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6 Microsoft freebies I actually love to use
1. Windows Live Writer - If you don't blog, Live Writer probably isn't that useful to you. If you do, though, it's hard to find a Windows application that can compete with WLW. It's got loads of great features including plugin support so I can add things like Twitter integration.
2. SysInternals - There are so many useful apps under the SysInternals umbrella - Autoruns, Process Explorer, Desktops, RegMon - the list goes on and on. There's also live.sysinternals.com to provide easy access to them all when I forget my usb flash drive. Awesome.
3. Windows Live Sync - At work and at home, I like to sync folders to my network attached storage to keep my data safe. Live Sync does a great job and the web interface is easy to use. I also use it as a DIY Weave for my Google Chrome profiles.
4. Skydrive - 25GB of free, online storage? Sounds good to me. No, I don't use SkyDrive to share anything I don't want Microsoft knowing about, but it's a handy place to stash things I need to download (or tell customers to download) frequently in one central location.
5. Security Essentials - The newest addition to my list. After about a week with SE, it's well suited to the way my wife and I use our computers. We're careful about where we browse and what we download (the first step in not getting infected), so I'm not looking for a full-blown internet security app. Coupled with Windows' built-in firewall, SE provides a good level of protection and doesn't hog my CPU or RAM. (linked to Softpedia, where you can still download the beta).
6. Windows 7 RC - Since I'll soon be supporting Microsoft's newest OS for retail customers and some of you seem to like reading about it as well, I've been running Windows 7 since last year. A free Windows OS until some time in 2010? Yeah, I'm alright with that.
Comments
15
Subscribe to commentsplaystation_1987Jul 1st 2009 1:02PM
that is a good list of programs. I want to add in that Microsoft sync toy is a nice simple program for syncing files to other drives and Windows Defender for Windows XP (standard on vista and windows 7).
MauricioJul 1st 2009 1:09PM
You need to try Live Mesh, can be a good replacement/complement to Live Sync and SkyDrive
JonJul 1st 2009 12:36PM
I love the Windows Live Photo Gallery .. It has a great interface and uploads to Flickr in a snap .. wish it would upload my videos though
hmmJul 1st 2009 12:51PM
trueSpace(www.caligari.com) ..Right up there with Blender
socialreject1111Jul 1st 2009 1:19PM
Microsoft Photo Story 3; it makes amazing slideshows. I just wish they would update it; it's getting a bit old.
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/digitalphotography/photostory/default.mspx
Kenn.keeperJul 1st 2009 1:49PM
Free is Good.....
Kenn.....
HectorJul 1st 2009 2:11PM
I'm starting to use Live Sync to keep things in order between my Desktop and my netbook, awesome piece of software.
DanJul 1st 2009 3:25PM
I'd remove both Windows Live applications and pop in SyncToy and MyPhone. SyncToy is one of the lesser-known free apps that does a great job at syncing files across folders/drives/mapped locations. And MyPhone can backup some/all contents of your smartphone to a webspace for easy viewing/restore.
minibarJul 1st 2009 3:25PM
my understanding is installing security essentials uninstalls defender and both cannot be installed simultaneously.
i find the ( skydrive - mesh - live sync ) product matrix intriguing though i get the impression it's still a moving target.
Dave ForsterJul 1st 2009 3:51PM
Scrub Security Essentials for me... i uninstalled after a week because it sometimes made my system crawl... went back to avg.
- Live Mesh (www.mesh.com)
- Synctoy 2.0 for keeping my NDS flashcart... erm synced!
- XML Notepad
thebobmanJul 2nd 2009 12:39AM
Microsoft Image Composite Editor - Super-Pano-Stitcher built using the Photosynth engine, take a pile of photos and stitch them into a new-age-Quicktime-VR (Microsoft calls it HDViewer) with gigapixel resolution.
Windows XP Powertoys - TweakUI, ClearType Control Panel, Enhanced Task-switcher, and more. All are fantastic extensions for Windows
SQL Express 2005 - I've long since last track of the number of businesses I know that use this *STILL* free version of MSSQL
paul..benkisJul 2nd 2009 12:02PM
You forgot Movie Maker, quick edits for free, and its more or less stupid proof.
FrankJul 2nd 2009 3:11PM
+1 for SyncToy 2
mobyJul 7th 2009 2:55AM
WLW has come a long way since its inception. It is much better about not cluttering up HTML code (even though sometimes still messy). It is easy on the eyes, fast, and has decent auto-detect features. The add-in list is small but has a decent selection of useful plug-ins.
I prefer synctoy over livesync, just as a preference.
Win7 is all the things Vista should have been. If you run on laptops, it definitely increases battery life!
CDN CrockettJul 8th 2009 8:54AM
XBL Silver acct.