Before you begin your online classes, we recommend that you download Firefox, Adobe Acrobat Reader, Adobe Flash, and Java. Depending on your other classes, you may find the others useful as well.
Internet Browser | | | |
Firefox
Fast, full-featured Web browser. Firefox includes pop-up blocking; tab-browsing; integrated Google search; simplified privacy controls |  |  |  |
Essential Software: PDF, Java, and Browser Plug-ins | | | |
Adobe Acrobat Reader
Allows the viewing and printing of PDF files. | | | |
Adobe Flash Player
Browser plug-in to play Flash videos. | | | |
Java
A run-time environment that allows you to run Java applications on your computer. | | | |
Anti-Virus, Anti-Spyware, and Anti-Malware | | | |
Spybot Search & Destroy
The program checks your system against a comprehensive database of adware and other system invaders. | | None | None |
| AVG Anti-Virus FreeEdition - Protect your computer from viruses and malicious programs. | | None | None |
Avira AntiVir Personal-Free Antivirus
Detect and eliminate viruses, get free protection for home users Windows | | None | None |
AvastFreeAntivirus
Protect your PC against the latest viruses and spyware. | | None | None |
Malwarebytes Anti-Malware
Detect and quickly remove malicious threats to your computer | | None | None |
Ad-Aware Free Anti-Malware
Protect your personal home computer from malware attacks. | | None | None |
Audio and Video | | | |
Any Video Converter
All-in-one video converting freeware with easy-to-use graphical interface, fast converting speed, and excellent video quality. It can convert almost all video formats including DivX, XviD, MOV, RM, RMVB, MPEG, VOB, DVD, WMV, and AVI to MPEG-4 movie format for PSP or other portable video device, MP4 player, or Smartphones. | | None | None |
Audacity
A digital audio editor application that can record and play sounds and import and export WAV, AIFF, MP3, and OGG files. Edit your sounds using cut, copy, and paste features (with unlimited undo functionality), mix tracks, or apply effects to your recordings. The program also has a built-in amplitude-envelope editor, a customizable spectrogram mode, and a frequency-analysis window for audio-analysis applications. | | | |
Camstudio
Makes a digital recording of computer screen output It renders videos in an AVI format. It can also convert these AVIs into Flash Video format, embedded in SWF files. | | None | None |
Handbrake
Universal, highly tweakable movie ripper & converter. | | | |
iTunes
Digital-jukebox software for audio and video. Create MP3 playlists, burn CDs, and download music to your iPod and iPhone and purchase music from the iTunes Music Store. | | | None |
Quick Media Converter
Video and audio conversion software. Converts to and from most formats including: - Video: FLV, AVI, DIVX, XVID, MPEG4, MPEG2 IPOD, IPHONE, PSP, 3GP, 3G2, DIVX,XVID, TS, DVD, VCD, MPG, MP4, VOB, MOV, H264, H263, WMV.
- Audio: MP3, WAV, AMR, M4A, WMA.
| | None | None |
Real Player
Download and watch Web videos with a media player and jukebox from RealNetworks. | | | |
Office Applications | | | |
Libre Office
Free alternative to Microsoft Office. It is an office productivity suite that includes desktop applications such as a word processor, a spreadsheet program, a presentation manager, and a drawing program. | | | |
Google Docs
A free, online office suite. A web based alternative to Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Create and share your work online. Upload your files from your desktop and have to them anywhere you have an internet connection. Edit and view your docs from any computer or smart phone. Share your work: Real-time collaboration means work gets done more quickly. Have a group project, like a group presentation? Your entire group can work on the same presentation at the same time. No more messy email attachments and file version confusion. |  |
Website Editing | | | |
KompoZer
Create web pages and manage a website with no technical expertise or knowledge of HTML. Nvu's unofficial bug-fix release. | | | |
Filezilla
An FTP program for file uploading and downloading to and from your FTP site, server, or host. The program lets you transfer files and navigate among folders, Web sites, and your computer. | | | |
NVU
Create web pages and manage a website with no technical expertise or knowledge of HTML. | | | None |
Image Editing | | | |
GIMP
Software for photo retouching, image composition, and image authoring. Can be used as a simple paint program, an expert-quality photo-retouching program, an online batch-processing system, a mass production image renderer, or an image-format converter. | | | |
Aviary
Photo-editing, logos, web templates, filters, color palettes, screen capture & more. | |
3D modeling and Vector Graphics editing | | | |
Google SketchUp
Easy-to-learn 3D-modeling program with a few simple tools to let you create 3D models of houses, sheds, decks, home additions, woodworking projects, and even space ships. You can add details, textures, and glass to your models, and design with dimensional accuracy. You can place your finished models in Google Earth, share them with others by posting them to the 3D Warehouse, or print hard copies. | | | None |
Inkscape
Vector graphics editor, with capabilities similar to Illustrator, Freehand, CorelDraw, or Xara X using the W3C standard Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG)file format. | | | None |
3D globe and virtual planetarium | | | |
Google Earth
A virtual globe, map, and geographic information program. It maps the earth by the superimposition of images obtained from satellite imagery, aerial photography and GIS 3D globe. | | | |
Stellarium
Planetarium for your computer. It shows a realistic sky in 3D, just like what you see with the naked eye, binoculars or a telescope. Just set your coordinates and go. | | | None |
Concept and Mind Mapping | | | |
Cmaps
Construct, navigate, share, and criticize knowledge models represented as Concept Maps. | | | |
Mindnode
Elegant and simple-to-use mind mapping application for the Macintosh. | None | | None |
Utility Applications | | | |
Launchy
Designed to help you forget about your start menu, the icons on your desktop, and even your file manager. Launchy indexes the programs in your start menu and can launch your documents, project files, folders, and bookmarks with just a few keystrokes. | | None | |
Google Quick Search
Search for anything from contacts & music to web content. Launch applications whether they're on your computer or online. Perform actions on your results such as opening a file or sending an email. | None | | None |
|
QuickSilver
An application that lets you reach any program, folder or file in a few keystrokes. You don't have to go searching through your files, you don't have to worry about how your folders are arranged. | None | | None |
Video Conferencing | | | |
Skype
Software that allows users to make telephone calls over the Internet. Calls to other users of the service and to free-of-charge numbers are free, while calls to other landlines and mobile phones can be made for a fee. Additional features include instant messaging, file and video conferencing. | | | |
