ADOBE: Pretty much the industry standard for most 2D CG. Here you will find the free Acrobat Reader, Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign and After Effects. But the coolest new program they have to offer is Atmosphere.

COREL: Graphic Artists who don't use Adobe software probably use Corel (some use both). You will find such gems as Word Perfect and Draw.

NAME SECURE: If you're going to start your own system you're going to need a web presence. Here's one place to get it.