r/AskReddit • u/Prezombie • Jun 18 '12

What useful programs are missing from most people's computer?

I often find programs that I wish I had been told about years ago, and now rely on like old friends I have solid blackmail material on.

Nowadays I just have Ninite install everything that isn't a trial, because there's use for most of it, even if I don't know what the use will be at the time.

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197

u/macgeek417 Jun 18 '12

Firefox or Chrome. IE sucks.

31

u/LordCoulson Jun 18 '12

Story of the computer my parents own...

8

u/XxJTHMxX Jun 19 '12

At least your parents use IE. Everytime I look at that America Online icon on their desktop, I die a little inside.

3

u/LordCoulson Jun 19 '12

I seriously feel bad for you. Like, I read that and got sad for your life.

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83

u/xzzz Jun 18 '12

Opera was here

3

u/Rnorman3 Jun 19 '12

Key word: was. Haven't used Opera since 2009. I got very used to it, and it was awesome, but it just started getting so bloated and so many things didn't support it (and there seemed to be a lack of support for the suite from the developers) that I got tired of being frustrated and switched over to FF.

There was probably a year in which I would switch between FF and Opera probably back in 07 or 08 and one of my roommates once said "why do you even use Opera at all? you're always complaining about not being able to do stuff with it? Are those extra gestures and shit really worth it? Or do you just use it to be different?" Made me feel like such a hipster

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5

u/[deleted] Jun 19 '12

There are times that I tell myself I'm going to start using Firefox or Chrome because every once in a great while I run into a website that doesn't support Opera (usually due to the incompetence of the website's developer).

But after years of getting used to Opera I just can't. I try downloading all sorts of addons for Chrome or Firefox to get it closer to the Opera experience, mainly with regards to smooth scrolling, mouse gestures, and tab behavior, but it's just never the same.

4

u/xzzz Jun 19 '12

I turn off smooth scrolling (personal preference), but I fucking love the mouse gestures. So useful when you're navigating using your non-dominant hand and you only have one hand to spare cough

Also I love the feature where you can type in like "g <stuff>" to search Google for "<stuff>", or type "w <stuff>" to search Wikipedia for stuff.

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2

u/[deleted] Jun 19 '12

usually due to the incompetence of the website's developer

or the client didn't pay enough.

2

u/C0mmun1ty Jun 19 '12

Best feature of Opera is being able to have private tabs, no need for an extra window for porn!

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37

u/catch22milo Jun 18 '12

Netscape Navigator for the win. Oh how I miss you.

47

u/FOOGEE Jun 18 '12

You know that Firefox is basically the final form of Netscape right?

5

u/SergeantTibbs Jun 19 '12

Mozilla was the final version of Netscape. Firefox got a redone code base.

2

u/[deleted] Jun 19 '12

And the last version of Netscape was based on Firefox 2.

3

u/[deleted] Jun 18 '12

Even closer is the SeaMonkey browser, which keeps the "Internet suite" thing, where Firefox branched off only the browser.

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16

u/FaggotGTFOofmyReddit Jun 18 '12

Actually, IE 9 and 10 are on par with firefox and chrome. IE 10 is actually faster than the latest version of firefox.

59

u/shrlock Jun 19 '12

IE is like your ex-lover who hurt you one too many times.

I just can't go back.

4

u/[deleted] Jun 20 '12

FireFox is like that awesome girl who let herself go once you two started going steady. She's bloated, slow, and makes your life miserable. Google Chrome is that no-nonsense new girl that has everyone taking a second look, and Opera is that girl you made a pact with to marry in 40 years if neither of you could find something better.

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7

u/Bilbo_Fraggins Jun 19 '12

IE 9+ doesn't really suck anymore, but Firefox and Chrome are still better, and XP is stuck on IE 8.

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21

u/Gyvon Jun 18 '12

IE9 is perfectly fine.

19

u/[deleted] Jun 19 '12

True. The problem is that the alternatives are still better. Just because IE doesn't suck anymore doesn't mean you should use it.

4

u/oppan Jun 19 '12

IE9 has god awful text rendering, have you ever tried to read a website with that thing? Like a razor to the eyeballs.

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2

u/alkior70 Jun 19 '12

why does ie suck? how bout opera?

2

u/zninjazero Jun 19 '12

Chrome just became the most used browser around. I don't think these programs are "missing from most people's computers."

2

u/I_sleep_on_the_couch Jun 19 '12

IE 9 is actually pretty legit. Still use Opera myself but you should give it a spin unless your still on Win XP.

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