What are your essential programs?

AVG - first thing I install. I have been pretty satisfied with this antivirus.

Firefox - second thing I install. Then I install the noia extreme theme, the foxytunes plugin {though I don't really use it much anymore}, and the gmail notifier.

foobar2000 - my music player of choice. I used winamp for a long time, but pretty much five minutes after I started using foobar, I knew I wouldn't go back to winamp.

Trillian 2.something - some people like miranda or gaim or any number of other IM clients. I happen to like this particular version of Trillian and have been using it for what, 2 years.

AstonShell - initially I started using Aston because I thought the various visual themes were interesting. Now I use it for the hidable side toolbars and the easy to configure global hotkeys {Winkey+P for photoshop, winkey+I for internet browser, winkey+M for music player, winkey+O for outlook client {have to have for work uke:}, winkey+c for command prompt, winkey+t for task manager, etc}

ipod software + itunes - because I like my ipod and sort of need to be able add songs to it.

Admin Toolpack - on my work computer I add this, so that I can unlock dummies' AD accounts.

MS Office 2003 - again because of work

Spybot S&D - because it is my preferred spyware cleaner

Photoshop - because sometimes I like to edit images and photoshop is easy as hell to use

CDex - to rip my cds so that I can put them on my ipod. I have bought 10 or so cds since buying my ipod and I have not listened to a single one. Simply pulled them out of the case, ripped them, put them back into the case, and tossed the case into a box in my closet.

Nero - sometimes I have to burn cds or dvds. I use this in such occasions.

Anything else gets installed when I actually need to use it, as opposed to day of OS installation like these applications that I listed.

Jam it back in, in the dark.