NOD32: Nasties Have No Chance Against This AntiVirus Powerhouse - 12/14/2006 What it lacks in bells and whistles, NOD32 more than makes up for in sheer antivirus muscle. The app boasts a vigorous ability to meet and defeat threats in real time using its patented ThreatSense heuristic technology.
Windows Defender: Microsoft Delivers Free Real-time Protection from Spyware - 11/29/2006 Anyone that's used Windows for longer than fifteen minutes has probably had an unpleasant encounter with spyware. Whether the result of design flaws in Windows or simply due to the operating system's ubiquity, it seems only appropriate that Microsoft should offer users a way to keep their systems free from spyware, and with the release of Windows Defender, Redmond finally does.
WinNc.net: Bringing Back the Best of the 80's? - 11/16/2006 The feature-rich WinNc.net file manager claims to bring back the best of the 80's with an abundance of goodies packed into a Norton Commander-esque file manager interface. While we found that WinNC.net does in fact offer many things missing in Windows Explorer, it doesn't always deliver as expected.
Moving Beyond PC-cillin: Trend Micro Internet Security 2007 Plus TrendSecure - 11/9/2006 Beyond scratching the old "PC-cillin" name, Trend Micro has created an impressive new security suite that
incorporates its predecessor's antivirus engine while offering new features to root out rootkits, spyware, phishing schemes, spam, hackers, WiFi attacks, smartphone threats, and more.
MojoPac: Making Your Personal PC Portable - 11/1/2006 When is a Windows PC not really a Windows PC? Perhaps the best way to describe the new MojoPac app is as an "external user profile" that's portable and exists outside the confines of a specific computer.
Find the Perfect Freeware, Feature-Rich Image Editing App for You - 10/4/2006 There's no need to pay for an application to fix or enhance photos you need for your Web site or marketing materials. We explore three fine choices that get the job done no matter what your skill level — and they're all available for free.
Mozy Remote Backup: Simple and Secure Online Storage ... for Free! - 9/28/2006 If you've been delaying investing in a viable solution for backing up your critical data, procrastinate no longer. Mozy's new online backup service makes it relatively simple and, perhaps more importantly, inexpensive to securely safeguard your system's information.
Google Video Player: Your Ticket to Google's Multimedia Megaplex - 9/21/2006 Google's new Google Video service takes us into the realm of multimedia content, gathering up a rich archive of moving pictures to be accessed either for free or for pay. Think of Google Video Player as your key to the palace.
Seek and Ye Shall Find: Copernic Desktop Search 2.0 - 9/20/2006 With generation two of the popular Copernic Desktop Search tool now available, WinPlanet delves into the impressively redesigned app to get a feel for all that the new CDS release has to offer.
Google Spreadsheets: Google Spreads It On - 9/13/2006 The search engine giant's online spreadsheet won't cost you a penny, but don't toss that Excel program anytime soon.
Active Security Monitor: Track Your PC Protection with Ease - 8/22/2006 By now you've hopefully protected the PCs in your home. You've shielded them against viruses, spyware, and a host of potential maladies using a range of defenses. But how do you know for sure those protections are actually working the way they should? Enter AOL's new ASM freeware tool.
Total Commander: File Management Power Behind a Beastly Exterior - 8/10/2006 Total Commander has persevered as one of the more powerful file management utilities available for Windows. While it retains a loyal following, will new users be able to look past a drab interface to its solid feature-set?
Microsoft Codename Max: Photo Sharing Now ... With More to Come? - 8/3/2006 Microsoft Codename Max is an early iteration of something that shows you pictures now, but may well do something else entirely later on. Take a look at what the eye-catching app currently offers and what may be on the way.
Looking Ahead to Windows Vista: Part 3 - 7/26/2006 In this third and final installment of our series, we look at the hardware a PC needs in order to run the various versions of Microsoft's Vista. Whether you're upgrading or buying new, we'll tell you what you need to know.
McAfee SiteAdvisor: Web Browsing Just Got a Whole Lot Safer - 7/19/2006 If you register with a Web site, will you be flooded with spam? If you accept a download, will be you taking on malicious programs along with your desired software? It sure would be nice to know this information in advance. That's the knowledge SiteAdvisor can deliver.
The Cleaner Professional: Cleaning Up Malware Contamination - 7/12/2006 The endless wave of malware and other nasties floating around the Internet is unlikely to abate any time soon, but there are now nearly as many options available that claim to protect your computer. The Cleaner Professional enters the competitive realm of PC protection, but how well does it fare against larger, more-established anti-malware tools?
Does Microsoft's Small Business Accounting Add Up? - 7/10/2006 A year of public beta testing helped Microsoft smooth out its accounting program's rough edges. Now a few months into its 1.0 release, customers have found a lot to like.
Microsoft Office 2007 Preview: Worthy of an Upgrade? - 7/5/2006 The long-awaited Microsoft Office 2007 is now available in a pre-release beta. A look at the preliminary version indicates some well thought-out changes, but will a largely evolutionary update ultimately prove worthy of an upgrade?
Looking Ahead to Windows Vista: Part 2 - 6/22/2006 In part two of our series on Microsoft's upcoming operating system, we take a closer look at the multitude of new features and enhancements in Windows Vista that can help your small business perform and produce more securely.
An Early Look at Microsoft Windows Live, Part 2 - 6/14/2006 If you're itching to discover what will be "live" and online from Microsoft in near future, read on as we
continue our look at Microsoft's lineup of upcoming online offerings. This week we delve into beta versions of Windows Live Toolbar, Windows Live Safety Center, and Windows Live Favorites.
An Early Look at Microsoft Windows Live, Part 1 - 6/7/2006 If you're itching to discover what will be "live" and online from Microsoft in the coming months, read on as we review beta versions of Windows Live Mail and Windows Messenger, two of the major components in Microsoft's upcoming online offerings. After test driving and poking around under the hoods, we find lots to like and much potential in Microsoft's next-generation tools.
Hamachi: Roll Your Own VPNs the Fast and Free Way - 6/1/2006 Hamachi is a handy new freeware tool that enables you to easily create and manage your own "zero-configuration" virtual private networks (VPN). While a rather Spartan interface lends itself to simplicity, Hamachi's security architecture ensures communications are encrypted and authenticated with industry-standard algorithms and protocols.
Looking Ahead to Windows Vista: Part I - 5/16/2006 The rollout of Microsoft's new, long-promised operating system draws closer. We're kicking off a three-part series to look at what's new and what Vista offers small business.
Simdesk: The On-Demand Office Suite - 5/4/2006 It's not perfect, but Simdesk offers a roster of online tools that let you run a business from anywhere on the road.
KlipFolio: Managing RSS Information with Style - 4/26/2006 KlipFolio is a refreshingly minimalist RSS dashboard. While the interface takes some practice to get proficient with, the utility certainly offers a unique and efficient way to manage the torrent of information from the Internet without overwhelming your desktop.
NoteTab Pro: When HTML Coding Speed Matters - 4/19/2006 If you're comfortable with HTML and CSS and don't want or need a WYSIWYG Web editor, then NoteTab Pro may be the editor for you. Its many features and clip libraries make it an excellent choice for getting down and dirty in the midst of your code.
Portable Apps Suite: A Powerful (and Free) Alternative to Software Bloat - 4/12/2006 Tired of overblown programs that hoard hard drive space and offer lots of features that you don't need? Portable Apps Suite offers an alternative, a relatively compact set of applications that can reside on a flash memory drive, doesn't need to be installed in Windows, and can be carried from computer to computer.
Mozilla Lightning: A Thunder-and-Lightning Duo Sounds Like Competition for Outlook - 4/6/2006 Mozilla's new Lightning project seeks to capably blend calendar and scheduling functionality into the already adept Thunderbird e-mail client. It's early yet and a few dark clouds currently hover over the preview release, but the sky's the limit for the Mozilla tandem.
Microsoft's Other Office is Worth a Look - 3/29/2006 Microsoft Office Live lets small businesses get on the Web quickly — and for free. The offering (currently in beta) still needs some work, but it could be the answer to your online presence and collaboration needs.
Fresh UI: A Fresh (and Free) Approach to Windows Customization and Management - 3/25/2006 When it comes to diagnosing and customizing your PC, the right set of tools can make the difference between optimal performance and an unexpected disaster. Fresh Devices offers a pair of tools just right for the job, and even better, they're both free.
30 Boxes: Take Your Calendar and Scheduler With You Wherever You Go - 3/23/2006 Wouldn't it be nice if you could easily access your calendar and scheduling software from any internet-enabled computer? Enter 30 Boxes, a remarkably powerful, flexible, and easy to use Web-based calendar application that's always as close and accessible as the nearest browser.
Office Suite Showdown: Corel WordPerfect Office X3 - 3/16/2006 In the battle of the office suites, X3 offers its first-rate word processor, Quattro Pro spreadsheet and a PDF innovation that's unmatched by Microsoft. Plus, it costs nearly $100 less.
PC Inspector File Recovery 4.0: Critical Data Recovery on the Cheap - 3/9/2006 If you've ever been in the situation before, you know the feeling you get in the pit of your stomach when you realize you've lost important data off your computer. Whether you know you accidentally deleted your Quicken files or simply can't find any trace of the folder that houses your prized family photos, all you can think about is whether or not you can get that data back, and if so, how? Enter the freeware PC Inspector File Recovery 4.0.
