1. 1. Blender<br />Blender is a massively popular 3D animation program that can be used for modeling, rendering, and full animation. Though it has a steep learning curve for new users, there are a large number of tutorials and manuals available online.<br />2. OpenOffice.org<br />OpenOffice.org, often abbreviated as OOo, is a wonderful alternative to Microsoft Office Suite, and comes with programs that can create and open PowerPoint, Excel, Word, and Publisher files.<br />Open Office is currently at version 3.1 and works flawlessly with all major Linux distributions. It comes as a standard component with most of the popular distros, including Ubuntu, Fedora, OpenSUSE, and many more<br />3. Firefox<br />If you don't know what Firefox is, there's a good chance you've been living under a rock. Please take a peek outside and make sure you're on earth. Mozilla's widely popular browser is now the preferred choice of many computer users on all major platforms, and is free to download.<br />4. CUPS-PDF<br />In a world where everyone is moving towards email and digital readers, a PDF writer is an imperative tool. CUPS-PDF is simple to install--just run an installation via the terminal--then the next time you print, choose CUPS from the drop-down menu.<br />5. Handbrake<br />Handbrake has, over the course of the last few years, earned the love and adoration of many DVD rippers. This program can take an ISO, VIDEO_TS, MPG, or a handful of other files, and transcode them to AVI, MKV, MP4, and more. There are presets available for Apple TV, iPod, etc. Very professional and reliable.<br />6. VLC<br />Another popular favorite amongst users of not only Linux, VLC is the little media player that could. It is small, has a tiny footprint on your hard drive, and can play just about any file you throw at it, whether its a movie or an audio file. In addition, you can stream video, and then save streams locally. VLC can do anything that Windows Media Player can do, but in a more efficient way.<br />7. Thunderbird<br />Another love-child from Mozilla, this email client is robust, fast, and devoid of crap. You can do everything with it that you can do with Evolution and Outlook; it is a very popular choice right now.<br />8. GIMP<br />Why pay hundreds (and hundreds) of dollars for Adobe Photoshop when you can download GIMP for free? This program is updated regularly and increasing in popularity with each release. You can use it to author graphics, create icons, edit pictures, and so much more.<br /> 9. DVD::RIP<br />This program is not only a very robust video transcoder, but it can also be used to rip a DVD to a VIDEO_TS file.<br />10. WINE<br />WINE is that program you keep hearing about that lets some Windows programs run on Linux. Though not everything can be run through it, quite a bit can. Don't believe me? Here's an example of some things I run through WINE: Replay Media Catcher, Internet Explorer, and Photomatix Pro.<br />WINE is even capable of running Windows games on your Linux system., as long as your computer is sufficiently fast. It has a huge compatibility list and there's a good chance that WINE can run any recent game you throw at it.<br />11. xPDF<br />Though CUPS-PDF might be a nice PDF writer, you still need something to read the PDF files: that's where xPDF comes it. This program is simple, small, and effective.<br />12. Sound Juicer<br />Do you still buy CDs so you can rip them to a higher quality than current MP3 download sites offer? If so, you'll need a program to rip and extract them. Sound Juicer is that program; it's simple, straight forward, and easy to use. After ripping the CD, you can use it to convert from one music file to another (wav to mp3, for example).<br />Like many other CD-ripping utilities it automatically collects information about the album and individual songs from an online database as long as you have an internet connection<br />.13. Scribus<br />Scribus is a publishing application on par with PageMaker. This program has professional features, such as CMYK support, and allows users to create attractive brochures, pamphlets,and more.<br />14. Inkscape<br />Another program for users in need of graphic authoring/editing apps, Inkscape is the open source equivalent of programs like Illustrator and Xara. It is sleek, attractive, and highly functional.<br />15. Pidgin<br />Pidgin is a small instant messaging device that works with a number of different messaging services, including AIM, IRC, and MSN.<br />16. Bluefish<br />Bluefish is an HTML editor, plus so much more. You can use it to create all forms of code, and supports, among other things: HTML, PHP, C, C++, Javascript, Perl, and Python.<br />17. AmaroK<br />When you see this program, every stereotype you ever heard about open source and free software will disappear from your mind. An excellent alternative to iTunes and other music organization programs, AmaroK has everything a music lover needs, including iPod support.<br />18. GNUcash<br />For those of you who need to keep track of expenses or open your old Quickbooks files, GNUcash is simple to set up, easy to use, and has every feature you could possibly need from an accounting program.<br />19. Basero<br />Basero will step in where Nero used to be. This program is very simple to use, and allows users to create data discs, burn movies and music, and other features you'd typically find from CD/DVD authoring/burning software.<br />20. Gedit/Kate<br />These two text editors surpass Notepad in functionality while serving as simple text editors. Gedit is the ideal editor for GNOME users, while Kate steps up to the plate for those with KDE.<br />21. Audacity<br />Even if you're not an audiophile, you'll probably come across the need to edit an audio file at some point. Audacity is a favorite amongst users of Windows, Mac, and Linux, and is know for being feature-rich (and free, of course).<br />22. Open Movie Editor<br />Are you already missing Movie Maker? If so, Open Movie Editor will surely make you happy. This program has a similar timeline as the Windows version, and allows editing audio and video, as well as adding titles and other effects.<br />23. TV Time<br />If you have a TV tuner card, you're going to need a program that can accept the video and save it to your hard drive. While there are several options available, TV Time is a good option, as it is still being updated and supports several different cards.<br />24. Guarddog<br />Running a firewall is one of the best ways to ensure that your system stays secure and your data is seen by only authorized eyes (ie, you). Guarddog is a free and solid firewall application that can be used by anyone ranging from absolute beginner to advanced user.<br /> <br />