There are hundreds of thousands of freeware applications throughout the internet -- many of which are never discovered because of a lack of awareness about them. Below are a few examples of programs that I've found need more attention -- if you haven't heard of the program, click the logo or the link to go to its website. I've attempted to order the programs in the order of importance, or value, that they have provided me.

Synergy

Synergy is only applicable if you have two or more computers near each other. If you do, this program can virtually 'connect' the two screens, so both computers can share the same mouse and keyboard. Your mouse can move from one screen to another, just as if you have dual monitors. It's a wonderful thing to be able to use the processing power of two computers without having to switch between two keyboards.

Synergy Homepage

Gaim

Gaim is an open-source, multi-protocol, cross-platform instant messaging client. It currently supports AIM, ICQ, Gadu-Gadu, GroupWise, IRC, Jabber/GoogleTalk, MSN, Napster, SILC, SIMPLE, Sametime, and Yahoo. Even though I only use it for AIM, I love the fact that it has a small footprint, doesn't contain any ads, and it can use plug-ins. As of right now, the development of the project has slowed to a crawl, but it is still active.

Gaim Homepage

Thunderbird-Tray

I cannot stand the fact that Thunderbird doesn't have built-in system tray functionality. If you want to minimize Thunderbird to your system tray (the icons by the clock), then download this and breathe a sigh of relief.

TB Tray Homepage

Mozilla Firefox and Thunderbird

There is a mess of debate regarding Firefox vs. Opera, but until Opera gets extensions, I will stay with Firefox. Firefox is configurable, open-source, and has extensions that make it as powerful as you want. Thunderbird is my default mail application just because I haven't found anything better -- I love its junk mail filter, and it's got a clean, light interface.

Mozilla Products Homepage

Kerio Personal Firewall 2.1.5

Kerio 2.1.5 is a much older version than the current Kerio firewalls -- but the newer versions are not improvements. 2.1.5 has an incredibly small footprint and simply gets the job done. If you're looking for a personal firewall that gets out of your way, then Kerio 2.1.5 is for you. Because it is a discontinued version, the only way to get it is through third party websites.

Google Search for kerio-pf-2.1.5-en-win.exe

Hijack This

If you're an advanced computer user, this is definitely a must-have tool. It is extremely useful for removing Microsoft's WGA, spyware, adware, viruses, and any other malware. It provides the most comprehensive scan I have ever seen, and it has a set of 'Miscellaneous Tools' built in that are great for deleting viruses that don't want to go away.

Merijn's Hijack This Homepage

Crimson Editor

Everyone has their own favorite Notepad replacement for doing development projects. My requirements for a text editor are that it needs to be tabbed, super light weight, and have colored syntax for multiple languages. Crimson Editor is a discontinued project, but it doesn't really need future development -- it's got everything I need, and is extremely light weight and takes up very few resources. Although I don't use its advanced features, it can do a lot of advanced things that jEdit and other high-end text editors can do.

Crimson Editor Homepage

XAMPP

If you're a budding web developer, but you're a little intimidated by the setup required to be able to use things like PHP, MySQL, Apache, PHPMyAdmin, SQLite, Perl, Tomcat/JSP, or Python, then this program is most certainly for you. It does all the setup and linking for you, so all you have to do is start the program up, and everything will be automatically configured for you. I love to use this to test PHP scripts before I put them on celtickane.com.

Apache Friends XAMPP Homepage

FileZilla

Everyone has a favorite FTP program that they use -- mine is without a doubt FileZilla. It is an open-source FTP client that just has a wonderful interface and plenty of configurable options. I've tried WS_FTP and CuteFTP, and used them for years, but they both cannot compare to FileZilla.

FileZilla Homepage

Ad-Aware

Easily the best spyware removal program I've ever used. This is a great tool for computer novices and experts alike. If you decide to try an anti-malware program, definitely try this one. It's much more advanced than the other programs -- it even has the ability to reset with windows and kill spyware/virus programs that refuse to be deleted under normal windows conditions.

Lavasoft's Ad-Aware Homepage

Spybot - Search & Destroy

Although this isn't my favorite spyware program, it never hurts to have more than one spyware program if you get really nervous about something. If you just want an additional spyware program to look through your hard drive, spybot's your man. For those who are scared they have spyware and haven't ever scanned before, I would recommend leaving your computer on overnight with ad-aware, spybot, and an antivirus program looking through your entire computer.

Spybot-S&D Homepage

Azureus

Azureus is an open-source, java-based bittorrent client. It's got all the features you could ever want, and gets the job done. The fact that it is java is forgivable because it makes up for its decreased performance with an absolutely stellar, usable interface.

Azureus Homepage

Winamp

I don't really explore a whole lot of options in terms of media programs, but I've always used and stuck with Winamp -- so as far as I'm concerned this is the best program out there for playing mp3's and a bunch of other media stuff. I'm really taken by it's Media Library, which makes it incredibly easy to find different songs based on a search of a specific requirement.

Winamp Homepage

TightVNC

I honestly haven't used any other VNC clients other than TightVNC, but I've never had a complaint large enough to go searching. TightVNC, or any other VNC program for that matter, allows you to connect to another computer and control its mouse, keyboard, and monitor just as if you were in front of the host computer. For example, if you are at work or school and you need to connect to your computer at home, you could use TightVNC to connect to it, chat online, send a file to yourself, and do whatever else you'd like to do.

TightVNC Homepage

VLC Media Player

If you're getting fed up with codec downloads, or annoying Winamp/MS Media Player problems, then VLC media player is exactly what you need. It plays just about any video file you could imagine, regardless of codec, and does it without complaining. It's open-source and cross-platform, which is always nice too.

VLC Media Player

X-Setup

This is a really awesome configuration/tweaking program. Even if you don't really have anything in particular you'd like to tweak, still check this out and look through the options -- you might be surprised at some of the stuff you can change about windows.

GSpot Codec Information Appliance

GSpot identifies all the audio and video codecs that a specified file uses. This is invaluable if you spend hours downloading a video file, only to find that it doesn't play correctly.

GSpot Homepage

MP3 Gain

I only use this program when I burn mix CD's. It changes the volume of a selected number of mp3's so they match each other -- this way, when you're playing a mix CD, you don't have to adjust your volume because different songs are louder than others.

MP3 Gain Homepage

API-Guide and ApiViewer

This is for Visual Basic programmers who frequently use Windows API, and need a good reference tool. Unfortunately, both of these programs have been discontinued because the project has died, but the programs are still available. The first program (API-Guide) contains a whole mess of API calls and examples, and the second program (ApiViewer) has a ton of defined constants, types, and other fun stuff. It seems like when Windows Vista comes out these API calls will become obsolete, but until then, this is an excellent reference.

AllAPI.net Homepage

MDL ISIS Draw

Unfortunately, you have to register (for free) before downloading this utility. MDL ISIS is a drawing program for chemistry (more specifically, organic chemistry) that allows you to draw chemical compounds quickly and cleanly.

Elsevier MDL Homepage