Well, since I have this place to voice my opions and views, I thought I'd give you my thoughts on software. I'm not goint to tell you what You should use, just what I use, and how it has affected how I compute.
I Highly recommend everything on this list.

1. Web-Surfing -Mozilla Firfox
2. E-Mail -GMail -Read below to find out how to get GMail
3. E-Mail -Thunderbird E-Mail Client (Made by Mozilla)
4. Operating System -If you MUST use Windows, then by all means, use Windows XP SP2. Otherwise, I recommend Linux, or Unix, or even Mac. (Although, I'm not a Mac fan)

These are the basic necessities for using a computer nowadays. I'll publish more about software soon. A complete list (after I get some shut-eye) will be available with links to find it.
Later,
Tony