Essential file viewing software for setting up a new PC

[JDArt]

This is partly a camera related question and partly just a PC related question.

If you're setting up a new computer for someone, or if you are suggesting essential software for someone who is setting up a PC for themselves, which applications do you consider essential so that the user can view all possible file formats that he or she will receive? Acrobat? What else?

What if a person will need to open Microsoft Office documents but doesn't have the Office package?

Any other tools you consider essential for ensuring that someone down the road doesn't run into problems viewing a file that is sent to him or her?

[bavanor]

Irfan view is a great free program that lets you view any image type file. Even some RAW files.
check it out here: http://www.irfanview.com/

As for word docs, doesn't word pad or notepad let you veiw Word Docs? I think it does, and that just comes with Windows operating system.

Acrobat Reader, another free program (though I do love the full version, it just opens up so many horizons).

Email program, thunderbird works very well and it is free too.

that's all I can think of at the moment.

[BigB]

Originally Posted by JDArt

What if a person will need to open Microsoft Office documents but doesn't have the Office package?

You can download the viewer software from Microsoft for free.

[germando]

Take a look at StarOffice 8 developed by Sun Microsystems and only cost $69.95. It's a office suite with compatibility with all MS Office file formats.
http://www.sun.com/software/star/staroffice/index.jsp

Another option is OpenOffice which is free but not as robust as StarOffice also from Sun Micro.
http://www.openoffice.org/

[Blinky]

Pretty much what everybody else said except I would try out Picacasa for the image viewer, it reads .nef RAW, I don't know about Canon RAW... that's assuming a new setup and user.

Acrobat reader is a must. I'd use Firefox and Thunderbird from the start too.

Open Office work pretty well, been a long time since I used Staroffice... didn't like the interface much.

Trillian for an IM client and Coffee Cup Free version for a text editor.

AVG for anti-virus and a cocktail of anti-spyware from MS, Spybot and Ad-Aware.

Chip

[richpc]

Yep Irfanview has my vote,
Also using it with the /thumbs option as another desktop icon can make sorting
files a bit easier.
Another neat freeware program for renaming files can be gotten from
http://www.1-4a.com/
Called 1-4a Rename, its a neat program for renaming and renumbering large amounts
of files. It has the ability to show the renamed files before you commit to the change
just in case you change your mind. The author requests email for input about the
program, it is freeware.

Rich

[metalstorm]

Paintshop Pro is a decent low cost alternative to Photoshop.

[nadtz]

Infranview or faststone viewer for quick imaging (faststone suports my 350D's raw without any plugins which is nice), openoffice or staroffice if you dont need the things office does that they dont. Gimp for editing if you dont want to pay for any of the other options (though to be honest, photoshop still has it head over heels for everything else available for x86 PC's) Firefox for browing, filezilla for FTP, trillian for IM... Im sure I could go on =)

[etaf]

in addition to the above - another cheapish imaging program is Photoshop Elements
microsoft Works is often supplied with PC's and that works quite well for spreadsheet etc.

also I always make sure they have
1) Firewall - zonealarm has a free version - sygate used to but its gone now to symantec
2) Virus scanner - AVG and AVAST are free
3) Spyware - Spybot, Ad-aware and spywareblaster

these are the things i put on any PC connected to internet..