One of the things to do when getting a new computer is to install software you want or need but be careful not to go overboard and fill it up with crapware just because they are free and "sounded good at the time" :) These are the free software I am loading on my HP G71-340us (on-going review), and every computer I use...
Browsers
If you are a heavy multi-tasker, or visit different types of websites, it is a good idea to have at least three different browsers on your computer. I highly recommend Firefox (3.7 apppears to be handling heavy multi-tasking better than 3.6), Chrome and Opera. Each has its pluses and minuses, so use them accordingly.
For example, you could use one browser for serious stuff (paying bills, online shopping, work-related things), and another browser for browsing for fun and entertainment.
If you have more than 10 browser tabs or windows open, it is a good idea to use Flashblock. While some Flash developers are efficient, there are a lot more out of control Flash apps, and you don't want that crap to be stealing your CPU cycles and bandwidth, and leaking browser memory.
My opinion is to avoid Internet Exploder (comes pre-installed) like the plague. I only use IE when a website works only on IE. Also, if you have a website or blog, it is a good idea to load it in IE to check how it looks, especially if you make changes to the template or user-interface. Other than that, I see no reason to use IE.
Other free software I like
You can't beat Open Office for the typical productivity applications, no matter what. It is free and awesome, and relatively lightweight when you compare it to the Microsoft Bloatoffice :)
Next up, FoxIt Software's PDF reader. Again, this loads blazingly fast compared to Adobe's Reader. Free too :)
If you don't have a favorite multimedia player application, something like the VLC media player can be handy. It is small and plays lots of media formats.
If you need to do really quick and real fast photo-editing, like cropping and resizing, you can't beat IrfanView. Super-fast, relatively simply, and gets the job done!
You can get all these for free at the software makers websites or from a reliable download service like CNet's download.com.
PS: This is not intended to be a comprehensive list, just my favorite free software that I load on every computer I use.
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