Useful Apps for First-Time Windows Users?

pauljoyce asks: "I'm a Mac fan who is intrigued by the possibilities of Apple's Boot Camp software. Now that I have a chance to painlessly dip into the Windows world, what I'd like to ask you is, what Windows software amazes you? I want to build a list of unique, elegant, can't-do-without apps, so all us new Boot-Camp babies can finally experience some of the great innovation happening over on the Windows platform. I roughed in a quick blogpage to collect the info, and to house any useful discussions. It'll probably deteriorate into a flame war at some point, but hopefully I can get a few contributions to each category before then. Would those interested please chime in with their list of favorites?"

flame war?

[Anonymous Coward]

Asking slashdot for must have windows apps? Nah...

What software amazes me?

[AKAImBatman]

Now that I have a chance to painlessly dip into the Windows world, what I'd like to ask you is, what Windows software amazes you?

Java. Because it means that I can move the hell off of Windows and use a Mac instead.

Whoops. Did I just say that out loud? :-P

Can I suggest

[zappepcs]

that you try this new application that is out... Linux :-)

Yeah, maybe not that funny, but its required here

Comment removed

[account_deleted]

Comment removed based on user account deletion

Internet Explorer

[masterpenguin]

Now you too can be amazed how fast your mac can turn from a sleek machine into a pop up filled zombie email machine.

My favorite software is...

[Anonymous Coward]

Vmware to run Ubuntu.

The Only Windows Software you Need...

[No Salvation]

AVG [download.com], Zone Alarm [zonelabs.com], AD-Aware [lavasoft.de] and Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion [elderscrolls.com] and you should be set.

Re:flame war?

[__aaclcg7560]

Must be hurting for a flame war... Nevertheless, everyone one knows that the must have Windows software is 1) firewall, 2) antivirus, 3) anti-spyware, and 4) minesweeper.

Re:Games

[AKAImBatman]

And thus it is proven that most Windows users don't actually need Windows. They need an XBox instead.

Wait...

Hold on...

Uh huh...

This just in: XBoxes suck too. Most Windows users need a Mac and a Nintendo Revolution. That is all.

There you have it folks. The definitive answer to why you [don't] need Windows.

Re:I have used a PC for 2 weeks

[AKAImBatman]

I have no idea what a DLL is.

It stands for "Display List List", which is a list of the Display Command Lists used by your Atari 7800 to render graphics to the television. This amazing technology is based on arcade hardware, making the 7800 the most advanced Atari ever! Just imagine, you'll soon be able to play such amazing titles as:

* Ninja Golf
* Fatal Run
* Desert Falcon
* Scrapyard Dog
* Plus all your favorites like Ms. Pac Man, Donkey Kong, and Mario Bros.!

And that's not all! With your new Atari 7800, we'll include the arcade hit Pole Position II at no extra charge! Isn't Atari just amazing?

Have you played Atari today?

The main difference between Mac and Windows users

[atokata]

Mac users are nice, polite. A bit dorky. They're the 'nice guys' who drive hybrids, have white guilt, and occasionally think a typeface is too agressive. Take these two sentences:
I want to build a list of unique, elegant, can't-do-without apps, so all us new Boot-Camp babies can finally experience some of the great innovation happening over on the Windows platform. I roughed in a quick blogpage to collect the info, and to house any useful discussions.

My god, it's so sweet I'm almost gagging on my vegan soy latte.

A Windows user on the other hand, would say:
"gimme some warez. i need a proggie that'll hack an adult check id, so i can get pr0n. lolz"

(And, we won't even mention the Linux user, who starts off every explanation with: "Well, all you have to do is simply learn to program in C, then write twenty thousand lines of it")

Re:flame war?

[Kickboy12]

Not really. Perhaps you were thinking of the term "Microsoft Works".

Re:What software amazes me?

[jrockway]

> Why would you want to install the worst text editor known to mankind on your... err...

I missed the joke. vi doesn't sound at all like "loadlin". :) :)

Re:flame war?

[ozmanjusri]

Must be hurting for a flame war.

That's not how you start a flame war.

The only must have Windows software is fdisk.

Now THAT'S how you start a flame war...

Bonzi Buddy

[vzzzbx]

Bonzi Buddy, CoolWebSearch, anything and everything from Gator/Claria. Best of all it's all free!

It's called "foobar," not "bar none"

[Anonymous Coward]

Subject: iTunes!

Best app on Windows, bar none.

The name of the app is foobar [foobar2000.org], not "bar none." But I agree, foobar is the best music player app on Windows.

First app...

[JohnnyBigodes]

First important app: "How to right-click!" :p :p :P

This is what all my friends run

[Smuffe]

You'll probably also need these:

Blaster (try Symantec)
Lovesan (not really sure, it's an old app)
Code Red (disable all firewalls and don't apply any pathces, you'll get it for free soon enough)
Zotbot (not sure again).

Then again, get some firewall and virusscanners, or maybe just an Instant restore [systemok.com] program if you want to try them out but don't really need them (works for both viruses and firewalls :).

Re:flame war?

[alexhs]

First-time Windows users?
Isn't that an oxymoron?

Some Slashdotters have no window in their basement :)

Re:I have used a PC for 15 minutes, and it sucked

[1u3hr]

You almost carried that off. But your fatal mistake: just like on a Mac, a right click would bring up a contextual menu. A real Mac bigot would digress for a paragraph to explain why more than one mouse button was unnecessary and inelegant: "Oh, you mean option-click".

Re:flame war?

[tomcres]

fdisk? Wow, that is soooo Windows 98... :)

These days, you have to right-click on My Computer, select Manage, then use the Microsoft Management Console to select Storage Management, then manage your partitions there. Windows XP.. it's all about the eXPerience!

In other words...

[PinkyDead]

I work for the RIAA and I'm trying to patent someone elses method that uses Intelligent Design to prove that Linux sucks. What software should I install on my Windows PC to do this?

Did I mention that I fully support the merging of the European Union and the United Nations as a division of ICANN?

~=@:O

Re:flame war?

[theonetruekeebler]

No, this is:
The only must have Windows software is fdisk.

So you can get rid of Linux?

Based on the opinions of those who know

[JoeCommodore]

I'll base these on what other people send documents to us and say we *should* have these in order to do business.

Internet Explorer - You just cant use the important parts of the internet without it (at least that's what many of the webmasters of sites that refuse to be more compatible say.

Microsoft Outlook - So you can open all those winmail.dat files people send you.

Microsoft Excel for Windows - Exspecially for those sheets with macros using active-x components, they insist thier stuff just would just suck without those gems.

Microsoft Publisher - At work we regularly get .pub documents with the creators getting indignant when we say we can't open it. Of course depending on the sender, they expect you to have the version of publisher THEY have, not always particularly the latest version.

Microsot Access - Here it is the panacea of all data needs, just about every agency with accidental techies have islads of productivityware using access (ignoring the fact there is no easy way to integrate all these these different islands)

Webshots - just about every Windows workstation I see in or office runs Webshots, must be an essential utlity.

The thing that makes smiley icons and patterned backgrounds in Outlook Second to webshots are the outlook emails with all the HTML and embedded gifs, which also advertise the utility that will turn your oulook browser into a similar productive environment.

Turbo Tax, Tax Cut or Quicken Taxes - apparently we can't do our home taxes without them

Besides more vertical market "canned applications" for accounting and such that's about it.

Re:Based on the opinions of those who know

[nsayer]

Turbo Tax

Uh... I just finished doing our taxes with the Mac version of Turbo Tax. Works great.

don't you mean

[Ender Ryan]

I think you spelled "Vim [vim.org]" wrong. =P

Re:I have used a PC for 15 minutes, and it sucked

[elrous0]

No recent macs use BIOS.

Of course not. Between the time you power up a Mac and the time the OS loads, the computer runs on magic !

Re:I have used a PC for 2 weeks

[Dr. Zowie]

No, no, I had to work at it :-)

Seriously, the "quarter" quote is a reference to one of the most famous Dilbert strips of all -- in which the hairy, Birkenstock-wearing UNIX guru tells Dilbert to go buy himself a real computer.

Re:flame war?

[peacefinder]

Come on, mods. That there is a post worthy of +5 Flamebait. Make it happen for the man.

painlessly dip into the windows world

[planetfinder]

Uproariously funny concept.