Microsoft Windows AntiSpyware: MS Escalates the Fight Against Malware - 11/28/2005 Microsoft has made a quick turnaround on its acquisition of GIANT Software with the beta release of its first anti-malware product. The software offers impressive real-time protection for your PC from spyware and other potentially unwanted software.
RestoreIT 7: Total System Recovery Worth the Hassle? - 11/17/2005 Everyone knows — or at least should know — of the importance of backing up your system regularly to protect against a system catastrophe. RestoreIT 7 is a valuable tool that can not only restore data ranging from an entire system down to a single folder or file, but can also perform a complete system restore from a command prompt without Windows installed, undo system changes, and restore systems from previous configuration states.
ACT by Sage 2006: New ACT, Same Success Story - 11/3/2005 If you can't keep up with your customers, colleagues, and clients, contact management software such as ACT 2006 can track every correspondence, meeting, and e-mail when your memory can't. While version 2006 lacks any groundbreaking features, it's great for managing your hectic schedule and many business ties.
CCleaner: Get the Crap Out of Your PC - 10/31/2005 CCleaner (CrapCleaner) is a handy little tool that quickly and efficiently cleanses your system and enhances privacy by ridding it of much of the potentially troublesome flotsam (better known as crap) that inevitably accumulates with regular use. Best of all, CCleaner is free to use as you please.
PowerArchiver 2006: The New King of Compression? - 10/24/2005 While WinZip and PKZIP dominate the niche, the upstart PowerArchiver is more than qualified to challenge and even exceed the capabilities of the reigning kings of compression. PowerArchiver offers a wealth of features for power users while remaining easy enough for novices to quickly master. Either way, everyone wins with more storage real estate and faster e-mail transmission times.
Spy Sweeper: System-Wide Spyware Decontamination at Your Service - 10/17/2005 Don't underestimate spyware. Even though you can't see it, it can still be contaminating your computer. Adware, malware, Trojans, keyloggers, system monitors — they're all continually snooping and sniffing, seeking to sneak past your defenses. Enter Spy Sweeper, one of several anti-malware products to hit the market with promises of system-wide decontamination.
Essential PIM: A Simple Yet Capable Personal Information Manager - 10/5/2005 Essential PIM isn't designed to provide the detailed contact management you'd find in a comprehensive PIM like ACT!, but it is a simple and capable personal information manager that can serve as a useful alternative to tools like Microsoft Outlook.
Desktop Search Round-up: Yahoo! Desktop Search - 9/29/2005 Google pioneered the strategy of bringing Web search engine technology to your desktop for faster and more powerful searches, but the preeminent search engine now has quite a bit of company in the field. Discover how the latest desktop search tools from the major search engine heavyweights stack up against each other.
StarDock ObjectDock: An Effective Cure for Cluttered Desktop Syndrome - 9/22/2005 StarDock ObjectDock is a powerful and flexible desktop management tool that effectively and attractively organizes your desktop's programs, icons, and shortcuts. In other words, if your Windows Desktop looks like a disaster area, ObjectDock is an excellent way to clean up the mess once and for all.
StarDock WindowBlinds: Give Your Windows Interface An Extreme Makeover - 9/15/2005 If you've grown weary of the look and feel of Windows, StarDock's WindowBlinds offers you the means to easily and reliably change it, and with more than 2,000 available themes, you can do so as often as you change clothes. It's a good cure for the desktop doldrums.
Skype: Set Your Phone Calls Free via P2P - 9/8/2005 If you like to yak long distance but don't care for big phone bills, Skype lets you reach out and touch someone for nothing. Through Skype's impressive system and software, you can make free telephone calls through the internet, and it's easy to use and works well. What more could a talker want?
Rhapsody: Let the Groovin' Begin - 9/1/2005 If you're like us, you're paying for music downloads now and you probably have thousands of MP3s, maybe even your entire music collection, piled onto your hard drive. Looking for a way to get to all this music — to play it, burn it, move it to your portable player, and then get more music? Look no further than RealNetworks' Rhapsody.
Skype Toolbars: Extending the 'Outlook' for Skype - 8/25/2005 Skype Toolbars are the latest addition to the arsenal of add-on tools designed to enhance and extend the basic calling features of the extremely popular Skype internet telephony software. The toolbars add to Skype's functionality by providing quick one-click access to Skype from apps like Internet Explorer and MS Outlook.
QuickTime Alternative: A Lean, Mean Replacement for Apple's Multimedia Player - 8/18/2005 Looking for a simple, low-maintenance, ad-free multimedia player, one that simply plays what you ask it to play and then leaves you alone? With many feeling that the official QuickTime Player from Apple has become overly bloated and overloaded with iTunes and related ads, the (relatively) lean and mean QuickTime Alternative arrives at the perfect time.
AOL Beta Round-Up Part 2: A Sneak Peak at AOL Software Currently in Development - 8/11/2005 To keep up with its online competition - and even move ahead in a few select areas - America Online keeps refining its software offerings. Last week we covered two new Web browsing tools in AOL's beta arsenal; today we'll take a closer look at new multimedia and IM releases coming soon to a PC near you.
AOL Beta Round-Up: A Sneak Peak at AOL Software Currently in Development - 8/4/2005 To keep up with its online competition - and even move ahead in a few select areas - America Online keeps refining its software offerings. Whether you're browsing the Web, instant messaging, or playing audio and video files, AOL has a program for you in the new beta quartet of AOL Explorer, AOL Toolbar, AOL Media Player, and AIM Triton Instant Messaging Client.
The Ultimate Troubleshooter: Handing Over the Keys to a Trouble-Free PC - 7/28/2005 The Ultimate Troubleshooter (TUT) seeks to live up to its name by adeptly revealing the mysteries of the multitude of background processes running on your computer. Managing these processes more intelligently via TUT can lead to improved performance, faster startup times, and increased system stability — the ultimate trifecta, indeed.
Kaspersky Internet Security 2006: AVP Enters the Enterprise-Grade Security Arena - 7/20/2005 KIS 2006 arrives as the next-generation evolution of the popular AntiViral Tookit Pro (AVP) from Russian developer Kaspersky Lab. The new comprehensive security tool guards against nearly every imaginable internet threat, providing real-time anti-virus and firewall protection to go along with spam filtering, a pop-up blocker, and the ability to detect and remove spyware programs and other forms of malware.
Miranda IM: Fast, Functional, and Free — No Tradeoffs Here - 7/13/2005 Miranda IM delivers a trim, fast-moving instant messaging tool that is easy to install, takes up little room, and packages only the basic, must-have features. Plus, with more than 300 readily available plug-ins, Miranda can be customized to perform any number of sophisticated IM tasks, thus offering the best of both worlds.
VisualRoute 2005: Graphical Net Connectivity Diagnosis Doesn't Come Cheap - 6/29/2005 Visualware's Visual Route 2005 Personal Edition makes identifying Internet connectivity issues significantly faster and more convenient than the standard tools that often accompany operating systems. But are these qualities enough to warrant its hefty price tag?
WordPerfect Office 12: A Very Viable Office Alternative - 6/22/2005 With its lower price and new interface compatibility with Microsoft Office applications, WordPerfect Office 12 doesn't necessarily come out on top, but it's a great alternative. And perhaps that's all it needs to be.
X-Setup Pro 7.0: Unraveling the Mysteries of the Windows Registry - 6/16/2005 Whether you're a network administrator looking for an easy and efficient way to modify multiple systems or a tech geek who simply likes to fiddle with your system's settings, X-Setup Pro and its adept handling of the Windows Registry will almost certainly satisfy your needs.
Adobe's Creative Suite CS2 Hits the Shelves - 6/8/2005 Adobe's Creative Suite CS2 adds significant new features to each of its individual applications and also integrates several new functions that are likely to make life easier for professionals using Adobe's products. Discover which of the many enhancements are likely to benefit you the most.
Norton Internet Security 2005 AntiSpyware Edition: Advancing the Fight Against Malware - 6/6/2005 To halt annoying spyware and adware, as well as viruses and worms that want to wreak havoc on your PC, Symantec has released Norton Internet Security 2005 AntiSpyware Edition, an enhanced version of its Norton Internet Security 2005 suite that seeks out and attacks spyware.
Vexira AntiVirus 2005: A Lean, Mean Virus-Fighting Machine - 5/25/2005 Vexira does a competent and highly efficient job of guarding against viruses and purging the bad stuff that does manage to get through your PC's defenses. But is that enough to make it competitive with the likes of Norton AntiVirus and McAfee VirusScan?
Security Task Manager: Knowledge Is Power - 5/12/2005 A look at a utility that promises to take the mystery out of running processes that not only bog down your system, but may also pose a threat to your security.
BeInSync: A P2P Approach to Remote File Access - 5/5/2005 Need access to your files? When all you want is to 'BeInSync', it's time to reevaluate your allegiance to those notoriously clunky remote tools.
StudioLine Photo 2: The Digital Imaging Bargain of the Year? - 4/28/2005 Can a single application manage all your digital photo needs? After getting up to speed with the easy to use and economical StudioLine Photo 2, you may find it's the only imaging tool you need.
Panda Platinum Internet Security: Threat-Proof Protection From Both the Known and Unknown - 4/21/2005 Faster than a speeding bullet and just as destructive, nasties like Sasser, Netsky, and MyDoom can spread almost instantly, infecting thousands of computers in the blink of an eye. Panda Software claims to have a solution, with a new technology that can detect and block even unknown viruses. Known as TruPrevent, the technology is integrated into the latest releases of Panda's security products: Panda Titanium Antivirus 2005 and Panda Platinum Internet Security 2005.
StarOffice 8: Taking the Office Suite Showdown to a Heightened Level - 4/13/2005 In much the same way that Netscape and Mozilla have been fighting the good fight against Microsoft Internet Explorer, Sun has challenged the House of Gates in the arena of the big "office" suite. StarOffice 8 ups the ante with a variety of new features and improved interoperability with Microsoft Office.
FTPEditor Pro: Easing the Pain of Routine Web Edits - 4/6/2005 Small edits of Web pages can be a cumbersome task, especially if all you need to do is correct a grammar or spelling mistake. Usually, you have to open the file in an editing program, correct the mistake, save the file, and then upload it to the remote FTP server. FTPEditor presents an efficient means for bypassing much of this work.
Copernic Desktop Search: Copernic's Search Technology Finds the Desktop - 4/1/2005 Copernic, a company well-versed in the science of search, joins the desktop search fray with a tool that combines many of the best features of the competition while adding some unique and useful ones of its own. Adding to its appeal is an attractive interface that manages to be user-friendly without being overly Spartan.
FeedForAll: Address All Your RSS Needs With One Tool - 3/24/2005 RSS technology is really taking off. As the demand has increased, Web developers have discovered that they need to add RSS feeds to their sites. In the past, this was usually done manually or through the use of Perl scripts, but now you can choose a software program like FeedForAll to do the job.
Canvas X: Ten Times the Versatility of Your Average Graphics Tool - 3/22/2005 Whether you perform most of your graphic editing in bitmaps or vectors, ACD's Canvas X can handle the job and more. In fact, if you've been using a basic image editor and have outgrown its capabilities, Canvas is a great place to start looking to expand what you can do with your images and presentations.
StyleWriter: Keeping Your Prose in Pristine Form - 3/15/2005 Whether you're trying to uphold a consistent corporate voice or simply looking to improve your own writing style, Editor Software's StyleWriter can help.
Adobe Acrobat 7.0: A Feature-Packed Acrobat Upgrade - 3/3/2005 Adobe Acrobat junkies rejoice, the 7.0 upgrade comes jammed with features you're sure to love. Occasional dabblers or the uninitiated, on the other hand, may fare better with earlier, less confusing versions.
SpamPal: The Free, Open Source Anti-Spam Alternative - 3/1/2005 While some would say there is no such thing as a free lunch, if by "lunch" they mean canned spam, they're wrong. A free application called SpamPal will toss your junk mail in the can quietly, efficiently, and accurately. Oh, and did we mention it's free?
Audio Xtract Pro and Rhapsody: Streaming Music for Keeps - 2/23/2005 In the post-Napster (the free one at least) world, the costs of accumulating a substantial music collection on your hard drive have increased dramatically. The subscription-based Rhapsody music service and Audio Xtract Pro offer contrasting approaches to building your MP3 library ... affordably and legally.
TopStyle Pro: The 'HomeSite' of the 21st Century? - 2/18/2005 Of the many ways to create and edit Web pages these days, arguably the most useful is the HTML/CSS combination editor, a leading-edge tool that helps to save valuable time in the editing process. If you like developer Nick Bradbury's original (and highly popular) HTML authoring tool HomeSite, you'll love his new (X)HTML/CSS editor, TopStyle Pro.
