Freeware Necessary For Life

As an incurable fossicker, I run across many useful and unique tools. I also run across hundreds of crap ones. The brightest, most interesting gems of my unhealthy internet wanderings are presented here for your edification and amusement.


TabbyCalc
A mashup of a text file and a calculator, tabbyCalc lets you select, paste, run-on calculations, and generally do whatever you want, including typing in your own little descriptions. It's the Grand Theft Auto of calculators.



For Windows. Download page here.



AutoHotKey
The most fully-functioned shortcut key software available. I use it for quickly opening applications (internet, email, Photoshop), folders (C drive, Pictures, client folders), bringing up desk accessories (search, notepads, calc, music player), and typing special characters (the é in resumé, an em—dash, entire sentences of boilerplate text). And I haven't even scratched the surface of AHK's functionality—there's an entire programming language built in, and an online world of custom scripts. Plus, all your shortcuts are in one place where it's easy to check and edit them.



For Windows. Download page here.



Locate32
A search program that is actually fast. Instead of the usual search, which sounds like it is taking a rotary sander to your hard drive, Locate32 caches your file details every time you tell it to. When you do a search it looks at the cache, not the entire hard drive. Quick, lightweight, nice.



For Windows. Download page here.



OffByOne browser
Text browsers are quick. When I've got a crappy weak WiFi connection, full graphical pages usually just give up loading halfway through. I switch over to OffByOne and get the important stuff—the text—without the pretty images and other elements.



For Windows. Download page here.


Project 64
A Nintendo 64 emulator for Windows. Compatible with all the ROMs I've used, full-screen option, plug-ins, decent frame rates.



For Windows. Download page here.