Some of you may have seen this on MSN recently, but I thought I would share my synopsis of it anyway for those interested in the "wants" of Internet users.
CNET's Download.com is a library of free and free-to-try software programs and applications for Windows, Macintosh, and handheld devices. It began 10 years ago with 3,000 titles and today has over 30,000 potential downloads.
Here are the TOP TEN DOWNLOADS over the past 10 years:
1- ICQ. ("I Seek You") Instant messenger service, enormously popular both in the US and abroad.
2- Winamp. A popular free audio player service for the digital audio-hungry crowd.
3- Napster. A college student's file sharing idea that enabled users to share MP3s easily through a peer-to-peer network. Napster was sued and is now a subscription music service.
4- Firefox. Developed through open source, Firefox was the first browser to show the promise of breaking Microsoft's stranglehold on the browser market because it is lightweight, secure, and packed with useful features.
5- WinZip. For many years, WinZip was an essential utility. You couldn't download or send large files without it. The key to its success are its simplicity and singularity of purpose: it does one thing--compressing and decompressing files--and it does it very well.
6- iTunes. Apple's music player and organizer, a full-featured media player and library; also the gateway for Apple's iPod - hugely popular, elegant and simple interface.
7- Ad-aware. Lavasoft's spyware scanner and remover. It's simple, gives excellent results, and addresses the nearly universal disdain for spyware distributed over the Internet to your computer. It's today's No. 1 most popular download.
8- Skype. Enables voice calls over the Internet (Voice-over-IP or VOIP). Popular because of its ease of use, good voice quality and the prospect of making free calls to folks all over the globe.
9- RealPlayer. Ten years ago, the Web was full of static content, but RealPlayer offered streaming audio and video in a free media player, a bold step forward in Internet entertainment. The company adapts to stay at the forefront of the developing technology of online media.
10- Adobe Acrobat Reader. Bridges the gap between print and Internet publishing; PDF lets publishers distribute their articles, newsletters, and documentation online without worrying about formatting problems or unauthorized alterations. From the beginning, Adobe gave away the free Acrobat Reader which has now created a nearly unassailable market position.
Of course, Allen (in Private Posts and Tycoon) has already told us that Internet users like:
... simple ... free ... easy-to-use ... something-for-nothing ... entertaining ... automatic ... breakthrough ... never-seen-before ... viral ... problem-solving ... instant ... save time ... save money ...
I'd say he has a pretty good handle on what's hot these days . . .
