[LDSO] Tron 2.0 Forum

Here's a list of what I think are some of the best free software picks.

• Best free Web Browser - Chrome
• Best free Anti-Virus - Microsoft Security Essentials
• Best free Malware/Spyware remover - SuperAntiSpyware Free Edition
• Best free Firewall - Comodo Firewall
• Best free CD/DVD Burning software - Burn Aware Free
• Best free Windows File Cleanup utility - CCleaner
• Best free Disk Defragmenter - Defraggler
• Best free Text Editor - Notepad++
• Best free PDF Reader - PDF-XChange Viewer
• Best free Windows Startup manager - Autroruns
• Best free Network/Bandwidth monitor program - NetMeter
• Best free Video/Audio Player - VLC Media Player
• Best free File Archive utility - IZArc

Of course, I'm sure not everyone is going to agree with my picks. So if you have alternatives you'd like to suggest, or to add different types of programs that were left out, then please reply and share them with us. I'm curious to see if anyone might come up with picks I haven't heard of or considered before.

I updated one item on this list. Opera used to be my top browser pick. And I still like it very much. But the bugginess in the latest Opera 12 put me off.

That, and I'd found myself using Chrome more and more. It's not perfect, but Chrome is just so much snappier than any other browser out there. Lean and mean. Plus, the minimal interface. The uncluttered design, and the combining of the address bar and search bar, puts Chrome over the top for me now.

I also like how there's a huge number of extensions available for Chrome, something which Opera is lacking a bit at the moment.

Firefox is also pretty good, but it's gotten a bit too bloated for my liking. Firefox was a good choice back in the version 3.x days, for me. But now, with their crazy version numbering scheme and obsession with increasing the number of features that add bulk, I don't care for Firefox any more.

And Internet Explorer? It's done. Toast. I don't see it regaining dominance any time soon. Even though IE9 is a major improvement over the last couple of versions.