Written by LiveSlick.com

It’s always a shame when a great program is not heard about by most people – especially when it’s free. Here are the top 10 freeware software that many people still haven’t tried, but definitely should.

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10. Sharepod

If you want to get all those files off your iPod and into your computer, then this is the program for you. In a previous post (Transfer Files From Your iPod To PC For Free) Sharepod was used to show how to freely and easily transfer files from an iPod to PC.

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9. ConTEXT

Not only is this a great notepad replacement, it is also a great help for software developers.

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8. IrfanView

Simply put, this is a simple graphic viewer. It has many essential features like email, Thumbnail/preview option, various Effects, changing color depth, and, of course, an extensive file format support.

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7. Windows Live Writer

Although still in beta, this makes blogging both easy and comfortable. It supports many blog services, including WordPress, Blogger, and TypePad, and also has a some very good plugins.

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6. Foxit Reader

This is the adobe reader replacement. It is much faster than adobe reader, and much friendlier to use. Try this once, and you’ll never go back.

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5. Snipping Tool

Comes installed in Windows Vista. This program lets you take screenshots of the whole screen, only a certain program, free-form, or rectangular snips. Immediately after taking the screen shot, you are given the choice of editing it and saving it into your computer. They couldn’t have made it easier. This was also covered in a previous post: Top 5 Applications That Come Installed With Windows Vista

[Edit: Some people pointed out that this isn’t necessarily freeware because you need to have Vista in order to use it. MWSnap can be used instead of it. Thanks TemporalBeing and everyone else who pointed that out.]

4. Blender

Did you ever see the amazing CGI movies Pixar makes, like Ratatouille? Well, with Blender, you can make similar computer generated graphics that will amaze everyone.

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3. ImgBurn

ImgBurn is great tool to create image files from discs and burn images to discs. It even supports HD DVD and Blu-ray. There is no need to use an high cost programs for images.

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2. MusikCube

This is what iTunes should be like. An easy to use, uncluttered, lightweight program, which will convert most people to it after seconds of use. The plugins that are available will make for an easy transition, like being able to grab ratings from iTunes or Windows Media Player and import them to MusikCube.

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1. AutoHotkey

This is the one of the most essential programs ever – if you know how to use it. With AutoHotkey, you can write scripts that automate keystrokes, which can save you a lot of time. You can make it automate annoying internship jobs, like copying and pasting a bunch of text from one place to another, to more complex applications like Lifehacker’s Texter. The beauty of it all is that it very easy to learn and master.