There are quite a few Application Packs available. Google Pack or TTCS OSSWIN CD are two good examples.
Here though is my recommended selection:
- Browser – Has to be Opera – It is not without faults, but myself and my parents enjoy its security.
- Anti Virus – Avast! – Ok big props for using a piraty sounding name and for having a pretty, but lightweight antivirus.
- Photo Editor – Paint.Net – Ok, it’s not Photoshop CS4, but it also isn’t a walking disaster like so many other photo editors. It has a great community behind it and a really slick interface.
- Photo Manager – Windows Live Photo Gallery – It does what it needs to do, but doesn’t get in my way or dictate how I should use it. With WLPG I am the user, not it. Also supports Flickr out of the can. See XNView for a more multimedia file management system.
- Music Player – Xion – I don’t like music ‘managers’, they are usually over the top or replicate functionality that is already built into Windows Explorer. The benefit of a file system based approach is that my music collection allways works the same across devices and platforms, not at the whim of software corp X or Y. I appreciate Xion’s small size and simple PSD based skinning engine.
- Video Player – VLC – 9/10 video just works with VLC
- PDF Viewer – Foxit Reader – Working with Adobe software everyday makes you appreciate cleanly rewritten software like Foxit.
- Media Server – PS3 Media Server – Supports file system browsing, supports my PS3 and works on all major OSs.
- FTP Client – Filezilla – Good free FTP client, nuff said.
Any suggestions for unfilled categories welcome.
