Windows 7 Plus Pack

First, the title choice is mine. There seems to be no Plus Pack for Windows 7 from Microsoft. There also appears to be no Power Toys coming either. With the changes to the way Microsoft does things, there might be a few things that get very popular, and come from CodePlex, but there’s no guarantee.

On the other hand, while many of the sharp edges and bumps were taken out of Windows 7, other things were left out that smoothed the usage.

A story on gHacks details 12 booster apps for Windows 7 and has some of the freeware programs that work well with Windows 7, to make things better. I only use about half of them, because I feel I have something better, also free.

The first of the applications highlighted is Firefox. Though Firefox is fine, I prefer Opera. While not wanting to harangue anyone about the differences, I will say that Opera never has to wait on extensions to be updated, and also has not had to get updated in order to work on Windows 7 without crashing.

The next on the list is Thunderbird. While it is a nice mail program, I prefer Windows Live Mail. Microsoft has made this program better and better, and offers it free, so why not! It has had a singular purpose from the start, where Thunderbird can’t seem to stay on task. Will it become a Eudora extension? Will it add new features? No one seems to be able to decide. It changes all the time. If you have a problem with a Microsoft program for mail, there is also Pegasus. It’s free, and works well.

The article speaks of a media player, SMPlayer, which I have never seen or used. I use GOMPlayer, which works well, updates frequently, and has the ability to retrieve any codecs that are needed, and can be skinned with ease to look as you want it to. I suppose I must equivocate here, as I don’t know about SMPlayer, but I know GOM works very well, so I would give both a shot and settle on the best for you.

The next one mentioned is WinSCP.  It is a fine program that works well. I use it, and have not found better.

The next addition is a feed reader, which allows aggregation and reading of news and information. It saves lots of time and condenses things to their essence. The FeedDemon reader is nice, I’ve used it, and think it’s very useful, but RSSOwl is open source, faster, and more customizable. It is clearly superior. Give it a try.

The next is a program not everyone needs. If you need encryption, True Crypt is great and also free. That’s about it.

The next thing on the list is an image viewer. Microsoft has never learned that invoking a web browser to look at pictures is not exactly the best thing. If you have Office installed, you get something better, but otherwise not. XNView is fast, free, and the developer keeps working on it like the labor of love it must be. It keeps getting better, adding features, and yet isn’t bloated. It integrates easily with the Windows Explorer, and makes things smooth and easy. What more can you ask!

My previous post covers the next addition, which I fully agree with the gHacks author. Paint.NET is fast, free, and works great – apparently on Windows 7, too, as that article states at the outset all the mentioned programs work well with the newest Windows version.

The next thing mentioned is Notepad ++, which is fine if you need to write code, but as an upgrade for Notepad, for the quick and dirty projects that Notepad was designed, EditPad Lite is much nicer. It allows a writer to do things easily. Again, if you are writing code, Notepad ++ is your app, but if you never, or only occasionally write code, EditPad Lite is strikingly better. They are both free, have no trial period, and are easily removed. Try both and see what works best for your style of working. You might feel you need both.

The ability to burn and copy CDs and DVDs is something still only partially addressed by Windows 7. ImgBurn is the suggestion, and, having used it, I must agree. There are other free choices, but unless you get a copy of Nero to take its place, ImgBurn is the one!

The gHacks article speaks of the audio needs of many users, and states that WinAmp is a common choice. It is, and I usually have it installed, but I don’t always use it. AIMP2 is something I have not tried, but by the description given, I will be trying it soon. I do think WinAmp has gotten too complex, and it has to do with the interface, not the abilities. I find nothing does all I want, so I use several things. I use Screamer, as it is lightweight and easy. I also use RadioSure, for the same reasons. Here there is only the best choice for each individual, I can only say that I keep changing my mind about this category, and you might also. If you fix on one of these, with no wants for something else, good for you! I wish I could. Good luck.

The last choice is a PDF reader, and the choice mentioned is Foxit. I know it works well, is lightweight, and has a portable version. My only gripe is that it is not 100% compatible.  I think that, properly patched Adobe Reader is the choice for anyone who truly wants compatibility, without problems.

Bearing in mind the problems with Adobe Reader and updates due to problems, I think a thirteenth program addition is needed to this dozen ( a baker’s dozen!).  Get Secunia Personal Software Inspector. It’s free, it’s unobtrusive, and it reminds you when software needs to be updated because of security concerns. No spyware or monitoring concerns either.

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With these 13 additions, your Windows 7 installation will be ready to face the world, and hold up well under daily stresses. You won’t be kicking yourself about things you don’t have, nor will you be searching madly for something to do the job at hand.

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How does someone who is disgruntled, become ‘gruntled’ again?

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