Hamachi 10
This app is one of those incredibly useful apps that makes us wonder how it can possibly be free. Hamachi aims to connect you, anywhere in the world, to the computers of friends, family, or perhaps your office PC, as though you were on the same local network. Other tools do this, but Hamachi's strength is the way it can set up these VPNs with a minimum of fiddling around with complicated settings. The exciting thing is that gamers have taken to Hamachi as a way to play each other on private networks with less lag.
Tor 6
If you find the idea of someone being able to follow your online activities annoying, this downloadable app may provide some peace of mind. Rather than encrypting your data, Tor works by sending it through a network of relays. The system relies on community involvement - users can volunteer to run relays that become part of the Tor network. Use Tor to stop Web sites knowing what country you are in.
DropBox 7
Still carrying around a USB key with copies of your important work files and personal photos? Or maybe you're still battling with email to send photos or work to colleagues or family? Internet syncing tools like Dropbox aim to solve all that by letting you keep a central repository of your file - anytime something changes, it's synced to the Web. It also means your files can be accessed anywhere via the Web. We'd recommend also having a local backup plan, such as an external drive, but this adds a handy way to share big files, or backup the data you're currently working on, though free users only get 2GB of space. Also available for Mac, Linux and iPhone.
VirtuaWin 8
If you like the idea of a second monitor, but don't have the space or cash to afford another, then another option is to install a virtual desktop manager. There are a few free managers, and VirtuaWin is perhaps the best known. Once installed, press a hotkey to switch to one of several hidden desktops - it's a handy way to separate your work from your personal email and Web, or to keep different work projects in different screens.
Synergy 12
This app performs quite an impressive trick - set it up on several Windows or Mac machines sitting side by side, and you can jump between the two monitors and machines by sliding your mouse to the edge of each screen. This means you can use the one keyboard and mouse, and switch effortlessly between a desktop PC and a laptop, or a Mac and a PC. Synergy even lets you cut and paste from one computer to another. Also available for Mac and Linux.
Got a favourite PC app? Add your suggestions in the comment box below.
Also see:
5 Free PC Apps You Can't Do Without (Part 2)
5 More Free PC Apps You Can't Do Without (Part 1)
5 More Free Linux Apps You Can't Do Without (Part 2)
5 Free Linux Apps You Can't Do Without (Part 1)