A List by
MD98SY
Created Oct 2018
| Updated Nov 2019
| 3 Likes
Here is a list of software needed by everyday users to get the most out of their experience on Windows. In this list I tried to include as much open-source and free apps as possible.
The list targets people with humble expertise in this field, and just want to replace the default apps in Windows with more powerful ones, and add some more apps to get a better environment on their desktop, all with short one option for each specialty.
You can see an extended, detailed and updated list here: https://alternativeto.net/list/10598/the-complete-suite-of-programs-needed-after-new-windows-install-v2-0-advanced
Since the first thing we do after installing Windows, is to connect to the internet and check for drivers and stuff, I prefer using Firefox over the default Edge browser for noticeably better browsing in every aspect, from speed to privacy.
Firefox is just the best all-around browser so far.
And since we have lots of work to be done in the browser, we better off getting rid of annoying ads and popups; And uBlock Origin is up to the task.
*Just remember to whitelist your favorite websites to support them.
It's not perfect, but an okay download manager which will integrate to most browsers without problems, it lets the user decide whether to allow ads to appear inside the app (actually not intrusive ads, which is a good thing) or use it ad-free but limits the bandwidth in return.
Speaking of downloads, we should have a dedicated client for the growing file format: Torrent. qBittorenet is literally all you need: safe, open-source, easy-to-use and fast with minimal design.
Unzipping, compressing, or extracting archived files of various format is almost a daily action for any computer user. The free open-source PeaZip will do the trick just perfectly.
( 
7-Zip might be better option for some people, but I opted for PeaZip for its GUI which makes it easier for inexperienced users)
Now we should replace some of the boring and slow Microsoft's programs. For all in one media player solution, so I picked up VLC: The most popular, stable, fully-featured media player in the open-source world
in my opinion, the best image viewer that will definitely blow Microsoft's Windows Photo Viewer.
You could also consider, the open-source, cross-platform, elegant viewer: 
nomacs
E-documents/E-books or PDFs are very common formats too. Viewing them on Windows is way better with Sumatra PDF.
You could also consider the free, more feature-packed PDF reader: 
Xodo
For productivity we all need an office suite, Microsoft Office seems to the best functional, most mature, modern, advanced one out there.
MS office offers free license for 4 years for students, and that's why I've included in this list which is intended to offer only free packages.
LibreOffice seems to be the best MS office alternative right now. it's got big community and a relatively rapid development going on.
[Optional]
If you're worried about viruses and malware, the free version of Avast will take care of your PC's security fairly enough.
Be warned that using an AntiVirus can eat up much of your computer's resources in the background. You DON'T NEED an AntiVirus if you know and understand what you're doing with your machine.
Microsoft is often accused of violating privacy issues, ShutUp10 is a tool that helps you turn off the possible ways/features that Windows 10 uses to spy on users.
Another good alternative I recommend is: 
DisableWinTracking (Open-source with an easier UI).
A List by
MD98SY
Created Oct 2018
| Updated Nov 2019
| 3 Likes
Maybe you want to be the first to submit a comment?
