I am in the process of outfitting the new(est) laptop I just got. And I’m trying to keep my installed programs on this thing to the absolute minimum.
So far, the base downloads/installs that I’m doing with it are:
- FireFox (web browser)
- OpenOffice (document creation)
- FileZilla (FTP client)
- Audacity (audio editor)
Anyone have some other good basic recommendations? I’m currently running Windows Vista (pre-installed on my machine), although I’m very much considering installing Ubuntu on this machine as well.
Some basic things I need:
- Full-featured yet streamlined text/HTML/php editor
- Photoshop/Illustrator or alternative
- Maybe a simple video editing suite for YouTubery?
- BitTorrent client - I’m thinking Azureus again
I’ve realized, finally, that I don’t do much more than these basic tasks outlined above on my computer. Everything else aside from this, I basically just use WordPress and plugins for. Curious to hear how other people do it though. Cheers!
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9 Comments
Grab AVG free edition for anti-virus, and maybe SpyBot. It’s Windows world, we merely live in it.
Go uTorrent rather than Azureus. Small footprints are key.
I’d recommend VLC as a good, small video player. It can play pretty much anything: http://www.videolan.org/vlc/
GIMP is a free photoshop alternative: http://www.gimp.org/
If you are looking for a clean simple music player check out foobar: http://www.foobar2000.org/
I hope that helps.
i like Azureus, too.
the Gimp is a great GNU photoshop replacement.
there are tons of txt/html editors out there
i like pidgin (formerly gaim) for my multi-network IM client
skype is nice
and google earth can be useful, too
Oh right, I should have included Skype in my list of essentials. That was my second download after FireFox.
Any in particular that strike you? I used to just use HomeSite but that shit’s so old now.
Can you explain what you mean by that?
You know, I used to use AVG free edition, but I haven’t F-ed with anti-virus stuff in ages and I haven’t had any problems (knock on electronic wood)
Why don’t you give Ubuntu a try? You can have all the programs you want or don’t want, but they behave no matter how many you have — i.e. no need to limit your cadre of apps. It comes with a powerful firewall, no need for any virus this or that and once you download it, it will automatically partition your HDD and then when you boot up you can choose which one you’d like to use!
Here’s one of the trillion sites that tell it like it is.
http://www.ubuntu.com/
Just do it homie!
Skype runs on it too. VLC as well. Eye candy or no eye candy, you choose. All sorts of different window environments, some simple, some advanced and glitzy. Believe me, you won’t have to do a ton of file editing in order to get something to work anymore. The learning curve ain’t what it used to be. K uses it exclusively now fyi. Her computer was worthless before Ubuntu. Yeah, no shit. No excuses Tim, try ubuntu.
PortableApps. This continously-expanding suite of software goodies includes the four programs you mentioned and (optionally) much more. Run your apps with your data on any Windows computer and never reinstall again.
I’d recommend Ubuntu as well.
I put it on my mac just to mess around with it and I love it. You might as well try it.
I am thinking of getting a super cheap laptop just to use as my primary machine and just slap ubuntu on it … just to see how it goes.
Also, and this is totally off topic - why can’t you send money in the mail? It sounds
a lot like not eating Halloween candy that isn’t packaged.
Is this story told just to keep prevent a cash-only society? Forcing us to continue
using checks and money orders and other sorts of trackable sources?
That’s a really good question!
Good call on the Ubuntu second-ing. Gonna try and mess around with it this weekend maybe!