A handy utility for *nix to put the shell right at your fingertips and keep it there. One of the best little tools I've ever seen. Seriously, it changed the way I work and how I get things done ... not to mention how much I get done.

Simply put, the best browser I've seen. I swore by Opera for several years, even though it didn't support all the web features that some web designers take for granted. Mozilla (combined email and web browser) didn't impress me too much either. But now they have broken off the browser, named it Firefox, and according to the reviews, it's giving Internet Explorer something to worry about. And because it isn't Internet Explorer, using it will help keep your machine free of viruses and ad/spyware.

the OpenOffice.org suite of office applications - all you need to kiss Micro$cum goodbye.