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New Computer... Need Good Software Advice

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cacahuate:
Laptop is purchased. Excitement is being had.

It will be a clean slate, so I want to start off right.

As of now, I know to get Firefox/Opera.

Adaware.

Avast!

iTunes/WinAmp.

What programs do you use in general? For fighting virii? The lesser known programs that are still really cool? Instant messenging ones? Fun programs that don't serve much purpose?

Thanks for your time, and for helping me make my computer spectacular!

5thWheel:
I don't want to get into a big fight over AV (lots of ppl have lots of preferences:) but I'm pretty sure I've heard dubious stuff about "Avast!" (I think it was either Avast or AVG that missed stuff on a friend's PC, can't remember which tho!).  I use Nod32, which was recommended to me by the developers of Smoothwall.  Don't know if it is actually *good* (I'm v careful and AFAIK have never had a threat, but if I had and my AV missed it, how would I know?) but at least it doesn't interfere with normal operation (unlike poxy Symantec, which I will never again touch, caused me more problems than any virus I've as yet encountered).
For IM I use gaim.
This may be of interest to Adobe Acrobat Reader users.  I detest acrobat but have yet to find an alternative.
ZIP/Archive utility
Media Player (still looking for a windows front end tho).
Difference listing thingy (if you're a programmer!)
Automatically correct the time of your pc

Opera users: does Opera still all but force you to use tabbed browsing (which I don't like)?

jhocking:
First off, the telling us your OS would be helpful.  From your list, I'm assuming Windows, although I'm not really familiar enough with the software to say this for sure.

I can't really give any recommendations because the PC software I use is all really special purpose (eg. 3D modeling,) while the interesting general purpose software I use is all OSX.  About the only thing I have to point out is that if you have any interest in programming and/or games (and if you're posting here then you very well may be,) you should take a peek at www.blitzbasic.com

ADDITION: Oh, AVG for antivirus.  Agitnum's Outpost firewall.

ADDITION 2: www.openoffice.org for a free alternative to microsoft office
www.gimp.org for a free alternative to photoshop

cacahuate:
Hm. Thank you. Yes, it's a Windows-based laptop.

Any others?

Se7en:
Right, choose firefox over Opera. Its less of a memory hog, more reliable, and has a much more cut down feel to the interface. Also, less compatibility problems with webpages.

It says something for the firefox interface that there is only one change i make after a fresh installation of it on a new PC. I add a "new tab" button to the nav bar. Thats it. The rest is utterly spot on. Its just so refreshing to have a bit of software that works as i want it to, out of the box, with no arsing about.

I'd second open office, assuming you arnt planning on *ahem* borrowing *ahem* a copy of ms office.

I use winrar for compression. it covers all the funny formats which windows XP doesnt. (XP has native support for opening zips)

I use Winamp for music. Its a simple, fully featured music player. It also supports lots of video files, so is a full alternative to windows media player.

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