Every few months I go out and pile through a lot of the new software that is available. I will often try up to three or four programs that do the same function, and see which one I like best. As time goes on, I often end up deleting programs that once served my purposes, and replace them with something more superior. There are some programs within the open source community I stick with out of loyalty and support, regardless of where they are within their advancements. These programs usually do not let me down though, and over time most of the bugs are worked out, or features are added that were needed. OpenOffice is a good example of this. For a long time their software was unable to convert Microsoft documents and files, and it was somewhat of an issue for me. Now though, OpenOffice is compatible with Microsoft’s formats, and I am able to easily read or convert them. Here are some of the programs I use:

For Security:

• Avast Antivirus: This is really an excellent program. Using this along with my other security programs, has left my system in excellent shape. This is a free program for home users.
• Comodo BOClean Anti-malware:I use this as a companion to my Avast. Free.
• Peer Guardian: This program helps protect your privacy, and your security, especially when engaging in file sharing. It is an open source product, and also free.
• Sunbelt Personal Firewall: The paid version of this is the best, and gives you a lot more options. Excellent software, though the free version is lacking in full controls.

Media Players:

• VideoLAN VLC Media Player: I cannot even begin to tell you how much I love this program. It is my system’s default player, and will usually play almost any video or audio format you can think of. Free.
• Songbird: This is one of those programs I support, but has a few things that need to be added or worked out. It is based off of the Mozilla platform, and is rather like a web browser for media. I love it because videos load instantly, rather than my having to wait for them to download. You can also save your media within the program.
• Others: Real Alternative, Quick Time Alternative, Window’s Media Player, etc.

Graphics/Video:

• Paint Shop Pro: I have tried quite a few programs out there for viewing and editing images, but my favorite remains this one. It is simple, easy to use, and has the tools needed to do what needs to get done.
• Sony Vegas: I have just barely begun to work with this program, but for making/editing videos, it is claimed by many to be one of the best.

File Sharing:

• BitTorrent: Wonderful program, I would be lost without it. Free.
• Pando: This is based off of the BitTorrent platform, but enables you to send files between friends and family through your email box…up to a gigabyte of information. It can completely replace your BitTorrent, and be used for basic file sharing also. Free.
• Limewire: I do not use this often, but occasionally it comes in handy. Free.

Maintenance:

• Diskeeper Professional: This is an excellent tool, and is one of the best defragmenting tools available. It take up very little resources, and can run in the background, keeping your computer in order 24/7.
• Cacheman: “Cacheman is a utility which tweaks the Disk Cache settings and prevents frequent swapping of the data to hard drive resulting in an improved performance, system reaction time, and stability.” Free.
• Eusing Free Registry Cleaner: Really cool program, and as the name says, it’s free!

Utilities:

• ClipTray: “CLIPTRAY is a small taskbar application that maintains a history of all the Clipboard operations. Then you can recover an old or previously copied element and re-use it with your own way.” Free.
• iColorFolder: This is a really handy little program, that allows you to change the look of your folders, and the colors. I have everything in my folders color coded, depending on what kind of file it is. It makes searching for files much quicker! Free.
• IZArc: A file compression tool that will open almost any imaginable file type…it rules. Free/Donations.

Well, there are some of the programs on my system. What are your suggestions for software I should try out?[tags]software, freeware, shareware, open source, utilities, security, internet security, media players, file sharing, lockergnome, shadowmyth[/tags]