The Windows Starter Kit is a collection of some of the best and most essential freeware to get your new PC going. From browsers to productivity to utilities, we cover all the bases. If you're looking for the best in security freeware, check out our Security Starter Kit for all your antivirus needs. Essential utilities have earned their own kit, too: the Windows Utilities Starter Kit.
Social networking
Desktop social networking tools can be incredibly useful, making it possible to follow multiple Web services at once.
TweetDeck
The dark gray TweetDeck beta is one of the more attractive cross-platform, multi-account-supporting, Adobe AIR-based Twitter desktop apps out there. It also lets you follow friends' Facebook and MySpace status updates. It shares some similarities with Seesmic Desktop (also recommended) in its default tri-column view, which you can also shrink down to a single column. The requisite filtering buttons and other management tools help keep your in-box tidy.
Like other Twitter apps, TweetDeck beta shortens links and manages pictures. You can block and unfollow contacts, and report them as spam. It includes a translation tool and syncing, so you can keep your feed preferences and feed content identical on multiple computers and even on the iPhone. It offers a lot of visual customization options, and the capability to add new columns, to keep up on search terms, for example. Its feature set is encouraging, and more robust than other, better established Twitter apps.
Seesmic Desktop (AIR)
- CNET editors' rating: 4.5 stars
Seesmic Desktop is another excellent choice for Twitter and Facebook fanatics. The cross-platform Adobe AIR app collects status messages from all your accounts in one feed. As with TweetDeck, you can narrow your feeds to one column. The app's search box and a text field from which you post your updates give it the feel of a truncated browser.
Seesmic Desktop competently handles the Twitter basics such as retweets, posting images, and shortening links. Full Facebook support is incorporated as well. You can also keep a user list, save a favorite message, and unfollow or block contacts. Seesmic Desktop doesn't integrate with most other social networking accounts, nor does it offer any visual customizations. Seesmic also offers mobile support for the iPhone and Android handsets, although the Android app is limited to only Twitter support for now.
