I was going for a fresh start with my computer. It’s been running slow. There’s a lot of stuff installed that I don’t need. So I did some autumn cleaning, opening the case to dust it up and then doing a fresh format and install of Windows 7 Ultimate. (All my documents, photos, videos, music, and other files are stored off the “C” drive. (See this article for more info on “Clean Starting” your PC)

Besides Office and iTunes, and this handy guide I created a while back, here are some more programs (in no particular order) that you should download and install:

10. Foxit Reader

Adobe/Acrobat Reader was a default for me for years. Every time I configured a new computer, it was one of the first programs I installed. Until now.

Thanks to MaximumPC, a magazine I’ve read and subscribed to for years, I found Foxit Reader. Apparently, 100 million other people have found it too.

It’s fast and light, allowing you to view PDFs with just 3MB of memory used. It’s free, but there’s also a professional version for $40 if you want to do some PDF editing. I think I’m in love.

One warning, when you install it, it does try to bundle a browser toolbar with it. Just uncheck that option.

9. 7-Zip

Sure every new version of Windows supports Zip files natively, but what about the occasional RAR or ISO file? What about GZIP and TAR files?

7-Zip is a tiny program that integrates into the Windows 7 shell to give you native-looking support for all these formats. It is a great program that does not hog resources.

8. Filezilla

Sure iCloud and Dropbox are great, but I back up a lot of my files on personal webservers, and I still like FTP as the way to go when it comes to accessing those files. It also comes in handy for editing website files on the fly.

Filezilla is the best way to use FTP in Windows. You can download a client and a server app for free under the GNU license. It’s a great way to handle files.

7. Notepad++

Good ole Notepad. One of the last unchanged vestiges of Windows 3.1 days. Personally, I love Notepad, but my eyes don’t. Neither does my head after a migraine induced by a difficult CSS editing session.

Notepad++ is just that. It is a basic text editor that does two things that we tech nerds need: It supports more than one document, and it highlights HTML and programming code in easily recognizable colors.

It is a smart text editor that is also amazingly fast, almost as fast and unassuming as the original Notepad. But once you install Notepad++, you’ll know why I’m never going back.

6. Audacity

This isn’t new at all, but if it is to you, then shame!

I love Sony’s Acid software for music projects and anything that requires a lot of power, but for everything else, including podcasts and streaming interviews, it’s Audacity. Audacity does for free almost as much as hundreds of dollars worth of audio software can do, and it’s so easy to use.

Audacity is a default app for Emerson College as well, and if the journalism and multimedia students are using it, you should too.

The only pain is that you have to download the MP3 plugin separately.

5. Gimp or Photoshop Elements?

Gimp is the open-source response to $500 for Adobe Photoshop. It’s very decent software. It is what Open Office is to Microsoft Office. Powerful, but lacking in the polish department. It’s also free.

If you want to buy something, Photoshop Elements is an under-$100 alternative to the full version, and it’s worth a glance. If you primarily do photo editing, retouching, and the like, Elements is really all you need. It gives you layers and most of the tools you use in the full version.

Still…I don’t use either. I admit it. I have the full version. I use it for Blast’s graphical needs, and I also need things like Adobe InDesign and Contribute.

4. Secunia PSI

This is a new one for me, but I’ve started to really enjoy it. Secunia Personal Software Inspector keeps tabs on all the software you have installed on your computer and checks them against a database of known vulnerabilities. It will tell you if you need a new patch or if your older software is at end-of-life, possibly leaving it vulnerable to exploits.

You can disable the tray icon and just scan your computer manually, but I have it running right now, it it only uses 1.2MB of memory, so I’m happy. When you’re doing a clean start install of Windows, it’s great to have this one running, because it will tell you what you still have to patch, even when you think you’re done.

3. bioPDF

Here’s another one that goes against the Adobe grain. bioPDF is a PDF Printer that lets you do just that. Everyone runs into a time when they need to create a PDF, and there are a lot of bloated or adware-filled options out there. This is not one of those. This is a quick, tiny, and free PDF creator.

2. GnuCash

We all need a little accounting software in our lives. For most people, that’s Quicken. For small business owners, it’s QuickBooks. But both cost money, and people tend to think they have to buy it new all the time, because new versions keep coming out every year.

I use GnuCash. It’s larger than your usual free app (about 400MB) but that works in its favor in this case. GnuCash is also the only title of its kind to make PCMag.com’s Best Free Software of 2011 list.

The best thing is, if you have an old version of Quicken of Microsoft Money, you can import your old backup files into GnuCash.

1. TrueCrypt

TrueCrypt is an encryption program. Not everyone needs it. Some people really need it. No matter. TrueCrypt won’t stop the CIA or a police raid on your computer, but if you want to hide sensitive, uh, photos from a snooping friend, roommate, or significant other, it will do the trick.

All snark aside, there are perfectly valid reasons to use this software. People store all kinds of sensitive information on their computers (see Gnucash) and this software lets you protect it.

Digital photography has revolutionized several industries. Photographers are no longer bound to a few dozen shots in a roll of film. Even simple things like photograph size have changed dramatically with the shift to digital.

But consumers have been slower to catch up to the new technology. A lot of people still think the best way to see their photos is to run a memory card to the corner drug store and wait for prints. That just isn’t the case anymore. A Mac or personal computer is the perfect digital darkroom.

For the average consumer, with a $200 to $500 camera, the price and the power of the software for editing and organizing photos can be intimidating. So we did some research and found four photo editing titles that will get the job done without turning your hobby into a money pit.

For the name-brand warrior, we recommend Adobe Photoshop Elements 8, a boiled-down version of Adobe Photoshop (which can cost $1,000) that won’t break the piggy bank at $79.99. If you want more of the functionality and power of Photoshop and don’t mind learning a new program, we recommend Corel PaintShop Photo Pro X3 at $99.99. For Mac users, check out Pixelmator at just $59. Finally, if you really want to save money, you must try the open source Gimp image editing software, which is free and works on Windows or Linux.

This is not a technical analysis and benchmark of the software titles, but a consumer-level look at what you can do versus how much you will spend. There are two tasks when editing digital photos. First, you need to organize your photos, sorting the good from the bad. Then you need to actually get inside each photo and edit it. A great software package will do both.

The best of the bunch was Photoshop Elements 8. While not nearly as powerful or robust as its big brother, Elements 8 is a familiar software title that comes with an intuitive organizing package that lets you rate your photos and sort them by place, event, keyword, etc. The software is family-friendly and easy to learn, with features that will correct things like red-eye, over/underexposed photos, poor lighting, and color saturation.

For a little more power, go with PaintShop Photo Pro X3, which has more of the pricey Photoshop features without the price tag. This is a good choice for a high school student who has aspirations of photography/art school. This software leaves plenty of room for tinkering with more advanced features like levels and curves. It also has a tool to create video slideshows that you can share online.

Willy King, general manager of the Bromfield Camera Co. in Downtown Crossing, recommends either Elements or PaintShop Photo Pro, giving a slight nod to Elements.

"The advantage is you can ramp it up into Photoshop Pro more seamlessly,” King said. "Although PaintShop Pro is also pretty feature packed.”

Individual titles are on Page 2.

Adobe Photoshop Elements 8, $79.99

Pros: Photoshop Elements has the name-brand recognition and reputation going for it, and the software’s stability, speed, and feature set mean it’s well-earned.

Cons: It’s definitely a consumer product. Professionals and photo students will want to explore the full version.

Final word: If you’re editing photos for any reason and are working on a budget, Elements, with versions for Mac and PC, is a great choice.

Corel PaintShop Photo Pro X3, $99.99

Pros: PaintShop Photo Pro X3 comes with tons of pro-level features priced in the bargain basement of software titles.

Cons: The software has some speed and stability issues. It doesn’t load as quickly as Photoshop or Photoshop Elements for that matter. Keyboard commands and shortcuts aren’t very intuitive.

Final word: PaintShop has been around for years. It has always been overshadowed by Photoshop, but its low price is impossible to ignore.

Pixelmator, $59

Pros: Pixelmator gives you image levels and powerful tools on the cheap. It’s also stable and fast on your Mac.

Cons: There’s no PC version.

Final word: If you can’t get a discount deal on Photoshop, you should definitely give Pixelmator a try.

Gimp, Free

Pros: It’s free. You get a powerful, portable, stable image-editing platform at no cost.

Cons: Gimp is not as user-friendly as the commercial products. There’s a bit of a learning curve.

Final word: You can’t beat free.

If you’re into the creation of professional animated graphics or you’re an artist looking to design your very own masterpiece using live-like animation, Smith Micro’s Anime Studio Pro 6 for both Windows and Mac is an impressively powerful tool.

Smith Micro’s Anime Studio Pro 6 ($199) is a vast update over the previous versions and adds many great new features. Enhancements to version 6 include motion tracking, integrated lip-syncing, a scatter brush, auto shading, morph targets, a new sequencer, HD video support along with the ability to export to more video formats and better scripting. This edition also adds speedier production times, improved drawing and design enhancements, the ability to directly upload content to YouTube right from the application and a large collection of predesigned graphics, sounds and templates.

I decided to put Mac version of the product to the test and the results stacked up well. One thing to note is this is a very large piece of software. The installation took about 578 megabytes of disk space, so I would recommend you have plenty of space before you go ahead and decide install this product. Other than that, the installation was smooth and took only about two minutes.

Anime Pro sports a sleek, clean interface, reminiscent of Photoshop or Flash. Performance-wise, everything seemed to run smoothly and I never ran up on any errors. Because this product is designed for professional use, there’s a bit of a learning curve and training may be necessary to fully utilize the capabilities of the software, but those who have used this product before will be satisfied with the interface, commands, tools and navigation of the application.

The applications preloaded content is especially useful for people who are just starting off. Within fifteen minutes I had my own animation going (AnimeStudioPro sample). It’s simple, but it just shows that in less then fifteen minutes, someone who has never used this product can get right to work with the simple, yet familiar interface.

The product retails for $199 new or $129 to upgrade from a previous version. If you currently use previous versions of this software, the new features are definitely worth the upgrade cost.

You can purchase this product online from Smith Micro’s online store.

The new UpdateStar version 2.5, the program that keeps a user PC’s software always up-to-date and secure, has been released and is available for download free from Blast Magazine.

[download id="1"]

Features:

• One-stop information place for the individual software setup including information, downloads and status
• Reduces a PC’s vulnerability level caused by outdated software
• Personalizes updates: can be configured according to the users needs
• Enhances the “Add or Remove Programs” experience
• Simple interface and simple to use

Thank you to the good people are UpdateStar for licensing Blast to provide all its readers with this software in our November issue!

UpdateStar is a PC utility that lets you stay up-to-date just about all your other software titles.

This way you make sure you always have the most up-to-date software, maximizing the every-day user experience.

UpdateStar is for people who rely and depend on an efficient software setup on their computer in their daily life.

Features

• One-stop information place for the individual software setup including information, downloads and status
• Personalizes updates: can be configured according to the users needs
• Enhances the “Add or Remove Programs” experience
• Simple interface and simple to use

Download UpdateStar 2.4 free from Blast Magazine!

I was really impressed with Palo Alto Software’s Marketing Plan Pro. There’s a ton of people trying to be entrepreneurial and being their own bosses, and they (we) can’t always hire PR people and a team of marketing pros.

In our case, a marketing class from Northeastern took us on as their semester project and gave us invaluable information that led to our first redesign in June.

But take the startup restaurant, clothing boutique, widget maker, or whatever your lifelong dream happens to be. With Marketing Plan Pro, you have a $150 marketing professional at your fingertips. The software is really easy to use and gievs you dozens of sample plans and step-by-step advice to start from scratch. It gives you SWOT analysis, tactics and target forecasts as well as break-even analysis, project planning and color charts to visualize it all.

Marketing Plan Pro also lets you export your work to Microsoft Office or Adobe PDF to easily collaborate with colleagues.

The software even includes “The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding,” by Al and Laura Ries and “On Target: The Book on Marketing Plans,” by Tim Berry.

While there’s not a whole lot of competition out there, Palo Alto’s Marketing Plan Pro has been the top-selling marketing-planning software seven years in a row. It’s easy to use, intuitive and invaluable for business owners and marketing professionals looking for an all-in-one resource.

Quick hits:

Publisher: Palo Alto
Developer: Palo Alto
Platform: Windows PC
Genre: Business software
Launch Date: April 18, 2006

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars Editor’s Choice

As YouTube videos become better and better (shockingly…the videos are getting better, the photos are getting better, but now if only as many people would learn where commas and semicolons go…) and high-definition video cameras come down in price, we are starting to see amateur and small-business video rise in production value.

That’s why software like Sony’s Cinescore Professional Soundtrack Creation is becoming more and more relevant. In the past, you wouldn’t necessarily find this software at Best Buy — and, well, you still don’t — but for a $100 investment this software lets you add a real score to your moving pictures.

Normally, I’d throw down a review of something like this and say “it’s powerful, feature-rich, but give yourself plenty of time to get over the learning curve.” But if you’re doing video editing right now and using Final Cut or Premiere (or Sony’s Vegas Movie Studio, which I’m sure they’d want me to plug…) you can use Cinescore. Explore the software a little bit, learn some of the specific functions like audio sweetening effects and transitions, and you’re pretty much all set. At this point, if you’ve seen one audio/video timeline, you’ve seen them all.

It is indeed powerful and feature-rich, and Cinescore includes a bunch of royalty-free sound effects and loops that you can use at your own will. The software also allows you to export your finished work to ATRAC, AVI, MOV, MP3, OGG, RM, WAV, WMA, WMV, DVD, MPEG-2 and PSP/iPod-friendly MPEG-4.

Cinescore includes interactive tutorials and help files if you do get stuck. Other video editing titles give you some of Cinescore’s functionality, but give this solid option a try.

Features:

• Automatically generates music to match any time duration
• Video scoring track and real-time preview window
• Includes 20 fully customizable Themes in multiple genres
• 16-bit, 44.1 KHz song quality for exceptional performance
• Powerful user-defined settings yield unlimited musical results

Quick hits:

Publisher: Sony Creative Software
Developer: Sony Creative Software
Platform: Windows/PC
Genre: Audio/Video utility
Launch Date: May 12, 2006

Usefulness: 4 out of 5 stars
Learning Curve: 4 out of 5 stars
Overall: 4 out of 5 stars