The Top 5 Game: Essential Software

So we were talking around the office about how all of our desk computers are completely shot to hell from years of software tests, installs/uninstalls, weird registry entries, and data fragmented up and down the block. Ok, my computer's in worse shape than most (they actually brought the beast down from SF for me, much to my dismay), but those of you who like to experiment on your own systems know how nice is it to stop the insanity and start over with a clean slate.

This brings me to today's Top 5 Game:
If you had to choose, what five programs do you consider must-installs on a fresh and clean OS?

Here are mine (XP):

1. AIM (but only when combined with AIMutation for tabbed browsing, etc)

2. iTunes

3. WinRAR

4. Firefox (extensions: IE View, BugMeNot, Firesomething, GoogleBar to start)

5. Spybot Search & Destroy

Ok, what are your faves?

Comments

[Bill]

One word for you Sarah:

Microsoft Virtual PC. Start up one of the Virtual PCs and install all that software you want to "test" to see if it really is something worthwhile. If it trashes your system, you still have your "real" system untouched ready for action

[prototypezero]

hmmmm let's see...

1° Firefox2° iTunes3° ad-aware/Spybot Search & Destroy4° Nero 6.3 Ultra5° WinRAR

[jason]

Top 5::1: iTunes2: iChat3: Safari4: Garageband5: Adobe CS :: Design Package

[luigip]

1. YM!2. Microsoft Office 20033. Symantec Antivirus Corporate Edition4. Microsoft ActiveSync5. All Windows Update

[redhat]

1. Mozilla Browser or Firefox2. Norton AV or AVG (McAfee has annoying popup-like, click-me, behavior.)3. Zone Alarm4. Nero5. OpenOffice

[Bair]

1. Trillian2. Firefox3. Thunderbird4. Musicmatch5. Photoshop

[Jake]

everyone go to angelfire.com/ex/221 and sign the guest book

[Brian]

"The last time I used Firefox Bugmenot wasn't working. Anyone know anything about this?"said Trevor

Someone does.http://www.boingboing.net/2004/08/20/bugmenotcom_returns_.html

[syndromes]

I'll focus on the free-to-use utils that I think should get more mention ;) ::

-GrabIt, usenet news newsreader ( http://www.shemes.com/ )

-Filezilla, (s)ftp client ( http://filezilla.sourceforge.net/ )

-Gaim, IM client ( http://gaim.sourceforge.net/ )

-AntiVir, Antivirus ( http://www.free-av.com/ )

-ZipGenius, zip/archive client ( http://www.zipgenius.it/index_eng.htm )

[I Love Sarah Lane]

1. McAfee ViruScan, Anti-Spyware, and Firewall2. Windows Update3. MediaMonkey 2.2.24. Nero 6 Ultra Edition5. Gaim 0.82

Sarah Lane is so foine!

By the way, I have a spare gmail invite...https://gmail.google.com/gmail/a-a1c4bad484-0917f279f9-a241153163

[masterzora]

1)Opera (not Mozilla!)2)Trillian3)WinRAR & IZArc (I know, 2 in 1, it's cheating, but live with it)4)Photoshop5)Any decent firewall, virus scan, and adware/spyware removers you can find (I use McAfee firewall & virus scan, and I use both Spybot & AdAware)

[Dan]

1) Daemon Tools2) Latest Firefox3) Latest MSN4) Latest Newsleecher5) Latest Winamp6) Coolmon -> Awesome App!

[ToxMox]

In no particular order:Firefox (with a boatload of extensions)Daemon ToolsTrillian ProFeedDemon <--fantastic app...saves me hours a dayRoboForm AI (until Keepass comes out with Firefox integration)

[Matt]

1-iTunes2-Azureus3-MplayerOSX4-Firefox5-Missing Media Burner

[james]

1. firefox2. winamp3. winscp4. tweak ui5. virusscan/ad-aware

[Dave]

wow tough to norrow down to 5, so I will name 10. (in no particular order)

TrillianmIRCFirefoxWinRARSpybotAVGForte AgentNeroAlcohol 120%Paint Shop Pro 5 (yes I know they are at like version 8)

[matt]

Please take only one per person!

http://gmail.google.com/gmail/a-bde4cb3761-25815f00f2-528e2c8ccfhttp://gmail.google.com/gmail/a-bde4cb3761-a2a342fe71-fbcdbb05f9http://gmail.google.com/gmail/a-bde4cb3761-1e5762a70b-78e04734c7http://gmail.google.com/gmail/a-bde4cb3761-3cd01eab95-89ddfe4cffhttp://gmail.google.com/gmail/a-bde4cb3761-f1cee6bf9d-484b446aeb

[Brian]

Top 5:

1) Firefox2) mIRC3) PuTTY4a) AIM4b) XFire5a) Ventrilo5b) TeamSpeak

It's assumed that AV and Spybot prevention software is already a must : )

[Bryan Irrera]

First of all, thanks Matt!

Second of all...hmmm...

1. Eudora2. WinMX3. Firefox with: Mycroft, BugMeNot, Tabbed Extensions, Bookmark Backup, GooglePreview4. Ad-Aware5. MicroPlanet Gravity (newsreader) -- it's no longer supported by the company (they're gone, but Tom's Gravity Page does keep the program updated!

[tricklude]

1. Spybot2. Mcafee Vscan3. Firefox/ Thunderbird4. Quake 2 (yeah.. still the best after all these years)5. Winamp

[rhysticlight]

U forgot Norton antivirus on that list. Essential if u want your clean slate OS to stay clean for more than a few hours online.

[Josh Forisha]

1. Flash MX2. Swift 3D3. C++ .net4. Ad-Aware SE5. Acid 4.0 Pro

yeah, I'm a complete nerd.

[Jason aka the Dark Magician]

What i have to choose. Blast it ohh crule comptuer fates . Ohh alright enough of my fake melodramtics.

1) Firefox2) Spybot and Adaware3) Aim4) This may not be a freeware thing to put on your comp of the net but next i would install Nero. This app is just to good to not install.5) Finally my Decode Pro program, it coverts .mp3s to .wavs (duh whats the point of Nero if you can burn youserlf some kick ass CDs)

[SuperAfroBoy]

http://gmail.google.com/gmail/a-de1a35ce79-657979136d-a5509b71b6http://gmail.google.com/gmail/a-de1a35ce79-0d8839e684-a9a3e025a7http://gmail.google.com/gmail/a-de1a35ce79-8e08469b5b-ee750f67d0http://gmail.google.com/gmail/a-de1a35ce79-28d218e699-502ec36110http://gmail.google.com/gmail/a-de1a35ce79-c8bb31d9c9-3d4302949fhttp://gmail.google.com/gmail/a-de1a35ce79-3b855cab93-697ff401b4

Copy, paste, be happy. And remember the name, SuperAfroBoy.

[john]

1. Firefox/Thunderbird2. McAfee antivirus or AVG3. Spybot S&D, Ad-aware, Spyware Blaster4. Eraser5. Azureus

I wouldn't know about any of this stuff if it wasn't for The Screen Savers.

[john]

Thanks SuperAfroBoy! I've been wanting a gmail account for months. Thanks also for giving them away no strings attached.

[Matt]

SuperAfroBoy |= |_| ( |< 1 /\/ G Rocks, i finally got a gmail

[Rizin]

Top Five:

1. WinBar2. Firefox3. Ad-aware/SpyBot S&D4. Sygate Personal Firewall5. AVG------6. Thunderbird7. Winamp

[dave]

In no particular order:

trillianwinzip/winrarwinamp/musicmatch jukeboxmcafee virus scannero 6

[Andrew]

1. ZoneAlarm2. Object Dock3. Trillian4. G-Tray5- AdAware6. Spyware Blaster7. Winamp Classic8. Nero 69. Dreamweaver MX10. Photoshop CS11. Open Office12. UberBrowser 1.313. Kapsules14. Mozilla Thunderbird15. SP2 and all other updates16. Smart FTP

okay more than 5. but i cant live w/o any of them

[Jacob]

-AIM-smartFTP-Windows Movie Maker -Gotta edit commericals out of Conan-WMP 10-Cache man XP

[Sean]

Simple, Firefox. No doubt about it.

[Gary Schilling]

definetley firefox,then gaim,smart ftp,all of the adobe stuff (photoshop mainly),Xitami, cant live without a decent web server.....

my computer is so trashed from testing software too. 9/10 times i start it up explorer.exe will crash and force me to restart :(. i really need XP....

[nullfactor]

I think my top 5 are -

1) Cool Edit Pro2) Reason3) Cubase4) Tie among all of the various VST processors I install5) eMule (have to get inspiration from somewhere!)

[Sarah]

1. Anti-virus software (I use Panda AV)2. ZoneAlarm3. Firefox4. Trillian5. iTunes

(I have Gmail invites, too, if anyone needs them)

[jeff]

1. Battlefield 19422. Mozilla Firefox3. McAfee Anti-Virus4. Eclipse5. SQLYog

[miharu]

1. Firefox, hands down.2. Gaim (Windows port)3. BS Player (http://www.bsplayer.org)4. Azureus5. AVG

[SuperAfroBoy]

http://gmail.google.com/gmail/a-de1a35ce79-ae26ba56d0-c4dc943812http://gmail.google.com/gmail/a-de1a35ce79-70806231e6-0089f86c83http://gmail.google.com/gmail/a-de1a35ce79-1243ade58b-d0e09302dd

Copy, paste, be happy. And remember the name, SuperAfroBoy.

[Teja]

Macromedia FlashAdobe PhotoshopGAIMSmart FTPEntire Macromedia Suite? :P Hard to think... umm... Dreamweaver...then again there is fireworks that I like... err.... Dreamweaver it is (since I have photoshop for weblayouts)

Does it have to be 5?

Hows about 10? :P

[Kevin]

1.Firefox2.Adium3.iTunes4.SubEthaEdit5.Path Finder

[gonffen]

My list1. Mozzila Firefox2. M$ Office(only 'cuz my family will compain otherwise)3. iTunes(for use w/ my iPod)4. Trend Micro Internet Security5. A random game

[Hyper Smiley]

Spybot S&D and Ad-Aware are definites. Unfortunately windows systems choke the more you install and uninstall. :( Here are some of my favorites.

Remote Keys: http://www.freewarehits.de/RemoteKeys.htmUse a GUI to send keystrokes and commands to any application. Great for chatters, programmers, and everyday use. No installation needed. And best of all it's free.

AutoIt: http://www.autoitscript.com/AutoIt/AutoIt is a simple tool that can simulate key presses, mouse movements and window commands (maximize, minimize, wait for, etc.) in order to automate any windows based task (or even windowed DOS tasks).Best of all, its small (self contained .exe, no DLL's, no registry entries) and FREE! Check the website out for more.

[Rohit]

Could sum1 with a g-mail invite please send me 1? Much appreciated.

top_joker@hotmail.com

[Jw]

Are you still looking??

http://gmail.google.com/gmail/a-25132f8aa6-d41ebb46b2-7defbfe024

[Rick]

1. AVG or McAfee2. AdAware SE3. Dreamweaver and Fireworks MX4. Firefox5. MS Office (2003 preferably)

XP SP2 is growing on me, playing around with it on a couple spare computers, it definately has some nice features.

[kuptergrove]

THANKS JW for the GMAIL. I like GOOD People. Have a good one.

[Rich]

I just found this awesome site that totally gives you the low-down on all this Gratis Free Ipod/Flatscreen/PC stuff. They also have a really cool conga line that actually tells you what place you are in. Click below to check it out.

http://snipurl.com/8ts9

[Pork]

In no particular order:1)Shareaza2)Fruity Loops3)Firefox4)Spybot S&D5)Winamp 2.83.

[Clinton Bowen]

hi folks,

I hate to spoil kevins GMAIL invite party but the first person that emails me for a gmail invite gets an invite

[clinton]

o btw my email address is clinton.bowen@gmail.com