Computers are a useful tool that are capable of completing a wide array of tasks with the usage of programs. You know, your iTunes and Photoshop, those type of programs! The problem though is that most computers only come with the bare essentials of programs, nothing more. That can be a problem for a lot of people, especially if the programs you need can add up in costs to an upward of $1,000. That’s why we at Techy took it upon ourselves to compile this list of free programs available online that will help to ensure that you are able to maximize the potential of your computer.
Office Alternative — LibreOffice
Everyone needs an office suite. From 2nd graders to your grandma who takes 30 minutes to get on Skype, everyone need to know how to use an office suite because they had to at some point in the past. So when Microsoft announced that they were releasing Office 365, their subscription-based Office suite service, as their default office suite people have started looking for an alternative. But where else could they turn to? Well luckily the people at The Document Foundation have created LibreOffice, an open source all-in-one office. LibreOffice is a free office suite that provides all the same programs that Microsoft Office does (text editor, slideshows, spreadsheets, etc.). And the best part? You can use the files you create in LibreOffice in Microsoft Office and vice versa, meaning that you can view and edit your files no matter what your computer has!
Media Player — VLC
Although most, if not all, computers come with some program that can read and play your media files, many are constrained only a select few types of media files. (Want to watch a scene backwards for some reason? Well do I have some bad news for you). Thankfully VideoLan has got you covered with VLC, their free open source all-in-one media player. VLC is great, it is able to open virtually any media file you may have, whether it be video, music, or even livestreams! Plus with the community behind it, there are always changes to VLC that make it that much better. There are even add-ons that you can install into VLC so that you can customize it to create your own viewing experience. Overall this is one of the most versatile media players available, oh and did I mention that it was available for free??
Photo Editing — GIMP
Have you ever had to do a quick edit on a photo, like crop out your ex and replace him with Ryan Gosling? Or maybe you just need to touch up a few pictures for your Tinder profile. Well I’m assuming when you did you probably used Microsoft Paint, Windows’ built in photo editor. But if you wanted to do more? What if you wanted to edit a photo and crop out your ex and replace him with Ryan Gosling riding a giant bald eagle, shirtless. Well I can guarantee you that if you did it in Paint, Ryan Gosling himself would be ashamed of you. Well don’t worry, GIMP and the team behind it have worked hard to make sure that never happens. Gimp is an alternate solution to using paid software such as Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom. With GIMP you can create new works of art, edit photos, and design elements for usage in other areas. Additionally GIMP is open source, just like VLC, meaning you can customize your program with plugins to fit your needs.
File Compressor/Extractor — 7Zip
Alright this may get a little confusing but I’ll try to make it as understandable as possible. Have you ever seen a file icon like this? Well this is a compressed file, more specifically a RAR compressed file. Now there are a bunch of different types of compressed file types but all you need to know is that they’re used to make the size of files and folders smaller so they can be shared with other people more easily. Now why would you need a program for compressed files? Well throughout the years many different compressed file types have been created and Windows isn’t directly able to handle all of these extensions. That’s when 7zip comes in! 7zip is a file compression program that allows the compressing and extracting of a variety compressed file formats. To have this program is a precaution as to when you’re sent a folder that has been compressed and you are unable to retrieve the files that it contains. Well thanks to this bad boy that won’t be an issue.
Honorable Mentions — f.lux
Now although this isn’t a got-to-have, I would be disappointed if I didn’t include my all-time favorite productivity program (to be fair it’s not considered a productivity program, it just helps me get through my work faster). f.lux is a program that adjusts a display’s color temperature according to location and time of day. The program was designed to reduce eye strain during night-time use and reduce disruption of sleep patterns. You probably have something similar to f.lux on your phone if you use Night Shift feature on your iPhone (Android doesn’t have a built in feature in their software but there are apps that provide this functionality that you can download). f.lux is a lifesaver if you’re a night owl or prefer to work after hours on your computer. Even if you don’t find yourself up at night on the computer the program’s default settings has it kicking in at around sunset (5–6 PM) so you can still get some usage from the program.
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