I use a few of these, but this is worth checking out:

http://www.liveslick.com/2007/09/top-10-freeware-software-nobody-knows.html

foxit reader - ftw
musikcube - ftwww

they make using windows more tolerable.

other windows faves of mine (I haven't used windows since I left my job woohoo):

7zip (for 7z, rar, zip, etc).

Truth, 7zip is the dopeness.

Ditto for Quicktime Alternative and Real Alternative.

VLC for windows > all video players for windows

Pidgin Instant Messenger is pretty nice too.

VLC for windows > all video players for windows

Pidgin Instant Messenger is pretty nice too.

Pidgin? Links/screenshots? Can you configure hotkeys to do everything?

I really like Miranda IM myself.

Pidgin is the updated gaim (after a lawsuit for the aim name).

^^ but since then it has also gone to version 2 (or is version 2 still beta.. either way it's totally stable) which was a pretty significant upgrade. I dunno if it's still ugly looking in windows (you can blame GTK for windows for that).

As for hotkeys, I dunno. I know theres a plugin framework so I'm guessing there's something out there for it if it isn't included. I don't really do much with IM. people IM me, sometimes I respond.. that's it. just really basic, no buddy icons or other garbage, no fonts or font colors, etc :)

Gaim had hotkeys IIRC. I wasn't aware of any lawsuit or anything. When did that go down?