Downloading programs and utilities from the internet can greatly increase the usefulness and pleasure you derive from your computer.

Many essential downloads can be found at www.techtv.com.   I highly recommend downloading Go!Zilla first as it will speed up any other downloads you might choose.

At the moment, Flash and Shockwave are two programs that greatly enhance the multimedia experience.  Be sure to download Real Player and Media Player as many sites use these to stream audio and video.