The Explorer: Fred's Favorite Four-Letter Word: "Free"The Explorer: Fred's Favorite Four-Letter Word: "Free"

A search for "freeware" at WinMag.Com can also help you find hundreds of leads on good free software; and note that WinMag's Download Center also contains some custom freeware (as well as shareware) you won't find anywhere else.

Or you can jump straight to any of the many freeware libraries and download sites on the web. Below are 24 sites I've used and found reliable for at least one type of software in the past:

But you may have your own favorite freeware sites and favorite apps, too, so let's pool our knowledge: Please click on over to the discussion link and join in! What's your favorite freeware? Where did you get it? Are there freeware apps that didn't work for you, or that caused more trouble than they were worth?

Join in the discussion!

To discuss this column with other readers, please visit Fred Langa's forum on the Listening Post.

To find out more about Fred Langa, please visit his page on the Listening Post.