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Firefox is my favorite web browser--I personally think it's a lot better than Internet Explorer. Thunderbird is an e-mail client that's very powerful and goes very well with Firefox.

These three programs are alternatives to AIM (AOL Instant Messenger). They all support at least Yahoo! Messenger, AIM, and MSN protocols. Some of them offer more. The big benefit is that you can log on to multiple services (say Yahoo!, AIM, and MSN) at the same time, without opening multiple programs.

OpenOffice is a free office suite comparable to Microsoft Office (minus some bells and whistles). It's great for home users or small businesses. It's a large download, but well worth it if you think your only other option is paying hundreds of dollars for Microsoft Office. OpenOffice contains, among other things, a word processor, a spreadsheet program, and a presentation maker.

AbiWord is great if you need an alternative to Microsoft Word and don't want to download the whole OpenOffice suite (I actually use both). It's very easy to use, easy to install, all around great piece of software.

If you have a gmail account, you can use Google Docs for free. Right now Google Docs includes an in-browser word processor and in-browser spreadsheet program. Really fun to use!

The GIMP is a photo-editing and image manipulation program. It's a great alternative for people who can't afford Photoshop or Paint Shop Pro. There is also a free overlay called GIMPshop that may make it easier to use if you're already familiar with Photoshop.

X-Drive is a free, mostly secure storage account with 5GB of free space to all AOL/AIM users. You don't even have to sign up for a new account, just use your screen name. It is web supported by virtually all operating systems (Windows, Mac OS, etc) and even has free Windows backup software.

Grisoft makes AVG virus scan software free to home non-commercial users. They also have a value priced commercial version.

ZoneLabs makes this great free "firewall" software that can help keep your computer more secure. They also make a version called ZoneAlarm Pro for commercial users.

Great places to post your photographs for the world.