10 Must-Have Apps and Software for Any New PC

Getting a new computer feels good, especially when you have been dreaming of getting one of your own.

However, you must have some application and software on it to enable you to enjoy the use of the PC freely.

In this article, I will give you my guide on 10 Must-Have Windows Apps and Software for any new PC.

Thing You Should Know?

  • The Apps and Software recommendations are based on my interest, so is best to know your needs and what you will use the PC for.
  • These apps and software can be used as a secondary option if you already have your primary apps and software.
  • These apps can be used on both MacOS and Windows.

Must-have Applications and Software for New PC

Here is a list of 10 Must-Have Apps and Software for Any New PC

1. Video and Music Player

When I was a student in college, I loved using my computer to watch movies and listen to music.

In doing so, I try to choose a powerful video and music player. A good player ensures smooth playback, supports a wide range of file formats, and offers features like high-quality sound and video resolution.

Since we have different types of Video formats such as; MP4 (MPEG-4), AVI (Audio Video Interleave), MKV (Matroska Video), MPEG (Moving Picture Experts Group), etc. It is best you choose the best Video player because some of the video players don’t support all.

I would personally recommend VLC player for users because it supports all of these formats.

Also, when it comes to a Music player, windows have its default music player like the Windows Media PlayerBut in a case where you are using a different operating system, you can also use the VLC player to play music.

Here is a list of some Video and Music players

Video Players Music Players
PotPlayer iTunes
KMPlayer Foobar2000
Media Player Classic – Home Cinema (MPC-HC) Winamp
GOM Player MusicBee
DivX Player AIMP
BS.Player Clementine
SMPlayer MediaMonkey
Plex Groove Music

2. Anti Virus Software

Prevention is better than cure, so after getting your music and video player, try and protect your PC from viruses, malware, and online threats before you start to lose your important information.

The most powerful antivirus software I would recommend for you is Avast Antivirus.

This is because it comes with a free version and paid visions. So in a case where you can afford the premium version, go for it.

Alternatively, you can choose SmadAV Antivirus software. It also gives many features to those who can’t subscribe to the premium version.

Here are some examples of Antivirus Software

  1. Norton Antivirus
  2. McAfee Antivirus
  3. Bitdefender Antivirus
  4. Kaspersky Antivirus
  5. AVG Antivirus
  6. Avira Antivirus
  7. Trend Micro Antivirus
  8. Sophos Antivirus
  9. ESET NOD32 Antivirus

3. Microsoft Office Suit (Microsoft 365)

I will recommend it to students, workers(both online and in the office), and teachers.

MS Office provides you with tools for writing, editing, and designing your projects, documents, and work.

MS Office tools include Word, PowerPoint, Excel, etc.

MS Word can be used for typing documents, in a case where a student has been given an assignment, the Word document can be used to type it and format it nicely.

Also, PowerPoint can be used as a presentation of work, projects, etc. MS Excel is mostly used in the field of business fields, workplaces, and schools.

Feel free to read our comprehensive article on How to Choose the Best Laptop.

4. Web Browsers

Web browsers allow you to access information from the internet from websites. So it is important to get these applications on your PC if you will use it to access the internet most time.

In most cases, I download Chrome manually and install it to my new PC that I will get, because it gives me safe browsing and saves data with fast load speed.

For Windows users, you don’t need to worry much because Windows comes with its web browser (that is) Bing. 

In the case of other operating systems such as MacOS, you need to download web browsers aside from the default ones.

Because of individual differences, it is best to choose the web browser which will encourage your user experience.

Some examples of web browsers include Bing, Google Chrome, Yahoo, Yandex, etc.

But I will recommend Chrome because it always puts the user experience first, to make the internet a better place.

5. Social Media Applications

In this 21st century, people love to communicate and interact with friends, families, and loved ones over their phones and PCs, which is a great life.

It is important to know that, you can use all the social media applications such as Telegram, WhatsApp, Snapchat, Twitter, etc. on your PC aside from your phone.

I mostly download and use WhatsApp on my PC because, after designing a flyer for my clients, it is easier for me to share it using my laptop than to share the file to my phone and then later to my client over WhatsApp.

For you to get any of these Apps on your PC, you can search for the app name in your Apple Store, Google Play Store or Microsoft Store then download it.

Also if you wish to use the web browser as a source to download the app, it is possible.

6. Cloud Storage

When we talk about cloud storage, we mean online virtual storage for saving/storing things online.

In a case where your Hard disk drive is of low space, you can send some of your important files to your Cloud Storage instead of deleting them.

Some of the Cloud Storage includes;

  1. Google Drive
  2. Dropbox
  3. Microsoft OneDrive
  4. iCloud (Apple)
  5. Amazon Drive
  6. Box
  7. pCloud
  8. Sync.com
  9. Mega
  10. Nextcloud.

You just need to download any of the cloud storage on your device then you send your important files there.

Most of them come with free storage, which if you want to extend the storage capacity, you need to buy an additional one by paying a fee,

For instance, Google Drive is acquired automatically immediately after you sign up for a Gmail account, and the initial storage is 15GB.

7. Video Editing Software

I will recommend it to people who love editing or work as a video editor.

Getting the best video editing software helps your PC to be in the best place for you.

For those of you into businesses or individuals, video editing software is important for building a strong brand presence online.

In a case where you love Social media much, you can create branded videos that reflect your identity and values, helping to attract and retain followers and customers.

I will recommend the Adobe Premier Pro version for those into video editing because it gives you advanced tools to make your work the best.

Some examples of Video editing software for PCs include;

  1. Final Cut Pro X (for macOS)
  2. DaVinci Resolve
  3. Sony Vegas Pro
  4. CyberLink PowerDirector
  5. HitFilm Express
  6. Pinnacle Studio
  7. Filmora (Wondershare Filmora)
  8. Avid Media Composer
  9. Lightworks.

8. Image Editing Software

Image/Picture editing software is similar to that of Video editing software.

I will encourage graphic designers to get the best image editing software out there so that, their work becomes uniquely good for their customers.

Having image editing software on my PC has saved me money that I would have otherwise spent on paying someone to design a birthday card, invitation, or similar items.

Since I already have the software, I can practice and watch YouTube tutorials to learn how to edit images.

By the time I need a design, I can create it myself. Even though it might not be 100% perfect, it’s good enough and saves me the hassle of hiring someone else.

I would recommend Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator because they are easy to use.

Please note that Adobe Photoshop is used for mostly Images while Adobe Illustrator is used mostly for Flyers, Cards, etc.

Some examples of Image editing software for PCs include;

  1. GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program)
  2. CorelDRAW Graphics Suite
  3. Affinity Photo
  4. Paint.NET
  5. Pixlr Editor
  6. Adobe Lightroom
  7. Capture One Pro
  8. Photopea
  9. Luminar

9. System Monitoring and Optimization Software

Getting application/software to monitor your system performance, and temperatures, and offer optimization features is important, because it helps your PC life span increase, prevents the PC from running slow, and many more.

These apps help the computer work with little or no supervision from you if you set the settings of these apps to your preference.

As a big fan of gaming, I rely on SpeedFan to monitor my PC. SpeedFan is a system monitor for Windows that tracks important stats like temperatures, voltages, and fan speeds of my computer’s components.

It helps me keep everything running smoothly and ensures that my system doesn’t overheat during intense gaming sessions.

It’s a simple tool, but it gives me peace of mind knowing that I can keep an eye on my hardware’s health.

Some examples of the System Monitoring and Optimization Software for PCs include;

  1. MSI Afterburner
  2. HWiNFO
  3. CAM by NZXT
  4. CPU-Z
  5. SpeedFan
  6. Speccy
  7. Open Hardware Monitor
  8. AIDA64 Extreme
  9. CPUID HWMonitor
  10. NZXT CAM

10. Software Installer

Software installer applications help me to open, extract, and install new applications/software on my PCs.

Even though my laptops (both Windows and MacOS) have an inbuilt system that allows me to install software.

As a user, you still need these additional softwares to make your PC complete and not lack anything.

For instance, in creating a Windows bootable on pen drive, you need an additional software installer like Power IOS, in a case where you want to extract files and then install, you need an app like Winrar to do it.

So it is important to get these apps as well.

Some examples of Software Installer for PCs include;

  1. InstallShield
  2. Nullsoft Scriptable Install System (NSIS)
  3. WiX Toolset (Windows Installer XML)
  4. Microsoft ClickOnce
  5. Inno Setup
  6. Advanced Installer
  7. InstallAware
  8. Setup Factory
  9. InstallBuilder
  10. BitRock InstallBuilder

Hope this article was helpful.

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