Freeware Guide

I'm not going to go into details about all the products I list below, so you're just going to have to trust me. These are all of the best programs I've found during my 12 years around the internet. I've pretty much tried EVERYTHING, and these are the best for a) Performance b) System Resource Management c) Everyone. I personally hate long review guides, so here's my quick solution! This is also everything that I use on my computer, so stop thinking that I don't practice what I preach! If a new product comes out, and it's better then one of the ones below, I'll make sure to update it.

LAST UPDATE: 19 February, 2007.

Mandatory
Web-Browser - Firefox - There's a reason everyone is starting to switch.
Anti-virus - AntiVir - Low system resources, fast scan speed, good detection engine.
Firewall - Comodo - Out of all the free firewalls, this one takes the cake BY FAR.
Spyware Scanner - Ad-Aware, Spybot - Search & Destroy - You'll want to have both, because they both detect different kinds of spyware.
All-Around Cleaner - CCleaner - Easy one-click deletion of all the unnecessary files on your computer. This includes your registry!

Others
SpeedFan - Allows you to change the speed of all the fans inside your computer, and also shows the temperature of many internal devices using S.M.A.R.T.
PDFCreator - Create PDFs from any program that is able to print.
Manolito - Music download utility which uses MP2P Technology.
FrostWire - P2P client, uses a modified version of the open-source P2P program, Limewire.
µTorrent - BitTorrent client.
SmartFTP - FTP client.
7-Zip - File archiver which also opens a wide array of different compressed files.
NGO ATI/NVIDIA Optimized Driver - Custom drivers for better FPS in games, and better image quality.
GSC - Free voice server/gaming client/chat program, with 14 different locations.
OpenOffice - Office suite, comparable to Microsofts own Office.
mIRC - IRC client.

Links
Dreamhost - The BEST paid webhost there is, with no other company coming even close.
Creative Commons - A non-profit group which offers a free alternative to full copyright.
Demonoid, The Pirate Bay, BTJunkie - Torrent sites.
geek.name project - Search for unregistered domains using their filter options.
Fun For Mobile - Free ringtones/wallpapers for your phone.
Mobile Phone Uploader, Phone Uploader - Upload anything to your phone.
VGMusic - Archive of video game music.
Canada Computers, Tiger Direct - Canada's alternatives to Newegg

Please note that I cannot be held reliable for anything these sites have on them, as I have no control over their content. By clicking on any of the links posted above, you must agree to this agreement.