Free Software - Internet and Communications Programs
Reviews and ratings of quality, hand-picked, websites
See Also: Internet Telephony
Firefox 
• www.mozilla.com
Netscape's 100% free browser and my own particular browser of choice (although I occasionally need to use Internet Explorer to open up certain websites, but not often). There is a bookmark toolbar - which makes life much easier -, tabbed browsing, built in pop up stopper, it blocks viruses and spyware and has a really great find on page facility. There are lots of themes (or skins) available to download so you can make it look how you want. Firefox is generally regarded as more secure than IE.
Thunderbird
• www.mozilla.com
From Netscape and my personal favourite email client. It has spam filters, message search, message rules, junk mail controls. It supports IMAP and POP3 mail as well as HTML. You can easily import your existing email accounts and messages.
MozBackup
• http://mozbackup.jasnapaka.com
Mozbackup allows you to back up and restore Firefox and Thunderbird settings, including all your mail and bookmarks. Brilliant.
Avant Browser 
• www.avantbrowser.com
100% free and available in 41 languages. Tabbed browsing plus there is a facility to store all your settings online, which means you can access all your bookmarks from where ever you are. It includes an "autofill" feature, a pop up blocker and a ad blocker. You can block urls plus you can diaable various web page elements such as images, flash and so on. You can also import bookmarks and RSS feeds from other browsers.
Opera
• www.opera.com
100% free. Opera used to have a paid and free version with the free version featuring ads. Not so anymore. The free version is ad free and there is no paid veersion. It will handle BitTorrent, has a content blocker whereby you can remove ads or images and you can block pop ups. There is a useful search function which you can customise to include your favourite search engines. Choosing site preferences and you can determine how Opera deals with it - by blocking pop-ups, cookies, content, changing the way it is displayed and what it displays. There is also a feature called Widgets which are small web programs (eg games, feeds, podcasts, weather news and so on) that you can run from your desktop.
Voyager
www.majorgeeks.com/download630.html
Features include:
Tabbed browsing that allows you to run multiple web browsing sessions within a single interface.
Unique "side-bumping" navigation feature that allows you to navigate back and forth through web pages as well as switch between multiple web sessions.
Built in Google powered multi-language translation feature.
Dynamic navigation sidebar for going through your favorite links as well as common internet tasks such as ICQ and email.
Special accessibility features such as highlighting tables and hyperlinks.
Special filters such as ad filtering, flash ad filtering, dialog filtering, content filtering, and popup filtering.
Bookmark management features allow you to add your own custom bookmarks as well as use your existing Internet Explorer favorites to get to your favorite websites fast.
Webaroo
http://www.webaroo.com
Webaroo downloads "web packs" for you to view offline. Current webpacks available are World News, Wikipedia, World Soccer, Places
Platform: Windows
Skype
• www.skype.com
Headers: PC to PC, PC to Phone
Want to talk to your friends and family, wherever they are in the world, for free? Well, if all parties have a computer with broadband and Skype installed on it (the program is itself free), you can. (Actually, it will work after a fashion even if one party has dial up - I don't know what happens if both have dial up) Skype currently has 50 million registered users and is growing fast. You can also conference up to 5 parties, send instant messages and share files, although we have found that email is quicker for large files. Skype also offers low cost phone calls to and from landlines. Voicemail (subscription service) will record a message for you if can’t take the call, and allows you to send voice messages between users. You can also use Skype as an instant messenger - in contacts just highlight the person you want to send a message to and then click on the chat icon.
Available for Windows, Mac, Linux and Pocket PC.
See Internet Telephony for more free PC to PC applications
Miranda IM
• www.miranda-im.org
Open source instant messenger for windows. Very fast and does not need installing and is so small it can fit on a floppy. Lots of plug ins availabe so you can customise to your hearts content!
Platform: Windows
Windows Live Messenger (MSN Messenger)
• http://get.live.com/messenger/overview
Messenger allows you to send instant messages to people who also have Messenger installed plus you can now use it for video and audio chat. Easy to use - just right click on the contact you want to talk to. You can also access your Hotmail account from the Messenger interface plus create your own Windows Live Space which you can use to set up your own blog/photo album etc. Messenger also incorporates a dialer so that you can make cheap internet phone calls from your computer.
Tugzip
• www.tugzip.com
Why on earth would anyone want to pay around £20 for a zip program? This one is absolutely free and will extract and archive your files as quick as you like. Very easy to use. Excellent.
Supports ZIP, 7-ZIP, A, ACE, ARC, ARJ, BH, BZ2, CAB, CPIO, DEB, GCA, GZ, IMP, JAR, LHA (LZH), LIB, RAR, RPM, SQX, TAR, TGZ, TBZ, TAZ, YZ1 and ZOO archives.
Supports BIN, C2D, IMG, ISO and NRG disc-images.
Platform: Windows
Zipitfast!
• www.zipitfast.com
Zipitfast! is the second free zip program we have chosen to feature. It, too, will extract and archive your files. And it is also absolutely free. Personally I prefer the Tugzip environment but its all a matter of taste and you can change the skins on this program. Also very easy to use. ZipItFast! supports virtually all compression formats including Zip, Exe, Tar, Cab, gZip, Lha, Ace, Rar and over 20 additional formats.
Platform: Windows
7Zip File Manager
• www.7-zip.org
7Zip is an open source program that allows you to archive and extract files. It is also a file manager which means you can use it to copy move and delete files and folders.
Supported formats:
Packing / unpacking: 7z, ZIP, GZIP, BZIP2 and TAR
Unpacking only: RAR, CAB, ISO, ARJ, LZH, CHM, Z, CPIO, RPM, DEB and NSIS.
Platform: Windows
UltraVNC
www.uvnc.com
Program Type: Remote Control Software
UltraVNC (which is licensed under the GNU General Public Licence) is completely free software that allows you to control a PC remotely from another PC, whether you are troubleshooting or just want access to your PC when you are on the move.
Platforms: Windows
Filezilla FTP Program
• http://filezilla-project.org
This excellent free ftp program has a nicely laid out interface and get the job done very quickly and easily. On the left are your files on the home computer and on the right, the internet. Simply drag and drop or double click and the site is updated.
FaxZero
• http://faxzero.com
Program Type: Online Fax
Send a fax for free to anywhere in the U.S. and Canada only. Select a .doc or .pdf file or simply enter text. The free version includes ads on the cover sheet.
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