1. Security Essentials – free anti virus and anti malware.  works great, easy to install, doesn’t pester you with upgrade offers (at least so far!).  I have previously recommended AVG  as a free anti-virus, but they really do try hard to sell you the upgrade.  Not that they shouldn’t, but if free is what you can afford, then the reminders are just reminders that free is what you can afford.  I have also used paid for versions of Microsoft Onecare – and MS Security Essentials is easier to use, and free (I want my money back from 3 years of OneCare now!)  And while I used to swear by Norton, their software has not been on my machine in many years, except when it comes on a new one.  I

2. Live Writer – free blogging software, works with all types of blogs, and great to use if you post to several different blogs.  I use it with WordPress & Windows Live accounts, and I know it works with others, and I use it to post to several different blogs; and it is simple to post the same post, to several different blogs as well.  Of course, I am using it right now. can you tell?

Live Writer has a host of excellent plug-ins, works a offline as a a full blog composition tool – more than just word-processing, you can add your graphics and embeds and formatting, and it all looks great, in a full screen.  There is even a preview mode, that works with your WordPress theme.  Edit your post without need of being online, then when you are ready/able to – connect and  post it.  You can do updates then from Live Writer, or from your online dashboard.   (I am mostly a WordPress guy).

Another benefit, is that when my server went down, and I thought I had lost all my posts since my last back-up (which was over 2 weeks old!) – turns out, that I had them all in Live Writer and was able to repost them – though I  did have to reset the publish date to match the original.  This was huge.  I love Live Writer!

3. Photo Gallery – With so many free Photo services, and tons of free software, why use this one?  Biggest reason is that it is part  of the Windows Live suite of programs, that also includes a 25GB SkyDrive*!  The interface is very useful, it can be used to import from your camera or card, you can organize your pictures from different local network locations.  (Really this is called Windows Live Photo Gallery, but the Windows word scares people off, for no good reason if you ask me.) Anyway… Picasa may be easier (I have used it longer), but, it only comes with 1GB free.  (Although Google did just lower there storage rates, and now you can store 20GB for only $5 a year… I will have to list all the free Google items I like in another post!)  Also included is real basic photo fixing, as well as tagging. 

4. SkyDrive – 25GB of free online storage!  Great for pictures, videos, frequently used documents.  Access your files from anywhere.  Password protect your folders, share with friends, or the public.  It is up to you!  *When you upload photos from Photo Gallery to the web, these use the space on your SkyDrive.

5. Movie Maker – Easy to use free video editing software.  Really does a great job, you can edit scenes, add titles, and some basic visual effects.  Something anyone can use to get decent resluts.

6. Office 2010 (beta) – since this is a beta release, it is FREE to use until October 2010.  Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, One Note – all awesome, and in their new look and with improved functionality.  I have been a big Office user for years, and love to beta test as well. I tried a technical preview of this last month, then made the switch to this full beta when it became available last week.  My only complaint: it does not sync (yet) with my Google calendar.  Hopefully these two titans will work this small but essential communication link out.

Now, admittedly,  this is a $200-600 suite of programs when it goes retail next Fall, but it is free in the meantime!  If your productivity does not increase enough in the next year to make it a worthwhile expense, than it should be easy enough to move back to Office 2007 or 2003, or Open Office,  and use Thunderbird or Live Mail for mail, etc… if you think you will downgrade at the end of the trial, save yourself some trouble and save all your files as compatible with whatever version you will downgrade too.  But I doubt you will go back.  And hopefully MS will continue to make affordable Home/Student versions available. 

~brian