1.compress/decompress
7-zip http://7-zip.org freeware
winmount http://www.winmount.com freeware for chinese it can mount compressed files such as zip,rar as a disk so that you don't need time and diskspace to uncompress first, but some time it can't correctly mount dvd image

2.pdf reader
adobe reader 8 http://www.adobe.com

3. antivirus
AVG free edition http://free.grisoft.com/ freeware

4.dictionary chinese-english-japanese
4.1 dr.eye http://www.dreye.com.cn
mdict http://www.mdict.cn freeware for windows computer/ppc,can add dict such as stardict
4.2 powerword http://www.kingsoft.com its the most popular amount chinese, but i don't like it very much. i install it as a candidate

5. email client
foxmail http://www.foxmail.com
trying to replace it by thunderbird later

6.Java runtime
sunjava runtime http://www.java.com

7. multimedia
k-lite codepack http://www.k-litecodecpack.com/
in generall it can play all media but very rarely it can't or can play without audio.
so i also installed realplayer and quicktime

8. office ware
8.1 microsoft office 2007 http://www.microsoft.com
8.2 openoffice 2.3.1 http://openoffice.org
8.3 wps office 2007 http://www.kingsoft.com its a nice software and it says 100% compatible to microsoft office, but while i save a file, it saves in .wps format which other computer can't open by default. i kicked it out of my computer after 2 days.

9. internet browser
9.1 firefox http://www.getfirefox.com it's the most important for me. the advantage compare to ie7 is it has a shortcut: ctrl-t that very important to me.
9.2 internet explorer 7 builtin with vista i use it while firefox can't display website correctly or for test purpose. its fast but memory consume and couldn't open for more thant 50 pages or it stop response
9.3 Opera http://www.opera.com don't use it in general. but it is the only browser while i use cell phone as a modem connect to internet. none of other browser can work in cmwap china mobile GPRS.
9.4 safari http://www.apple.com good looking browser,and fast.

10. chatware
QQ http:/www.qq.com the only chat ware that almost every chinese use

11. download tool
11.1 xunlei http://www.xunlei.com it download anything fast
11.2 emule http://www.verycd.com the second useful download tool
11.3 bitcomet http://www.bitcomet.com don't use very often, the last time i use it is download the fedora 8 from http://fedoraproject.org
11.4 flashget http://www.flashget.com it was the most popular but not now. only use when necessary

12. ftp tool
filezilla http://filezilla-project.org/ freeware

13. cd/dvd tool
13.1 roxio http://www.roxio.com it comes together when i bought the computer
13.2 daemon tools http://www.daemon-tools.cc/ rarely use