We’ve talked about free office applications, free web based applications, and to round up our tour of free software I’d like to broaden the scope a bit. The following are some recommendations from other sites I trust when looking for applications to get the job done. From technical support, utilities, productivity software to beyond– there is no shortage of variety here. You’re sure to find a program that you would have otherwise paid for to help constrain costs and get the job done right the first time. Best of all– it’s all free.

• MaximumPC 32 Essential Apps – Thirty two of the best applications out there are brought to you by my favorite computer magazine. Check out “DropBox” on the list. I know several professionals who rely on it today to sync files on the cheap across multiple computers.
• ZDNet Reader’s Choice – Twenty five of the best lightweight free applications. Check out “7-Zip” if you’re looking for across the board support of compressed file formats (including Linux tar).
• Open Source Web Design – Need a web layout, but don’t want to plunk down big bucks for the design? Check out OSWD for some basic lay outs that can be spruced up to meet your needs.
• Aviary – Online graphic and layout design software that can be accessed using a standard web browser. Pull off neat effects and some top end layout tricks without spending hours reading about how to pull it off in Photoshop. Aviary is truly revolutionary and will change the way you make graphics.

As you can see from the last few blogs, there is a ton of free quality software out there to be had on the Net. I welcome your feedback. If there is an application that I missed that you feel deserves kudos please drop me a comment.

I hope you enjoyed our round up of free software and that I’ve got the creative juices flowing. Maybe you’ve even found an application or two that will help you constrain costs; which increasing productivity. Tune in for future blogs where we continue to keep you up to date on the latest free top rate software.