this is a list of some free apps I use daily.

1.  Firefox

I like using Firefox instead of  IE because of the cool plug ins and better security of the browser.  One such plug in or add on is news fox.  I use it for gathering RSS feeds from sites . It's a great away to keep up with video and audio some sites update daily or weekly.

2. ABIWord

Sure you can get open office , but I spend more time writing  than anything else.  An office suite would offer stuff I don't use and hey it beats buying Microsoft's over priced word .

3. Audacity

I like using Audacit;y it's so easy to use, it's free and with the lame encoder you can save files to just about any format.

4. Inkscape

Inscape is great for making graphics  this free app will only save out svg and bitmap , but it's vector art so it can be scaled .

5. Gimp/Gimpshop

Great free alternative to photo shop, I like the way these apps work with inkscape. Gimpshop is like using photo shop. All though I haven't used gimp I assume it works great.

6. itunes

Great way to buy music , videos and audio books. I personally like to use it as a music and podcast library (Editors Note: Also see SongBird and Jon's take on Itunes ).

7. quicktime

Great app for playing audio and video.  I like using this app add the pro feature and you got a mini editor .

8.VLC

I use VLC to play video and audio that Quick-time wont play on mac. On windows I use it instead of wmp.

9. . creative labs play center

This app usually comes bundled with a CL sound  card , but it has a cool dual side feature. I use  it to transfer audio to and from my mp3 player and SD cards . You can also rename tracks and import CDs , as well as change various settings and skins .

10  camstudio

This is not a bad app for capturing your Windows  desktop  for use in podcasting . I enjoy using this app cause it allows you to focus on specific areas of the desktop as well as the whole desktop and allows playback of your captured video .