IBT: These laptop applications are a must

Laptop computer users tend to choose the device to purchase based on their portability, but there are certain applications that are a must-have. According to the International Business Times, there are 10 applications a laptop user should be utilizing.

People with the devices should download their favorite high-definition YouTube videos, as well as the Read It Later application, which saves web pages from the computer for later viewing, the Batt Cursor to see how much battery life is left and the Eraser software to delete any unwanted files.

Other applications laptop users must have are Connectify, which converts smartphone devices into Wi-Fi hotspots, the Free Download Manager to speed up downloads, the open-source program called Prey that locates stolen devices and the IObit Toolbox to help diagnose and fix PC problems, according to the IBT.

The final applications on the list are the Virtual CloneDrive, which allows computer users to access DVDs and CDs on the hard-drive, and the LogMein Hamachi application that helps set up a virtual private network.

Despite several market research firms lowering their expectations for personal computers in 2011, one of them -- IDC -- expects the market for PCs to rebound in 2012 on the heels of new operating systems and more competitive prices.