s just too much out there.
Finally, never use Internet explorer (do you really believe it will ever be secure and bugfree ?), and if it was only possible to get rid of Explorer as well, that would be just so great.