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by Gina Trapani

Recently Google released a collection of free software for Windows called Google Pack. The big G made some good applications choices for the Pack and a couple of atrocious ones (RealPlayer *cough* Norton *cough*).


Coincidentally, a year ago, when Lifehacker was still just a turkey in the oven, my publisher and I discussed releasing a CD of the best free software. We never got around to it, but if we did, here's a list of applications I'd include in Lifehacker Pack.


Productivity

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OpenOffice



OpenOffice offers Word, Excel and PowerPoint equivalents that are fully compatible with the Microsoft file formats and make you wonder why you ever sweated not having M$ Office installed on your home computer.

Google Desktop Search



Search your hard drive like you search the Web. Google Desktop indexes song data and email and comes with a handy Sidebar great for wide-screeners sick of all the whitespace on the right side of Lifehacker.

Search your hard drive like you search the Web. Google Desktop indexes song data and email and comes with a handy Sidebar great for wide-screeners sick of all the whitespace on the right side of Lifehacker. Google Earth



Someday I want to be a licensed airplane pilot. Google Earth lets me pretend from my desk at home in between Lifehacker posts. Now available for Mac, too.


Communication

Trillian



I admit Google Talk's turned my head a coupla times, but Trillian still has my heart. Tabbed multi-protocol mult-name instant messaging with Wikipedia integration is simply yummy.


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Thunderbird



I know this web-based email thing is all the rage with the kids, but T-bird lets you manage email offline, spell-check inline as-you-type, and respond personally to hundreds of repetitive messages with a couple of clicks. Take that, Gmail.


Skype



It's not just for talking to the computer with a headset anymore. Word on the street has it that with a Skype USB phone

Spyware Protection

Ad-Aware



If it weren't for Ad-Aware, I'd be trying to stomp on the roach in a full-screen IE pop-up window right now while someone bought imported child porn from the Netherlands with my stolen credit card number and a Nigerian drained my checking account. Thank you, Ad-Aware.

If it weren't for Ad-Aware, I'd be trying to stomp on the roach in a full-screen IE pop-up window right now while someone bought imported child porn from the Netherlands with my stolen credit card number and a Nigerian drained my checking account. Thank you, Ad-Aware. ZoneAlarm



Every once in awhile for fun I check the number of high-risk intrusions that ZoneAlarm has blocked on my always-on broadband connection, and I feel all warm and fuzzy inside.


Media

VLC



Both Windows Media Player and Quicktime went "Buh?" when you tried to play that video file. Trust me - VLC will play it.

Both Windows Media Player and Quicktime went "Buh?" when you tried to play that video file. Trust me - VLC will play it. iTunes



Some quickly-addressed yet shady privacy issues with the new release aside, iTunes still handles my 55 gigabyte music collection like a champ.

Some quickly-addressed yet shady privacy issues with the new release aside, iTunes still handles my 55 gigabyte music collection like a champ. Picasa



First thing I install for family members when they get their first digital camera.


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Audacity



Wanna record a song being played on an Internet radio station? How about clip a tune down to 20 seconds to make it your cell phone's ringtone? Audacity will do ya right.


Utilities

FoxIt PDF Reader



In the time it takes for Adobe Acrobat Reader to launch and then load up that PDF, you could download, install and open it with FoxIt with time to spare. Ditch Adobe for FoxIt's leaner, meaner PDF browsing.

In the time it takes for Adobe Acrobat Reader to launch and then load up that PDF, you could download, install and open it with FoxIt with time to spare. Ditch Adobe for FoxIt's leaner, meaner PDF browsing. 7-Zip



When WinZip started refusing to open certain necessary file formats, I switched to 7-Zip and never looked back. ZIP, GZIP, BZIP2, TAR, RAR, CAB, ARJ, LZH, CHM, Z, CPIO, RPM and DEB, oh my!


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SyncBack



Protect your data with SyncBack, which supports backup and synchronization across local disks, network drives and FTP servers. Check out my recent bout of SyncBack love and backup scheme goodness here.


Web


I know y'all are serious about your free software, and that's why I like you so much. Anything you'd include or exclude on this list? Let us know in the comments or at tips at lifehacker.com.

Gina Trapani, the editor of Lifehacker, couldn't function on a daily basis without this software. Her semi-weekly feature, Geek to Live, appears every Wednesday and Friday on Lifehacker. Subscribe to the Geek to Live feed to get new installments in your newsreader.