If you could only have 3 programs installed on your computer, which would you choose and why?

[brunothepig]

Firefox (I use both Firefox and Chrome, I'd pick Firefox if I had to stick to one thanks to the additional customisability and groups function), Steam for obvious reasons, and... I don't know. An anti-virus is helpful, but I tend to be careful enough that I don't get viruses anyway. While Windows Media Player isn't essential, thanks to having a fast connection and access to Youtube, that's hardly a great alternative. But then, I hate watching movies on it, far prefer VLC... I'd probably go with VLC, it can be used to play songs too if need be, having to add things through file browsing instead of having access to a WMP library is a pain, but preferable to watching shows through Media Player...
So, in summary, Firefox, Steam and VLC. Does dual booting with Linux count at all? Because I'd be able to use that for all my programming needs, keep Windows as an entertainment thing. Would probably make me quite a bit more productive. Otherwise I'd need to replace VLC with notepad or something.

 

[IamQ]

Spotify, Google Chrome and Autodesk Maya.

 

[launchpadmcqwak]

firefox...guitar pro...itunes

 

[Tjebbe]

editor, compiler, browser

 

[Ticonderoga117]

Firefox, VLC, Microsoft Office

 

[ThePenguinKnight]

Have a feeling were going to get a lot of the same answers, but here we go anyway!

Chrome - For music, flash games, messengers, and general browsing.
Steam - For more games.
????? - It's a secret, oooooh!

 

[BreakfastMan]

Firefox, Microsoft Word, and Visual Studio. Think that about covers the basics of what I need... It would be filled with viruses and spyware in no time, but it can't be helped. XD

 

[Maldark]

Steam, Firefox and Media Player Classic Home Cinema.

 

[CrystalShadow]

Uh... That's not really plausible. XD - Windows (or linux, or whatever else you use) typically contains anything upwards of about 50-60 programs as standard. (At least). Sure, some of those are optional, but many are critical parts of the OS without which your computer would be kind of crippled.

Having said that, taking the question seriously, I'd go insane with only 3 programs on my computer.

I guess I'd have to echo everyone else and say Opera (web browser), and that good old cheat, steam.
The third is trickier, because there's a huge list of things I don't do very often but still find useful.

Also, there's the implications of having literally nothing on your computer. - keep in mind this would include such seemingly trivial things such as notepad, and so on. (so... No reading text files then...)

Ehm, if I had to say something, probably visual studio or some other C++ compiler suite. Granted that's technically a dozen or more programs (you need at least a compiler, linker, debugger, and a whole heap of libraries to do anything useful, and a text editing tool of some kind at the very least).
It's also a cheat in that if you have a compiler you can create extra programs of your own if you need them...

Oh well.

 

[bojackx]

Google Chrome, Steam and iTunes

Chrome pretty much runs as its own operating system, Steam for gaming and iTunes for music and the convenience of connecting my iPod.

Running on Windows 7, and assuming we're not counting plugins such as Flash

I'd definitely have Chrome and Steam, but I'm not sure iTunes comes across as that necessary. I'd have to go for Skype as my third, I'd be so bored without someone to talk to while I played games or surfed the web.

 

[Esotera]

The python interpreter and a whole load of libraries, as technically I could then write a load of scripts to create programs on the fly, but wouldn't be installing them. Obviously I'd also install the latest Linux kernel, and GNU coreutils.

Would not want to use that system ever though.

 

[Elamdri]

Everyone who said steam seems to forget that Video Games count as programs too...

If you said Chrome, Steam, and itunes then you have just lost your entire steam library.

 

[Angry Camel]

Firefox for my web browsing needs.
ZSnes or Snes9x for my gaming needs (probably ZSnes, but Snes9x is what I'm used to).
Aaaaaaannnnd... well Steam if we don't count the downloaded games as their own programs, but if we do, Microsoft Word. I need something to keep my records in...

 

[Rawne1980]

Skyrim, CK and Blender.

That will keep me going for a while.

 

[Scarim Coral]

These three-
Firefox (I need my internet.)
Itune (Need my music especially when I own a Ipod Nano.)
Open Office (That's like six progroms in one, you still want me to choose then I pick the word office.)

 

[ripdajacker]

- IntelliJ IDEA for work
- Chrome for browsing/music/docs/lulz
- Steam for procrastinating

 

[Anton Yeo]

Eve Online
Chrome
Notepad ++

 

[KaosuHamoni]

Chrome, League of Legends, Teamspeak. Everything I'll ever need.