My prefered soft

Always running:

Far - file manager
Thunderbird - mail client. [ + plug-ins]
Firefox - web browser. [+ plug-ins]
Calendar - calendar
YahooPops - pop3 access to yahoo mail
Miranda - instant messenger
KeePass Password Safe - password manager

Graphics

Blender - 3D modeling, animation, and composing
GIMP - 2D digital imaging
IrfanView - image viewer
VLC - video viewer

Sound and music

Audacity - audio editor

Anything else

FileZilla - ftp client
Interlex - helps to learn a foreign language vocabulary

Plug-ins and addons

WndTabs - MS Visual C++ add-in