The best things in life are free; Software too

Some intellectual had penned the great words that the best things in this world are free. How true! Move over Microsoft and the other profit leeching companies. It's time to be free. Even since the free software movement was started by GNU, the fire has been catching on. Today the best software in this world comes without paying a dime.

The list is actually endless. An hour spent scourging the net will get you a freeware with any functionality you might be looking for. The below is a list of the top 10 software which have redefined the concept of a freeware.

• Linux

Linux changed a very old myth: that UNIX was for geeks. Linux brought the UNIX core to the mainstream masses with flexibility and graphics surpassing the ubiquitous windows operating system. It was more stable, supported multiple desktops and most important; it was free. Today even enterprises are opting for Linux not just for the cost but also because of the stability it brings and the excellent support worldwide.

• MySQL

Looking for a commercial grade database but without the hefty bill? Here's open source to the rescue. The MySQL database from SQLBD has been around since 2000 and has steadily improved on the performance and the features over the years. The entire installation is free of cost and the source code is available under the GNU license.

• OpenOffice

Another challenger to the Microsoft office software, Open Office from Sun Micro is free to download. Contributions from developers all over the world have made this office software the best in the world. The package is completely free to download and comes with programs for word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, drawing and even project management. The documents and spreadsheets can also be saved in many popular formats.
Support is available through forums and excellent documentation.

• Firefox

If you are a die hard internet buff, there is a great possibility that you are already using Firefox. This opens source internet browser has changed the way people surf. Featuring plug-ins for almost everything this powerful browser lets you customize not just the way it looks but also the way it surfs. Again, contributors around the world have made this project a great success. Easy, fast and completely customizable, Firefox undoubtedly is the browser of the future.

• AVG

AVG's free antivirus software is one of the most downloaded programs on the internet. There is no discrimination between the free and the paid versions and both are equally effective against the scum of the internet age-viruses. The interface is ad free and extremely easy to use. The virus protection is impeccable. AVG is undoubtedly the best antivirus on the internet.

• GIMP

GIMP stands for GNU Image Manipulation Program and is the open source competition to Photoshop. The interface is very simple and contributions from around the world ensure that the program remains customizable and always updated. The support for GIMP is extraordinary with documentation and forums spread all across the internet.

• Foxit Reader

Love your PDFs but hate acrobat? Well Foxit reader is the answer to your prayers then. The installer is minimalistic as compared to the acrobat reader and the installation time is much less too. Foxit Reader comes with a variety of features like annotation, conversion to text and even taking notes on your PDF document. The reader loads lightening fast and the best part of all is absolutely free.

• Winamp

Winamp is synonymous with music now. And rightly so! The Music player software is easy to use, has regular updates and is absolutely free to use. Create your own playlists, repeat tracks and also shuffle them using this amazing player. Winamp also allows you to tag your music and supports every music format available today. Want more? Go ahead and burn your own music CDs. All this in a single package!

• VLC Player

VLC player from VideoLan is a cross-platform open source media player which supports a wide variety of formats like MPEG, DIVX, OGG and 3GP in addition to the popular media formats. The player is also capable of playing VCDs and DVDs and seamlessly integrates into the browser for playing streaming media. Available for both windows and MacOS this amazing piece of software is absolutely free of cost.

• PSPad

PSpad is text editor with a variety of other features like FTP, multiple file editing and file compare. The program also acts as a code editor with syntax highlighting and freely downloadable templates. PSPad can be customized using scripts just like any office program. The variety of features this simple piece of software offers are many but the one feature that takes the prize is its ability to work without any installation. Like others in this list, PSPad comes absolutely free of cost.