Resources
Here's some useful (free) stuff that keeps me going:
First stop should be filehippo.com for a multitude of free software.
They run a corporate version and free version. For free it does what it needs to do. There is NO need to spend money on anti-virus software if you're a small operator. Recommended.
Removes malware, adware and spyware. Defintetely good to run it on an irregular basis to ensure your machine is free of much of the detritus that adheres to yor machine as you browse the web - view wikipedia article.
Sick of spam emails in your inbox. Spamfighter works well Outlook and outlook Express to divert those tiresome requests for assistance from folk unknown along with the torrent of offers for OTC drugs. Like Zone Alarm this needs a little patience to achieve maximum functionality but its well worth the effort.
Open Office
Free office suite, you don't need to buy the Microsoft Office suite, this will cover it.
VLC
Open source media player, plays pretty much everything and doesn't need a pile of codecs to do it. Highly recommneded.
Audacity
Open source audio player and editor
Firefox
A browser and one with a host of free plug-ins that perfrom all manner of little tricks. Most usefully for me are:
AdBlock Plus - removes all those unsightly adverts from your browser, much more peaceful (don't forget to register for a 'list';
FireFTP - a simple FTP client in-browser. Works most all of the time, some limited functionality with the odd server;
Firebug - web development tools that run in browser.
