Since I started using a computer I have learned it is common practice to have illegal software. Many people, it seems, rarely buy software, but use "cracked" versions of expensive professional programs.
I do not like that and prefer to look for free or inexpensive alternatives. Below is a list of free programs I use (or have used) and am satisfied with.
The F.T.P. program I use to upload pages to my web sites. I have the impression they discontinued the free version and only offer a paid one now, but I still have the free one from 2000 and it works very well, and much faster than any more recent computer program.
This enables you to preview and, if desired, delete messages on your mail server without downloading them. Very useful when your in-box is blocked by heavy files or virus messages that block the mail server when you try to download them with your regular e-mail program.
Email Remover can be found here.
For GIF animation. It animates the GIF images you drag into it; The image files themselves you have to make in some other program.
An alternative to Microsoft Office. See http://www.openoffice.org/.
I'm currently using Writer and Calc, the word processor and spreadsheet of OpenOffice.org. What I like is that its files are several times lighter than Microsoft Office files; This is so because OpenOffice saves files principally as compressed XML. The functionality of Writer suffices for me, although it cannot do everything Word can. Features not available in Writer are e.g. an "art" function (like WordArt) and the option of printing two pages on one side of a sheet (but there are ways around that). Can also save documents as PDF.
A free graphical program of professional quality. A bit hard to learn but good.
A MIDI program.