1. Opera: My current favorite browser. It isn't opensource, but works well.
Download Opera
2. Hardware Drivers: to enjoy the coolest desktop effects, download these.
3. Codecs: Try to play any media file (MP3) and Ubuntu will install them automatically for you.
4. Compiz Setting Manager: You can enable many cool effects by using this simple settings manager, one example is the sexy desktop cube.
Open a terminal windows and type:
sudo aptitude install compizconfig-settings-manager
5. Exaile: The best music player for Gnome (modelled after Amarok). It is currently in alpha stage.
Download Exaile
6. Skype: Make free calls from Ubuntu.
Download Skype
7. Adobe AIR: You can use cool Adobe AIR apps by installing this.
Install Adobe AIR
8. Flash: The most singularly important browser plugin. I use the Adobe version, the other two (Gnash and Swfdec just don't make the cut).
Download Flash Player
9. Java: To run Java apps.
Install Java
10. TweetDeck: The best twitter client out there, the real reason why I liked twitter for the first time.
Download Tweet Deck
11. VLC: Newly Installed UbuntuThe best video player (though it still doesn't have audio for 3GP files)
Use Synaptic to install
12. Beagle seach: A desktop search engine, far better than Tracker (which comes by default with Ubuntu).
Use Synaptic to install
13. Themes & Wallpapers: The default theme is getting better with every new release of Ubuntu, but I'd still use something else.
14. Ubuntu Tweak: One stop solution to modify and tweak Ubuntu.
Download Ubuntu Tweak
15. Wine: The only way to run Windows programs like MS Office in Ubuntu
Use Synaptic to install
