I’m using the computers from the past 7 years. I was using windows xp on my laptop since the last 4 years but last month only I installed windows vista. And I think its better than windows xp. Being a user of computers for years, I have my own list of softwares that I consider as the “must have” for my PC. These are the softwares that keep your system running smoothly and make your work easy. I’m sure every person has his own list. Your list might be different from mine, but make sure you’re not missing out anything essential.
Antiivirus & AntiSpyWare : These days viruses and worms can attack your PC even by just getting online. Having an antivirus as well as antispyware is a must for every computer. I recommend installing an antivirus and antispyware right after the installation of windows operating system and then have them updated over the internet. This will offer you the best of the protection and safeguard you against any worm / virus attack. I would recommend norton antivirus and windows defender.
Microsoft Office : Do I need to explain what you can do using with Microsoft Office? Microsoft word an excellent word-processing software, Microsoft Excel an excellent spreadsheet software, Microsoft powerpoint an excellent software for making presentations and Microsoft outlook for email, calendar and personal management software. Microsoft Office Suite is an updisputed leader in its category and is a must have for every user.
PDF Reader : Help files, user guides, product guides, eBooks etc. etc. Almost every document today comes in PDF (Portable document format) format. PDF format is preferred over the Microsoft Word’s DOC format when it comes to reading or viewing a document. To read the PDF format, I prefer using the Adobe’s acrobat reader. This free reader is fast, secure and extremely easy to use which makes it the preferred choice for reading PDF documents.
Music / Video Player : Microsoft’s windows media player is okay with me when it comes to playing music, but when it comes to playing movies and video clips, it doesn’t play some common formats which are in use these days. For windows media player to play them, it needs to download certain codecs which might be available for download from the microsoft’s website or any third party website. If you don’t want to get involved in downloading the codecs (of course you’d not like to), consider using K Lite Mega Codec Pack for playing all your media formats. VLC media player is also another good choice. For playing music, RealPlayer and Winamp are also good choices. I’m using windows media player 11 for mp3 and audio songs and KLite Mega Codec pack for playing movies and video clips.
File Compression utilities / softwares : Winzip and winrar, both are the most preferred choices when it comes to file compression. They’re not free but they can be used in fully functional modes for evaluation purposes for a certain period of time. Make sure you’re not missing them.
CD Writing Software : For making your own audio / video CDs or taking backup of your data, you need a CD burning software. There are so many choices out there, but my personal favorite has always been the Nero burning ROM. It’s extremely easy to use, and combines lost of features in a small and excellent interface.
Instant Messaging Software : I’m using Yahoo messenger from the last 6 years so it’s my personal favorite. There are so many other options also available, using which one is upto you! Popular ones are Google Talk, AOL Instant Messenger (AIM), mIRC, and Windows Live Messenger.
