Got a New Windows 7 PC Today? 5 Free Apps You Should Install
Written by Alan Sunday, 25 December 2011 07:00
So this morning you awoke to find that brand new Windows 7 computer you have been wanting and now you’re wondering what to do first. Well, aside from the usual setup process that a first boot-up puts you through – setting a user name, password, internet access, etc, there are some apps I consider to be my top priority on every new computer. Of course there are things like Office, which most all of us need at least from time to time, but let’s look at free apps, because not everyone wants to, or can, shell out money for this stuff. And besides, there’s a free alternative to that piece of Microsoft flagship software as well.
Let’s focus on apps that are free, easy to install and use, and will make your new PC more functional in your everyday life. We will also make sure that these are hardware-independent, meaning they have a low minimum hardware requirement and that they are just as useful on a desktop or laptop computer. With that in mind here are five apps to take a look at.
Since I brought up the Microsoft product back there this is the top free alternative. There are others available, but Open Office seems to do the best job as a stand-in for the Microsoft version. It’s free and it’s not a resource hog. Best of all, files are compatible between the two programs.
Yes, Microsoft makes it on a list of free software as well. Actually, stay tuned, they make it twice. Windows Live is a suite of apps, many of which used to come pre-installed in Windows back in the XP days. There’s Windows Live Mail (basically Hotmail, but this replaces the outdated Outlook Express), Messenger, Movie Maker (vastly improved over the old, useless version), Photo Gallery, Live Mesh, and Live Writer.
There is no better way to share, sync, and store your files than with a Dropbox account. They provide free storage, or reasonably priced upgrades to higher amounts of storage if you need it. All of your files, regardless of file type, can be stored in their cloud, shared with friends, and synced between computers.
Yes, Microsoft makes the list a second time. Before you pay for that copy of Norton or McAfee that came pre-installed on your computer, stop! This free security suite will do every bit as much to protect your PC as those over-blown, over-priced apps can do. It doesn’t use up as much system resources and, because it’s made by the people who also made your operating system, it integrates better and has less chance of hitting a false positive.
Okay, this may be a bit of a cop out to name two web browsers, but both are good and either one will work great for you. I honestly prefer, and mostly use, Firefox, but I have both installed on every PC. Firefox feels more customizable with it’s massive add-on library and it’s personas. On the other hand, Chrome has a minimalist look and super-fast speed. This one is up to the individual user.
Related posts:
- 5 Must-Have Free Apps For a New Windows PC
- Buy a Windows Phone, Get $25 Worth of Apps Free
- 5 Free Apps Your New Windows PC Needs
- Microsoft Adds New Features to Office Web Apps
- Microsoft Can Delete Windows 8 Files and Apps From Your PC
