There is an wonderful variety of high-quality freeware available on the Internet for scientists and engineers. This is the set that we use on all our computers. We’ve tested each program for utility, reliability and safety.
- HP41 C calculator. On-screen calculators don’t usually provide the satisfaction of a real one. This simulation is such a good copy of the HP41C that its fun to use. Get in touch with your reverse Polish roots! DOWNLOAD
- Context. A powerful editor for programmers or anyone who deals with text files. It features versatile context highlighting for different file types. You can even define your own document style. LINK
- FreeCommander. Dual-panel file manager with extensive capabilities, perfect for organizing data files. LINK
- MikTex. In your heart, you know you should be using Latex for your publications. MikTex is a complete installation for Windows. LINK
- TeXnic Center. This package provides an integrated environment and editor for working with Latex. Highly recommended. LINK
- Ghostscript/GSView. You’ll need to work with postscript if you work with Latex. Be sure to download these programs and install them before TeXnic Center. With GhostScript you can generate high-quality postscript and PDF documents. The resulting files are more compact and have better quality than those produced by Adobe Distiller. LINK
- Samp2p. You’ll need to generate EPS (encapsulated postscript) graphics files if you use Latex. This miracle command-line utility converts large BMP images to compact EPS files that look great in documents. LINK
- Scilab. This self-contained package for numerical calculations provides a powerful open-computing environment for engineering and scientific work. LINK
- LT Spice. A free Spice distribution with graphical circuit input. LINK
- SolidView/Lite. We use STL files extensively as input to Geometer and MetaMesh. It’s useful to check the properties of the represented objects before loading them. This viewer handles STL as well as a variety of other 3D formats. LINK
- QCAD. An easy-to-learn and versatile 2D CAD program. It produces DXF files compatible with our Mesh program. LINK
- Active Perl. Perl is a good choice if you want to write scripts for short calculations, Internet sites and software control. LINK
- CamStudio. Capture operations on your screen with this easy-to-use software. You can use it to create walkthrough demos in AVI or Flashplayer format. The package is based on open source code. Be aware that less scrupulous developers have used the code to distribute identical software packages at a significant price. LINK
- FastStone Viewer. The best way to view and to organize graphics files — an essential utility. LINK
- Foxit Reader. A nice alternative to Adobe Reader for PDF files. It loads quickly and doesn’t continually bother you about updates. LINK
- IcoFX Icon Generator. Good package for making Windows icons, of interest to software developers. LINK
- Chronograph Lite. A simple but effective utility to make sure your computer is set to the exact time. I recently tried a DOS freeware program that set my system clock to 1985. It took just a second to fix things with Chronograph. LINK
- KeyNote. An invaluable program for building outlines and organizing information with the option to encrypt sensitive information. LINK
- AVG Anti-Virus. I have doubts whether scanner-type virus checkers are still necessary. It’s easier to use safe practices (e.g., keep Windows up to date, don’t click on strange links,…). In ten years of running checkers on ten different computers, I’ve never found anything. There is also the concern that running your hard disk flat-out for two hours every day would be more dangerous to your data than a virus. At any rate, if you’re going to virus-check, why not do it for free? I’ve never had problems with AVG. The program also checks Internet sites and automatically scans downloads. LINK
- VirtuaWin. I worked with Linux for several years and got hooked on multiple desktops. This program implements the feature in Windows. It’s a good way to keep your sanity when you are building a project and have 15 programs open. LINK
- 7-Zip. Archiving and dearchiving utility handles Unix as well as Windows formats. LINK
- FileZilla. The gold standard for FTP. LINK
- Firefox. Still the best browser. (Tip: go to Tools/Options/Privacy and click Clear history when Firefox closes to thwart the organizations laying down cookies to track your buying habits.) LINK
- OpenOffice. It’s a testament to the power of merchandising and habit that anyone would buy Microsoft Office when they can get OpenOffice for free! LINK
- Cute PDF. When you install this driver, any program that can print can make a PDF file. LINK
- Win Patrol. There’s nothing more annoying that installing software that slips in a useless startup task. Should you continually waste memory and CPU capacity so that the program can tell you there’s an update in seven months? Win Patrol alerts you when anybody tries to sneak a task on your computer. LINK