Links

Softwares

Here is a list of Windows softwares I use, or web sites for softwares, freeware unless stated.
[ Science utilities |Audio-Video | Games | Graphics | LaTeX | Portable files | Text and notes | Internet | Viewers | Tools ]

Scientific utilities

• Falstad: math and science applets

Audio / Video

• Winamp: long-standing media player for music and video, unfortunately no more maintained.
• Clementine player: very good freeware replacement for Winamp.
• MPC-HC: Media Player Classic Home Cinema, a light-weight efficient open source media player for Windows.
• VirtualDubMod (for very long, no more maintained): Video editing, with scripting based on AVS and the AviSynth script Editor.
• FreeRIP: convert CD audio files to MP3, WMA, WAV, Ogg Vorbis.
• MP4CamToAVI: converts video, especially one of the only freewares for converting QuickTime MOV files.
• Audacity: recording and editing audio data.
• Vorbis and OGG open source audio codec.
• RAD Bink Video tools: swiss-army knife to convert and compress videos.
• VSDC Free video editor: powerful freeware video editor.
• Music Screen: royalty free music.

Games

• Spoonbill software: remakes by Ian Humphreys, including popular Lode Runner
• XTC-Abandonware: a wealth of free old games, now freed by their original Editor.
• free-game-downloads.mosw.com: yet another large site for abandonwares.
• free-kids-games: free Kids games.
• FreeOldies: abandonwares (French).

Graphics

• Viewers / Converters
  • XNView: convert and process bitmap graphics, create HTML preview pages, scripting, indexing (proprietary) and albums, slide show.
  • IrfanView: image viewer.
  • Diffractor: picture viewers, indexing (IPTC) and albums, time line, slide show.
  • pstoedit: converts PS and PDF into other vector formats.
  • GraphicsMagick: graphical interface for converting from/into an extensive list of bitmap graphics formats.
• Rendering
  • POV-Ray (Persistence of Vision RayTracer): a 3D renderer based a C-like scripting language that lets the user define volumes and shapes associated with colors, textures etc. The scripting is straightforward and the rendered has virtually unlimited possibilities.
• Editing
  • TheGimp: powerful bitmap editing software, freeware counterpart for Photoshop and Corel Photopaint. See also French version. Some useful addons:
    • UFRAW: loads and manipulate raw files from digital cameras.
    • G'MIC Plug-in: GREYC's Magic Image Converter. Large variety of filters.
    • Wavelet denoise: for digital pictures. Performs much better than many other denoise.
    • Clean CCD Noise: denoise based on G'MIC routines.
    • Dechroma: automatic denoise selectively on the various channels of an image.
    • Wavelet sharpen: same as above, for sharpening.
    • Refocus it: yet another sharpener.
    • Fix-CA: manual correction for chromatic abberation.
    • Eg-borders: add a border to an image.
  • Hugin: Panorama photo stitcher
  • Inkscape: powerful vector graphics editor, freeware counterpart for Coreldraw. See also:
    • The Inkscape Wiki.
    • The Inkscape forum
    • Textext for inserting re-editable LaTeX code to be converted to graphic objects.
• Scanning Probe Microscopy image analysis
  • WSxM: image analysis for scanning probe microcopy, from Nanotec Company.
  • Gwyddion: image analysis for scanning probe microscopy, from Sourceforge.
• Scientific
  • ImageJ: Java software for image processing and analysis
  • Igor: (NOT freeware) powerful 1D and 2D plotting and analysis software with full scripting language.
    • FORCinal: freeware package to process First-Order Reversal Curves.
  • QtiPlot: OpenSource plotting software, very similar to Origin. Compiled binaries are available for a moderate price from QtiPlot for individuals. Compiled binaries can also be found as freeware, eg from ALBA synchrotron.
  • GraphCalc: scientific calculator and basic graphing for Windows. No more maintained, however powerful.
  • Qalculate: desktop calculator, including physical units.

LaTeX

• MiKTeX: popular distribution for windows of LaTeX typesetting system.
• JabRef: manages BibTeX files. Customized fields can be added, so that it can be used as a powerful database with advanced search capabilities to manage your set of bibliography. Direct links to PDF, PS or other files on your disk.
• xPDF: converts PDF into PS, single or batch. Useful when you use only PDFLateX including figures in PDF format, however need to batch convert the figures to PS for submission to a preprint archive or journal.
• WinEdt: powerful ASCII editor and command line management for many purposes (HTML, Latex, programming etc.) with a fully customizable interface. Shareware.
• TeXnic Center: editor and command line management for LaTeX processing.

PDF

• PDF Creator: Free PDF creation in Windows (acts like a printer).
• PrimoPDF: Free PDF creation.
• xPDF: converts PDF into PS, single or batch. Useful e.g. when you use only PDFLateX including figures in PDF format, however need to batch convert the figures to PS for submission to a preprint archive or journal.
• Adobe PS driver: creates PS files via a printer interface.
• Adobe Acrobat Reader: free reader for PDF files.

Text and notes

• LibreOffice: freeware Suite with same functionalities as Microsoft Office. Some useful etensions:
  • TexMaths: provides Latex support in LibreOffice, embedded either as png or svg based on dvipng or dvisvgm.
  • MultiSave: saves a document in other formats (pdf and/or doc) at the same time it is saved in OpenDocument format. Useful when working with collaborators not reading OpenDocuments.
  • ExportFreemind: self-speaking. The export is based on the level of titles.
  • Writer2Latex: self-speaking as well.
• OpenOffice: freeware Suite with same functionalities as Microsoft Office. Now controlled by Oracle.
• Dictionaries to download and work offline
  • French: Le Littré
  • English: WordWeb
• Mind mapping: a graphical and hierarchical way of managing notes, with several open source and freeware solutions:
  • FreeMind
  • FreePlane, a project forked from FreeMind
  • Xmind
• NotePad2: enhanced version of the base Windows Notepad. Can be used as a stand-alone software, or can replace NotePad in Windows' settings. As installation 'by hand' may be painful to circumvent all protections of Windows against replacement of Notepad, see Kai Liu page for a Windows installer.
• PSPad: MDI (multiple Document Interface) enhanced text Editor for Windows.
• WinEdt: powerful ASCII editor and command line management for many purposes (HTML, Latex, programming etc.) with a fully customizable interface. Shareware.
• TeXnic Center: editor and command line management for LaTeX processing.

Internet

• Firefox: Web browser.
  • Download helper: tools for easy download of videos and images from a web page.
• Thunderbird:
  • Thunderbird: Mailing software.
  • Addressbooks Synchronizer: download at startup and upload at closing Thunderbird selected personal address books (*.mab). Works with ftp, Imaps folders etc.
  • gContactSync: synchronizes Addressbooks with those of a Google account.
  • Display Quota: display the quota of Email allowed on the server.
  • Master Password+: enhanced Master Password version, which allows for instance to lock access to thunderbird accounts even before start-up
• HTML codes tables
  • ascii.cl: basic table, easy to read
  • W3Schools: extensive dataset
• FileZilla: Open source freeware FTP client and SFTP client.
• WinSCP: Open source freeware SFTP client, FTP client and SCP client for Windows.
• Winmail Opener: utility to convert these nasty winmal.dat encoded attached files. Easy-to-use, menu/open or drag-and-drop.
• HTTrack: download a whole web site as a local mirror for offline browsing.

Viewers / Browsers

• Ghostscript, Ghostview and GSView: view Postscript files.
• Adobe Acrobat Reader: free reader for PDF files.

Tools (security)

• ATF-Cleaner: automatically deletes contents of temp files in Windows.
• HiJackThis: lists processes launched at Windows startup.
• MalWareBytes: Antimalware.
• Starter: processes launched during windows starting.

Tools (various)

• SyncBack: powerful backup software. Come in both freeware and licensed version.
• ISavDisk: simple yet useful backup software (French).
• Chilldex / Froidex: Wind Chill Calculator.
• 7-Zip: open source high-ratio compression for Windows (read/write *.7z files).
• Windows SysInternal: various Windows utilities for advanced administration, such as ProcessExplorer (example: tracks and unlocks files under the handle of processes).

Arts & History

Photography DP Review - Digital Photography Review. Steve Digicams - Digital Camera Review. ReviewLab guide: Various links for digital photography ConsumersBase: digital photography review. The Lough Road - Photography by Rodney Lough Jr. Yann Arthus Bertrand and other links. Frank Horvat - Photography is the art of not pushing the button. Jacques Vapillon - See photographer. Jérémie Villet - Snow photographer. Cartoons The Hergé Foundation Website (comic strips: Tintin, etc.). Museums The École de Nancy, a very active center of Art Nouveau at the beginning of the century, was being celebrated in year 1999. The Tate Gallery in London hosts the national collection of British art from the sixteenth century to the present day, including the fascinating Turner Bequest, and the national collection of international modern art. The Musée Dauphinois in Grenoble, exhibiting collections of regional life style and arts. The Museum of Fine Arts, in Boston. Swissart Network, art in Switzerland. The Vasa Museum in Stockholm, dedicated to (and built around) a wooden royal warship from the 17th century, salvaged from the bottom of Stockholm's harbour in 1961. Bridgestone Museum of Art, Tokyo: incredible and quiet concentration of impressionist art. Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam Grenoble Former mines for cement on hills Bastille, Jalla and Rachais, right besides Grenoble (in French): heritage-souterrain, eexplore Nature Flore des Alpes: a comprehensive criteria-searchable list of flowers (in French)

Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam. Hurrah! for the Whaler Erebus! Another Fish! Painted by Turner, first exhibited 1846.