Ninite review

Getting a PC setup the way you want it, whether it’s a fresh install of Windows or a completely new system, is a real pain, particularly getting the applications you want. If you’ve got a handy USB drive with all of the installation files you’ll need, sitting there clicking through the installations is still a time consuming business.

With Ninite, this hassle is pretty much a thing of the past. The free version we’re reviewing here lets you download a single file that automatically installs the software you’ve chosen without any need for user input.

It’s dead easy to use, too: all you have to do is select the applications you’re interested in from the categories including, Web Browsers, Messaging, Media, Imaging, Security and so on, click the big green Get Installer button and run the file you’ve downloaded. Ninite takes care of the rest, automatically downloading the necessary installer files and performing an unattended installation for all of the applications you’ve chosen.

All of the applications, bar the Microsoft Office 2007 Trial Version, are free or open source, but within this there’s a ton of software that most PC owners will want. These include, Chrome and Firefox web browsers; Skype, Google Talk and Messenger IM clients; iTunes, Spotify and VLC media applications; Paint.NET, Picasa and GIMP photo editors; and Security Essentials, AVG and Avast security suites. There’s also a large range of other applications including Flash, OpenOffice, Steam, 7-Zip and CDBurnerXP.

One of the really clever things about Ninite is that you don’t even have to select which version of the application you want (32-bit or 64-bit), as it automatically downloads the correct one for your operating system. Each unattended installation is performed with default settings, although ‘extras’, such as annoying toolbars, are not installed.

It’s incredibly simple to use and takes a lot of pain out of installing a new PC. For businesses there’s even a subscription version where you can perform offline installs without having to visit the Ninite website. In short, Ninite’s an essential tool for anyone staring at a fresh computer.