10 Essential Windows Freeware Programs – Part 2
Posted on March 16, 2010 at 5:00 am
This article is Part 2 in the series Freeware Programs Worth Checking Out. Check out Part I here. Now we will continue on with the list of great freeware apps that you can use as alternatives to popular premium software.
Ashampoo vs. Roxio Creator
Looking for a quality CD/DVD burning application? One of the most popular choices is Roxio Creator. Although Roxio Creator is a great, feature packed program, it doesn’t come cheap. Roxio offers two versions of the software: Roxio Creator 2010, which retails for $99.99 and Roxio Creator Pro, which retails for $129.99.
For many computer users, this is not a reasonable buy, as they only burn CDs and DVDs once in a while.
Luckily, Ashampoo offers a free CD/DVD burning software loaded with plenty of features. Ashampoo should be able to meet the majority of people’s disc burning needs, as it supports all major file formats (Ex. WAV, MP3, VCD, more) and can be used for CD, DVD, and Blu-ray discs.
Projects like creating data discs, audio ripping, and more, are simple to do with Ashampoo’s easy to use interface.
Ashampoo can save you anywhere from $100 to $150.
Paint.net vs. Adobe CS4 Photoshop
Just about everyone who takes pictures will want to do some photo editing at one point or another. Unfortunately, Microsoft Paint is just not a reasonable app for doing even the most basic of photo editing.
Thus, most people choose to purchase Adobe Photoshop. Although no one can discredit the capabilities of Photoshop, as well as it’s wide popularity and appeal, it’s price is questionable.
The starting price is $699 for the full version, and you can choose to upgrade from a previous version of Photoshop for $199. One disadvantage of Photoshop is that it does have a learning curve. Computer users who just need a software to do basic photo editing may find Photoshop a bit of overkill.
Paint.net is the free alternative. Does it have as many features as Photoshop? No, not at all. However, Paint.net will handle the majority of photo editing projects that you throw at it. It’s also easy to use.
The interface is similar to the default Microsoft Paint application (mentioned above), with several additional features. If you need an image editor that allows you to work with layers, as well as add effects, crop, and more, Paint.net is an ideal free solution.
If you should find that Paint.net does not have a feature you are looking for, there are still several other free photo editors that might have that particular feature. You may want to check out our article, 25 Free Online Image/Photo Editors.
Paint.net can save you anywhere from $199 to $699.
Notepad++ vs. Adobe Dreamweaver/Microsoft Expression Web
If you were to search the web for “Best HTML Editors” you would most likely find two definitive results: Adobe CS4 Dreamweaver, and Microsoft Expression Web 3. These two programs are the most heavily favored HTML/Web editors among designers and web developers.
However, these two programs are also the most heavily priced HTML/Web editors. Adobe CS4 Dreamweaver will run you approximately $400 for a full version, and $199 for an upgrade. Microsoft Expression Web is a bit more reasonably priced, retailing for $149 full and $79 upgrade.
As feature packed as these two programs may be, most people will not use 3/4 of their options. In fact, some of the best web developers out there use Window’s built-in Notepad app for the majority of their work.
Now, there is a big gap when comparing Windows Notepad to Adobe Dreamweaver. Something in between the two would be nice… That’s where Notepad++ comes into play. Notepad++ is a completely free HTML/Web editor with several great features.
Most notably, the tabbed interface of Notepad++ allows developers and designers to work with multiple docs at a time. HTML editing programs are some of the most diverse apps out there. You may or may not like Notepad++. But, why not give it a try? Doing so could save you anywhere from $79 to $600. You can purchase a new laptop for $600!
Any free software on this list working for you? Looking for more free software alternatives? Be sure to check out the last page, Part 3, for the wrap up of the 10 Essential Windows Programs Worth Checking Out, as well as the overall price savings.
» Filed Under Free Software Downloads
Related Posts
- Use Adobe’s Free Version of Photoshop for Basic and Essential Image Editing
- 10 Essential Windows Freeware Programs – Part 3
- 25 Free Online Photo/Image Editors
- 10 Essential Windows Freeware Programs – Part I
- 25 Free Online Photo/Image Editors – Part 2
ImgBurn is my favourite for free cd/dvd burning. Has far more features than free or pro version of ashampoo save the conversion of mp3 files to burn a music cd; but then again who plays an actual music cd today?