What software does every PC need?

[rainyday62]

Been wanting to put this together for a while, but here's the idea. I'm burning a CD with a bunch of utilities, media files, and other applications (and yes a few game demos) that every PC should have. I say should, since many times I've come across computers that didn't have critical tools I was used to using. Just wondering if anyone else had any ideas on what should be included.

Ideally, programs should be able to be run on any PC running W98 and up.

Ad Aware
Adobe Acrobat
LittleFighter 1.3
Worms Armageddon Demo
SkiFree
PS2Rate
WinACE
WinZip
Winamp 2.81
Winamp 3.0
WordWeb Dictionary
ZoneAlarm
fr08_final.zip -- cool little thing in 64k.
Some version of mp3 Jukebox for ripping.
pcmark2002 -- benchmarking
jv16 Power Tools -- registry cleaning, encrypting, tempfile management, you name it.
Windows 95 Power Tools -- ok so I only really use this for TweakUI, but it's all good.
mIRC
trillian
ACDSee classic
DirectX 8.1
DirectX 7.0
realOne
WM7 or WMP8
Quicktime

Freeware is preferred due to my lack of dinero and my laziness when it comes to finding cd-keys

 

[Gooberlx2]

my suggestions:
1. scrap any jukebox version for CDex instead
2. WinRAR 3.xx (new compression algo I think, thus winzip and/or winace may not be adequate for newer rars
3. why would you want directx 7 and 8.1?
4. along the same lines why would you want WMP7 and 8? (maybe try WMP9 instead, I've been reading good things about it....compared to 7 and 8 atleast)
5. SmartPar
6. GrabIt for newsgroup binaries
7. Forte Free Agent for reading newsgroups
8. Putty
9. Kazaa lite
10. WinMX
11. Maybe scrap winamp3 (atleast until it's more mature?), I haven't heard much good about it
12. Some sort of image editing software....the GIMP would work just fine
13. Latest free Divx bundle
14. VirtualDub
15. Openoffice
16. Cnet Catchup

All of those are freeware except for Winrar (which is shareware). Many of those are the progs I use most often.

 

[Moonbender]

fr08_final.zip -- cool little thing in 64k.

The.Product? Ahahah, way cool!

 

[sathyan]

Acrobat Reader
PowerArchiver
Exact Audio Copy
Lame
TmpgEnc
VirtualDub
KaZaa
AVG AntiVirus
WinAmp
BPFTP*
mIrc
IrfanView
KillAd
Mozilla
Eudora (I hate Outlook.vbs)
ZoneAlarm
WMP/Real/QuickTime/ThePlaya
codecs: Divx, OpenDivx, Huffy, Pic Video MJPEG
OpenOffice
WordWeb
Jv16
DirectX
Gimp
Xnews
SpamNix
Commence RM or Palm Desktop PIM
CDRECORD (but I prefer Nero*)
Budget for Windows




*=not freeware

 

[sathyan]

forgot an important one...DScaler

 

[Turkey]

The freeware I'll use:

VNC
Opera
The GIMP
IrfanView
Any Password
AVG Anti-virus
Acrobat Reader
PowerArchiver
IE 5 Web Accessories (make sure to add google search to address bar search)
Sun Java 2 Runtime
Kazaa lite
ZoneAlarm (if not behind a firewall)
Ad aware
Trillian
WMP6
QCDPlayer

I haven't really found that much other freeware that I like.

 

[TheWart]

why dont you guys contribute/read to the huge "best freeware/shareware" thread stickied a the top of this forum?