Free Programs for Windows
Just buy a new netbook? Here is a list of free programs every new netbook should have.
Mozilla Firefox
[download]
A great web browser, HIGHLY recommended, a great upgrade from Internet Explorer. What distinguishes Firefox from other web browsers is the huge amount of add-ons available for it. Be careful not to install too many add-ons to ensure optimal speed on your netbook.
*To install an add-on, just go to Tools>Add-ons>Get Add-ons
OpenOffice.org
[download]
OpenOffice is a completely free alternative to Microsoft Office. It's a free software suite containing a word processor, a database manager, presentation editor(an alternative to PowerPoint), and other useful programs.
7-Zip
[download]
A great free file archiver. File archivers allow you to "zip" and "unzip" compressed folders, which is essential if you plan to download anything(music albums, photos, games).
CCleaner
[download]
CCleaner is a very handy tool for deleting unnecessary and temporary files, clearing up a lot of space on your hard drive, increasing the performance of your netbook.
Microsoft Security Essentials
[download]
If you're wondering which antivirus program to use on your netbook after your preinstalled trial(Norton, Kaspkersy, etc.) runs out, this is the one. Microsoft Security Essentials is the best free antivirus program available for netbooks. It's light on resources, easy to use, and has a high detection rate. The design also blends seamlessly with Windows Vista/Windows 7.
Pidgin
[download]
An instant messaging program that allows you to use ALL your instant messaging accounts in one. You can use your accounts from AIM, Yahoo, MSN, and pretty much any messenger you can think of with this one program.
uTorrent
[download]
uTorrent is light on resources and easy to use. Definitely the best torrent program for netbooks.
You can learn how to use torrents through this uTorrent Tutorial.
VLC Media Player
[download]
VLC Media Player is an easy to use media player that has built in codecs, which allow you to play videos your default media player might not be able to play.
