We’ve all bought a new PC in our time only to turn it on and look at two rows of shortcuts for trial software on our desktop. Heck, we see most of these apps on almost every PC we’ve ever worked on. Most of them are incredibly successful applications that have been around for a long time, and most people don’t know that there are alternatives.
In this roundup, I’m going to show you 20 free applications that will knock your socks off in both performance and features. Not only are they better than the full versions of the trial software, some of them are new applications that will extend the functionality of your PC. From here on out you’ll never want to use the old software again, and you’ll be telling all your friends about these free apps!
Zune
Zune
All PCs come with Windows Media Player at the very least for your entertainment needs, but Media Player just doesn’t cut it if you’re serious about your music collection. Microsoft also made the Zune player, which is not only fast, but a beautiful app as well. Like any media player worth its salt it has a music store built in called Zune Marketplace, so extending your library is only a few clicks away. This is a must-have app on any PC, and it’ll certainly keep it looking speedy and stylish!
Microsoft Security Essentials
Microsoft Security Essentials
Unobtrusive, light-weight, and no yearly subscription required! Microsoft Security Essentials (MSE) is free anti-virus software made by our friends at Microsoft. But don’t let “free” scare you away from software that will protect your computer. MSE gets its updates directly inside of Windows Update, so it’s easy to get the latest definitions.
PDF-XChange PDF Viewer
PDF-XChange Viewer
We’ve all had to use a certain sluggish PDF viewer with plenty of security holes, but this one is the different. It loads PDFs instantly and renders them very well. There is a free version that works perfectly if you want to view PDFs, and a paid version if you want to make or edit PDFs.
Google Chrome
Google Chrome
All PCs come with a copy of Microsoft’s own internet browser, but this browser from Google is much more secure, faster, and renders pages with pinpoint accuracy. Google makes frequent updates to Chrome every few weeks and created its own app market to extend the browser.
Lightworks
Lightworks
Most professional video editors cost hundreds of dollars. Microsoft allows you to download a video editor with a basic functionality. None, however, beat Lightworks, which is a free editor used to make feature films. It pack a punch if you’re into video editing.
MetroTwit
MetroTwit
Twitter applications come in all shapes and sizes. This is a beautiful Metro-styled client that doesn’t skimp on features. It supports multiple columns showing you your Twitter stream, mentions, and direct messages. It’s a free client, but there is a paid version that removes a small ad shaped like a tweet.
Paint.NET
Paint.NET
Windows comes with a very basic image editor that has improved over the years, but doesn’t come anywhere close to Paint.NET. The software is free and is comparable to Pixelmator on the Mac platform. Everything from layering to filters are supported. You can also install plugins to gain more features.
Price: Free
Wunderlist
Wunderlist
Wunderlist is the most elegant list-making app available today, and it’s free! Not only is the interface on the PC wonderful, it is available for most mobile platforms.
LibreOffice
LibreOffice
Everyone needs a office suite at some point, and there are quite a few to choose from. LibreOffice is probably the fastest office productivity package available for Windows. It comes with a word processor, spreadsheet system, presentation creator, and more. It’s everything you need for productivity in your home or business.
Price: Free
Stellarium
Stellarium
Most PCs come with a few cheap games that waste your time, but this can be a lot more fun… and educational. Stellarium is the ultimate planetarium application for all desktop platforms. You can spend a lot of time playing with Stellarium, and it’ll look beautiful on your PC.
Price: Free
LastPass
LastPass
Who likes to remember the password you set for Facebook, Twitter, your Live ID, and fifty other services? No one does, and if you want secure passwords it’s probably impossible. LastPass takes care of our brain’s shortcomings by remembering all your passwords and will generate secure ones for you. All you have to do is remember your master password.
Picasa
Picasa
Picasa is a great photo manager made by Google for Windows. It supports basic photo editing and it’s also great for organizing your photo library.
Skype
Skype
Everyone’s heard of Skype! Skype allows you to make video and voice calls to your friends over the internet for free, but also allows you to call landline and cell phones by buying minutes.
Price: Free + Cost of minutes
Trillian
Trillian
This is the ultimate chat client that allows you to connect to multiple accounts. You can connect to everything from Windows Live to Facebook, so you’ll be able to chat with your friends from anywhere.
VLC
VLC
When you have a video that you want to play that is encoded in a weird format, it’s VLC to the rescue! VLC also lets you connect to streaming media so that you can watch your favorite streaming show without keeping a browser tab open.
Windows Live Mail 2011
Windows Live Mail 2011
Microsoft’s Windows Live Mail 2011 is a modern email client that lets you keep track of your email, calenders, and contacts. Multiple email accounts are supported, and you can send a “photo email” that will integrate a photo album on Windows Skydrive into your email.
HandBrake
HandBrake
If you ever wanted to be able to take your favorite movie and put it on your Windows Phone, then this is your answer. HandBrake allows you to rip your DVDs to a plethora of different formats, so you can have a copy on every device.
Price: Free
Xmarks
XMarks
Xmarks is a free utility that allows you to sync bookmarks between different browsers. Now when you switch from Chrome on your desktop to Firefox on your laptop you won’t have to do a search to find that one URL you need.
7-Zip
7-Zip
So Windows has been able to extract ZIP files for awhile now, but occasionally you’ll come across a RAR file for BZIP that you’ll need to extract. This would be a job for 7-Zip. It opens and extracts unusual compression file types, so it’s definitely a must if you run across a lot of those.
Price: Free
Notepad++
Notepad++
I don’t know about you, but I think the Notepad program that comes with Windows just isn’t good enough. Notepad++ can be anything from just your advanced text editor to your IDE. You can also download plugins to extend the functionality of the software.
Price: Free
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