PEAZIP
This is a must-have tool for any Windows or Linux user. It compresses and opens just about any type of compressed file with relative ease. It can break a compressed file into separate various-sized files (think CD or DVD). It has shell commands so that you can right click on a file and do various things with a file dealing with compression. If all this sounds too technical, it's actually about the simplest program I've found, aside from Winzip, and it's completely free and very small.
CUTEFTP
If you're a web designer/developer like me, you'll definitely want a good FTP (file transfer protocol) program. I've used many. This windows-based program is not free, but super easy to use and extremely powerful. Schedule your file transfers to and from your website(s). Conduct secure transfers. Drag and drop files between local and remote directories. Preview thumbnails. Edit remote documents within CuteFTP. Create scripts and macros for hands-free work. Use live-syncing between mirrored directories. Schedule site backups. Resume transfers, utilize turbo transfer, and even ensure transfer integrity. Use the step-by-step wizards. Last, but not least, (and this is a BIG one), you can even log into multiple sites simultaneously!
CYBERDUCK
Yet another great FTP tool, but only for the Mac. It's also free :) This is a very simple, drag and drop FTP tool that does what it's supposed to do very well.
QUICKSILVER
This Mac-only application is extremely small, very fast, and provides a powerful way to get to any file or application on your Mac with a simple keystroke. It appears to index (un-noticably) each file and app as they are placed onto the drive. A short-cut key brings it up, type what you're looking for, and hit enter on this very accurate search tool. If it's first result isn't what you're looking for, it lists everything else it found, and you can simply scroll down and hit enter to execute it. It's much easier than Spotlight, which is already super powerful and simple. With the ability to use plug-ins, this tool does even more. And...it's free :)
ONENOTE
It's not often I applaud Microsoft for their applications. However, aside from Excel, OneNote has to be one of the best programs I've ever used. This application acts as a notebook. In fact, it's organized into Notebooks, Dividers, Pages, etc. Take a note on anything. Take a screen-clipping or draw a picture from within the program. Embed or link to audio, video, or other files. Print to a page in OneNote. Search not only text, but also video and audio (although I haven't tested the latter 2). You can even search text that is part of an image, as it appears that OneNote has a built-in OCR (optical character recognition) ability. For random notes or quick note-taking, notes are added to un-filed pages, which you can file later. Password protect notes. Perform calculations and implement tables or grids from within OneNote. Share notes or sync them with other Windows computers or people.
These are just a few of the major tools I wouldn't want to do without. I hope you benefit from these as much as I have.
