essential program list

these programs are free, some are opensource, and all are better than what else is out there.

Google Pack - use Google Pack to install the latest versions of Firefox, Picasa, Ad-Aware SE Personal, Google Talk, and Adobe Reader (I recommend only installing these and not all the other ones)

Firefox - best internet browser

Ad-Aware SE Personal - for spyware removal

OpenOffice - free office suite (use instead of Microsoft Word, Excel, etc)

Zone Labs: Zone Alarm - firewall

avast! antivirus

VLC media player - plays every file media file type (mp3, avi, mpg, etc)

7-Zip - for archives, compressed files (better than WinRar, WinZip)

Google Toolbar - for Firefox

MP3tag - rename and tag MP3s

1-4a rename - bulk file renamer

CDex - rip CDs and transcode MP3s

File Sharing

eMule edonkey2000 client

Azureus - bittorrent client