It's a freeware world... almost

free·ware /ˈfriˌwɛər/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[free-wair] –noun computer software distributed without charge. (via dictionary.com)

Freeware is one of my favorite things ever. As a developer it is always a great thing to sit around and find that little tool, or in some cases huge tool, that is out and available for all to use. I often sit around and ponder what piece of digital candy I could create that would change the world. Haven't thought of it yet, but there is already a great selection out there.

Google is a prime example, they have several free applications that are great to use. Gmail, Google Docs and Spreadsheets, and Google Maps are prime examples of their online applications, but they also feature some downloadable standalone applications for Windows and Mac. Applications like Picasa for photo organization, Google Earth for mapping and just hours of procrastination, and also Google Sketchup for 3D modeling.

However, Google is not the only one putting out free stuff. Here is a brief list of free software that does really cool stuff!

VirtualDub - A great little video tool that does almost everything!
Opera and Firefox - browsers that rock! I like opera better, but, so many sites just started supporting Firefox leaving Opera unsupported in some cases.
FileZilla - The coolest little FTP client ever!
Winamp and iTunes - MP3 stuff! Winamp is good, but I really like iTunes, go figure.

There are many others, but, I shouldn't list them all here. Part of the fun of freeware is discovering that new free piece of software. Get out there and google! If you can't find it, don't forget Sourceforge!