If you’re going to run Windows, you’ll have to pirate pay for that, but at least do everything else you need with freeware tools. The NeoWin forums has this very handy list of freeware tools for just about everything, recommended by its members, and I’m mostly posting it here so I don’t lose it.
Comments
Can’t believe they missed Zinf (http://www.zinf.org).
Best mp3 player on earth, it is!
Arg, missing pdfcreator… loads of other essential peices of the free software puzzle.
Myself better list I must make !