Free Programs That Do Cool Things

I also forgot about Daemon Tools, a great piece of software that allows you to play any type of CD/DVD on a virtual drive.

I'm kind of surprised that SUPER converter isn't there yet =o

Free Converter:
SUPER
Straight Download Link on their site

Someone told somewhere here that this is good converter, and so do i, thou it cannot convert songs for my DSi.

MPC HC (Media Player Classic Home Cinema)
http://www.xvidvideo.ru/content/category/1/1/2/

Plus

Shark007 Codecs
http://shark007.net/

This solution plays everything I throw at it. MPC HC is minimalistic and lightweight open source video player. GPU acceleration for Blue Ray if you have it, and HD encoded videos. MPC HC also has a 64 bit version for those who have a 64 bit Windows.

http://nunnally.ahmygoddess.net/watching-h264-videos-using-dxva/

Visit the link to why enabling GPU acceleration is crucial for 1080 p material.

Since most of the softs have already been listed here's a nice program to rip your dvds (free too).

HandBrake

-EDIT-

Free Software is not free as in free beer, but free as in free speech.

Updated list. I excluded some of you guys' suggestions, probably because one or more of the following:
1.) Doesn't meet original criteria of thread
2.) Site/software has poor reputation
3.) Most programs of that type are free anyway
4.) I have personally used the program and did not like it
5.) Usefulness debatable

Programs that I have not tested but seemed useful include:
Leaf
XnView

This is becoming more like "Tegumi's list of FREE PROGRAMS THAT DO COOL THINGS"
you should be unbiased and allow programs in the list even though yourself may not personally like them. The purpose of this thread should be so that people will be able to sample a range of useful programs and decide for themselves which one they like better. You may say you hate Open Office while I may say I hate AbiWord but I'd still include them both in the post anyways. If you really want this thread to be stickied then I think this is what should be required. Just something for you to put on the backburner.

I kind of like it better that they're hand picked, turns out with better software than a huge list of freeware, imo, and when Teg said "does not meet the requirements", I think she was referring to the ones that people mentioned that aren't free. (IE: WinRAR)

A note though, Notepad++ should be listed as a Programmer's, as I don't think anyone would ever use it as an actual notepad. I know I still use windows notepad for regular notes... Just how I see it, up to you though.

I missed AbiWord, to be honest. I'll put that on a list of programs to take a look at. If your only other problem is with OpenOffice, I don't really think I should state that it's just programs I use. There are a number of programs here that I vouch for and don't use.
As for completely escaping bias, I don't think that will be possible, and you have my apologies. However, I do believe I have a good sense for program functionality and UI usability.

3D:
Blender

Science-Art:
Processing

Internet Privacy things (bypass firewall):
UltraSurf

Video er... edit?:
VirtualDub

Well, i don't think these programs really needed by you guys.

*cough* Use Crack or Keygen *cough*

Tools:
Code::Blocks
Great Cross-Platform IDE

GIMP
Best free alternative to Photoshop.

LMMS
Sequencer. (Means you can make music with it.)

Games:


btw. Did you mean free like "free beer" (known as Freeware) or like "freedom" (known as Open Source)?

Added.

Avast! and AVG antivirus, if they count. Have used both, and they are both fantastic alternatives to paid software, let alone if you don't have any. I currently use Avast on my laptop and desktop.

Alcohol 52% and DAEMON Tools Lite - great image mounting software (for backups, games etc). The toolbar mentioned with Alcohol 52% can be deselected in installation.

Command prompt ftw

on a more related matter, hjsplit and winrar (for joining/splitting files), and media player classic (which comes with the CCCP). Format factory is also one of my favorite media converters

Most archival programs can already handle multi-part files, this doesn't seem very useful.


You obviously did not read the thread. I can see why you have 500 posts already.


Have not decided to add video players yet, but if I were to this would undoubtedly be one.

Why are video players out of the mix? As programs go, they're part of them.

fine here's a miscellaneous program that may be helpful to some people (mainly useful but not limited to iphone hackers who need to ssh into a device)called
WinSCP

Reference Management:
Bibus. It's no EndNote, but it doesn't cost an EndNote either. Works with both Microsoft Office and OpenOffice packages, cross-platform.

Digital Asset Management:
ResourceSpace - VERY powerful, almost rivalling CantoCumulus in features and scalability.

Universal Temperature & S.M.A.R.T. Status Audit and more
SpeedFan - lightweight and easy to use.

Synchronization/Backup
FileSync - old, no longer maintained, but very easy to use and lightweight; adequate for daily mobile client - workstation synchronization.
SyncBack Free - freeware version of (the more powerful) SyncBack SE; even in the freeware version a very powerful synchronization/backup management tool. Recommended even for mid-scale/SoHo tasks.
PING - free, feature-rich Norton Ghost alternative; clones entire disks; perfect for rapid deployment and critical backups; comes as a downloadable bootable disk image. Extremely recommended.

Telnet/ssh
PuTTy Tray - IMPROVED version of the popular ssh, telnet client with GUI; makes even slightly more complicated tasks, such as tunneling, very comfortable for beginners. IMPROVEMENTS include things such as clickable links when connecting to a a screen session running irssi.

Paint.net is as good as gimp maby evern better