Software I Use

Most of these programs are open-source and can be downloaded for free.  All work well.

• Audacity – excellent audio editing - http://audacity.sourceforge.net/
   
• Irfanview – excellent image editing – batch mode for applying the same effect or change to many photos –http://www.irfanview.com/
   
• Express SCH / PCB – schematic & printed circuit board layout - http://www.expresspcb.com/
   
• Open Office  – Microsoft Office clone - http://www.openoffice.org/
   
• Super – very capable video / audio format conversion (i.e. MP4 to AVI) - http://www.erightsoft.com/SUPER.html   (note – a pain to find the right screen for downloading Super – read pages carefully and don’t download advertiser’s software!)
   
• Canon PhotoStitch – comes with most new Canon PowerShot cameras – makes panoramic images from multiple images
   
• DVD Decrypter – copies DVDs to hard drive - http://www.dvddecrypter.org.uk/
   
• FileZilla – FTP transfer - http://filezilla-project.org/
   
• AVG – Antivirus & Antispyware - http://free.avg.com/  (note – be sure you get the free one!)
   
• Ubuntu – Alternate Linux operating system – very similar to Windows - http://www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu/download
   
• Sound Card Recorder - records audio from sound card - great for saving web page audio output and midi  http://www.freesoundrecorder.net/