Trillian

Anyone who's into instant messaging--and that would cover a large portion of the industrialized world--knows that having a bunch of chat clients running simultaneously can take a toll on system performance. The beauty of Trillian is it lets you talk to your Yahoo, AIM, MSN, and ICQ buddies in one interface. If you already have a username and a buddy list on one of those services, the program can quickly import that data. If you've never had an IM account, Trillian can help you set one up with very little hassle. Stop fooling with multiple windows, usernames, and passwords; Trillian embodies the spirit of one-stop shopping.

Most Popular in 2005

Ad-Aware SE Personal Edition
Scan your system for ad-supported software components and remove them.

Spyware Doctor
Remove Spyware, Adware, Trojan horses & Keyloggers with this popular and fast utility.

ICQ 5.04
Communicate instantly using the latest version of this popular chat client.

LimeWire
Search for and download files on the Gnutella network with this adware- and spyware-free P2P program.

iMesh
Find, download, and share MP3, video, and image files.

Morpheus
Search multiple P2P networks including BitTorrent to download MP3s, videos, games, and more.

Spybot - Search & Destroy
Search your hard disk and Registry for threats to your security and privacy.

WinZip
Handle ZIP files with ease with this popular utility.

All-in-One Secretmaker
Avoid spyware, intruders, spam, banner ads, and pop-ups while protecting your privacy.

Registry Mechanic
Scan and clean up your registry to improve your system's performance.

BitComet
Share and download files from BitTorrent and chat with your friends.

WinRAR
Manage RAR and ZIP archives.

DivX Play Bundle with DivX Player
Create and watch videos in the DivX video format.

RealPlayer
Get the latest free version of this media player and jukebox from RealNetworks.

Alcohol 120%
Create virtual CD/DVD-ROMs and burn backup copies of your favorite discs.

IrfanView
Try a fast and flexible image viewer and editor.

Webshots Desktop
Put a new photo on your desktop every day of the year with this customizable screensaver and wallpaper tool.

Download Accelerator Plus
Improve download speeds, resume broken downloads, and find mirror sites.

Trillian
Chat with all your friends on mIRC, AIM, ICQ, MSN, and Yahoo Messenger.

Adobe Acrobat Reader
Read Adobe PDF files on your desktop or on the Web.

When it comes to utilities, here are 10 of our frugal favorites.

SmartFTP

SmartFTP is one of our favorite FTP clients, thanks to its customizable interface and intuitive drag-and-drop transfers. Best of all, it comes loaded with enough functionality to satisfy the novice and the expert alike.

Spybot - Search & Destroy

If any piece of freeware deserves the name of a would-be James Bond flick, this is it. In addition to removing invasive programs, the added Secure Shredder function absolutely annihilates troublesome files.
HijackThis

This lightweight program offers a simple, powerful remedy for the pesky spyware and adware that manages to get past other tools. Novice users should be mindful about what they're tossing out, but this is ideal for the infection you just can't seem to shake.

Easy Uninstaller

Of course it's a gas to try out all kinds of software applications, but sooner or later, some will wear out their welcome. For a simple, one-step housecleaner, we like Easy Uninstaller, which allows the removal of multiple programs in a few easy clicks.

Microsoft Windows AntiSpyware

A great all-around spyware killer, Microsoft's free tool is quick, straightforward, and populated by those adorable little characters. Absent-minded users will like the ability to schedule regular scans, as well as the frequent updates.

BCArchive

This no-frills program makes is easy to encrypt sensitive files in a short amount of time. BCArchive is tiny and quick, and with an option for self-decrypting files, secure transfers don't depend on all parties installing the software.

ZipGenius

With its cuddly interface and ability to work with nearly any file format you throw at it, ZipGenius is one of the best compression applications anywhere. Whether you're sending off an archive of files to a friend via e-mail or unzipping downloads (something we do often, believe it or not), this program is easy to use, easy on your hard drive, and easy on the wallet.

HijackThis

This lightweight program offers a simple, powerful remedy for the pesky spyware and adware that manages to get past other tools. Novice users should be mindful about what they're tossing out, but this is ideal for the infection you just can't seem to shake.

FreeRAM XP Pro

If you want to boost PC performance without taking a hit in the pocket, this little nugget does the trick. With the snazzy tray icon, you can even keep an eye on your system's performance when things start to slow down.

SpeedFan

Granted, SpeedFan might be a little geeky for Grandma, but if your machine tends to occasionally impersonate a jet engine, this handy diagnostic gizmo will be very useful. Compact and simple, this program clinches the deal with fan and temperature monitoring.

AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition

This competent virus scanner has everything covered, from the creation of a backup rescue disk to daily updates for virus definitions. The application's curiously, ahem, busy interface isn't going to win any beauty contests, but for functionality and price, it's among the best.