Web Browsers

• Firefox - A popular exstensible alternative to Internet Explorer
• K-Meleon - A highly-configurable Gecko-based (like Firefox) Web browser specifically for Windows
• Opera - The original tabbed (multi-windowed) Web browser
• Off By One - A very lightweight script-free Web browser; Stores all info in memory; Uses no disk cache

Email Clients

• Thunderbird - A popular exstensible alternative to Outlook Express
• Pegasus (now donationware) - A fully-functional email client
• Calypso/Courier - A configurable and capable email client that uses Internet Explorer to render HTML (HTML capability can be turned off)
• Ultrafunk Popcorn - A very lightweight text-only email client; Can be used to browse new email headers without downloading message bodies; Unwanted messages (spam) can be deleted without message contents ever touching the hard drive

Multi-Protocol Instant Messengers

• Miranda IM - Handles AIM, Gadu-Gadu, IAX, ICQ, IRC, Jabber, MSN, Netsend, Tlen, Yahoo, and others

Office Software

• OpenOffice - A complete office suite; Handles MS Word, MS Excel, and MS PowerPoint documents, as well as its own formats
• AbiWord - A fully-functional, lightweight word processor; Handles MS Word documents
• Gnumeric - A lightweight spreadsheet program
• Jarte - A fully-functional, lightweight word processor that uses the existing MS WordPad to render text; Tabbed interface

Media Players

• Winamp - A popular MP3 player
• 1by1 - A very lightweight MP3 player that plays from a Windows Explorer-like file-manager window; No playlists or libraries are necessary; Can use some Winamp plugins for content other than MP3s

Text Editors

• EditPad Lite - A highly functional replacement for Notepad

File Managers

• DoubleExplore - An application that opens two Windows Explorer file-manager windows side-by-side or one over the other
• explorer² lite - A straightforward double-paned file manager

Image Viewers

• IrfanView - A popular, simple, and versatile image viewer/editor/format converter

PDF Readers

• Foxit Reader - A lightweight alternative to Adobe Reader

Archivers/File-Compression Utilities

• 7-Zip - A file compression utility that handles most archive formats, as well as its own (.7z)

Security

• AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition - Protects against viruses; Free updates; No subscriptions necessary
• avast! Home Edition - Protects against viruses; Free updates; Free registration
• AntiVir Personal - Protects against viruses; Free updates; No subscriptions necessary
• Spybot - Search & Destroy - Removes malware, spyware, and adware
• Ad-Aware Free - Removes malware, spyware, and adware
• ZoneAlarm Firewall - A popular and effective software firewall program

Registry Cleaners

• BeClean - Removes extraneous files and shortcuts from the registry, Internet Explorer cache and history folders, Start Menu, Desktop, and from any other folder the user wishes to keep clean

Older Software

• OldApps.com
• OldVersion.com

The Linux Operating System

• DistroWatch.com - The top ten distributions

The FreeBSD Operating System

• FreeBSD.com - Based on BSD UNIX

The OpenSolaris Operating System

• OpenSolaris - Based on Sun Microsystems' Solaris

The DOS Operating System

• The FreeDOS Project - A free DOS-compatible operating system for PCs
• DDB: The DOS Operating System - An extensive list of DOS versions and DOS applications

Dictionaries, Encyclopedias, and Other Informational Sites

• Dictionary.com - Gives access to multiple free online dictionaries
• Wikipedia - A publicly-maintained (and very current) encyclopedia
• How Stuff Works - Short, illustrated, animated, page-by-page explanations of how just about anything works
• Beliefnet - A site for religious/spiritual news and interviews, as well as information about various world religions
• ReligiousTolerance.org - A site detailing many world religions and various sects and denominations thereof