[Puters] Good and free software for Windows

A friend was asking if there were any good and free softwares out there for Windows XP. I said that there were lots and it really depended on his needs. I also promised to post a short list here so here goes:

• Grisoft AVG - Anti-virus software. Scroll down and get the free version, not the trial version.
  
• ZoneAlarm Firewall - Think of a firewall as a security mechanism that helps lock or close your open windows and doors to your computer.
  
• Firefox - Web browser extraordinaire. Few problems with spywares and adwares when compared with Internet Explorer. It's often touted for its pop-up blocking abilities too.
  
• TugZip - For opening files with extensions like ZIP, ARC, GZ, RAR, TAR etc.
  
• OpenOffice - If you don't wish to fork out lots of money for Microsoft Office, OpenOffice is your best alternative. It opens most Word, Excel and Powerpoint files and even allows you to save your word processing, spreadsheets, presentations as Microsoft Office or PDF files. Take a look the screenshots to get a better idea.
  

Cleansoftware.org has a longer list if softwares for other purposes e.g. Gimp as an Adobe Photoshop alternative. A Gimp screenshot:

Technorati tags: avg, ZoneAlarm, Firefox, OpenOffice, Gimp, Free