There is a long list of free (as in speech) software programs that run on Windows. You can use this software for free, without ever having to change the underlying Operating System that you love/hate/need to do your work. Aside from the fact that free software for Windows makes it easier to evaluate the merits of free software in general (because you do not have to switchto a completely free operating system), it also reveals the intrinsic merits of free software: namely that features are built-in instead of priced in, quality is often higher, and there are low barriers to keeping the software up-to-date.
==Free Software You Should Try Now==
* [http://www.mozilla.org Mozilla] The Mozilla Foundation offers a full suite of Internet software, including Firefox (browser), Thunderbird (email), Sunbird (calendar) and more.* [http://www.openoffice.org OpenOffice] is full suite of Office Productivity software from word processing to spreadsheets. There are components for presentations, and drawing. The latest version even offers a database application.* [http://www.gimp.org Gimp] is a robust graphics editing package.* [http://www.clamwin.com/ ClamWin] is free anti-virus software based on the same robust anti-virus software (ClamAV) that probably is run at your ISP or place of work to clean your email of viruses. If you are using Windows, you need anti-virus.* [http://synergy2.sourceforge.net/ Synergy] lets you easily share a single mouse and keyboard between multiple computers with different operating systems, each with its own display, without special hardware. It's intended for users with multiple computers on their desk since each system uses its own monitor(s). Redirecting the mouse and keyboard is as simple as moving the mouse off the edge of your screen. Synergy also merges the clipboards of all the systems into one, allowing cut-and-paste between systems. Furthermore, it synchronizes screen savers so they all start and stop together and, if screen locking is enabled, only one screen requires a password to unlock them all. Learn more about how it works. * [http://ultravnc.sourceforge.net/index.html UltraVNC] UltraVNC is an easy to use, fast and free sotware that can display the screen of another computer (via internet or network) on your own screen. The program allows you to use your mouse and keyboard to control the other PC remotely. It means that you can work on a remote computer, as if you were sitting in front of it, right from your current location. If you provide computer support, you can easy access your customer's computers from anywhere in the world and resolve helpdesk issues remotely! Your customers don't have to pre-install software or execute complex procedures to get remote helpdesk support. UltraVNC allows you to remotely control a computer over any TCP/IP connection.
==Firefox==
Firefox is the stand-alone web browser that is part of the mozilla.org project. Firefox is more secure than Internet Explorer, has better pop-up blocking offers more convenience when browsing (like tabbed browsing and multiple integrated search engines), offers faster page display, and is better at displaying all websites the way they are supposed to display. If you still use Internet Explorer from Microsoft to browse the web, Internet you have no idea what you're missing. In fact, you are probably the victim of the malware, spyware, and viruses that Internet Explorer helps to put on your computer. Download Firefox now, and you'll never have to click on the blue 'e' again.
=The Open CD=