Post by superck on Mar 3, 2008 18:17:05 GMT -5
tinyurl.com/34sz6c
Adobe Reader
www.adobe.com
Windows | MacOS | Linux | Mobile This simplest of Adobe's PDF programs lets you do just about anything PDF-related (besides create new ones), including online collaboration. It includes a host of features to aid users with disabilities.
AIM
www.aim.com
Windows | MacOS | Linux | Web One of the most widely used pieces of free software ever, AOL Instant Messenger offers a ton of capabilities.
Read our full review of AIM 6.5.
Audacity
audacity.sourceforge.net
Windows | MacOS | Linux Whether you're recording or editing, Audacity is all about audio in practically any format.
Firefox
www.mozilla.com
Windows | MacOS | Linux This PC Mag Editors' Choice Web browser has been on top of the heap since version 1.5 came out in late 2005. Read our full review of Firefox 2.0.
GIMP
www.gimp.org
Windows | MacOS | Linux The GNU Image Manipulation Program (GIMP) does most of what Photoshop does; the Gimpshop project (plasticbugs.com) even makes it look like Photoshop. Read our full review of The GIMP 2.0.
iTunes
www.apple.com/itunes
Windows | MacOS When you're attached to the top media player in the land (iPod), success is a given. iTunes continues to build sales and refine its organization of songs, video, games, podcasts, and more. Read our full review of Apple iTunes 7.6.
OpenOffice.org
www.openoffice.org
Windows | MacOS | Linux You can spend a lot for Microsoft Office or nothing for this suite with full-function word processor, spreadsheet, database, presentations, even an equations editor. Read our full review of OpenOffice.org 2.3.
Skype
www.skype.com
Windows | MacOS | Linux You'll pay to call regular phones, but if you sign up all your friends, Skype provides easy (and even international) calls and video-conferencing for nothing. Read our full review of Skype 3.0.
Thunderbird
www.mozilla.com/thunderbird
Windows | MacOS | Linux Mozilla's no-cost e-mail alternative is extensible, fast, and easy to master. And a wealth of free add-ons means there's not much this program won't do, from calendars to encryption. Read our full review of Thunderbird 2.
Ubuntu
www.ubuntu.com
Linux This Linux-based OS comes with many of these Hall of Fame products (Firefox, OpenOffice.org) preinstalled.
WinAmp
www.winamp.com
Windows After a decade of playing music, the "skinnable" WinAmp has several versions, including one with full CD ripping and burning.
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Operating Systems
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ajaxWindows
www.ajaxwindows.com
Web A virtual operating system (aka Web OS), it uses Asynchronous Java-Script and XML (AJAX) programming to mimic the look and feel of a Windows desktop in Firefox or IE. It stores files (using Gmail) and runs its own applications, plus Web apps like Meebo and Google Maps. If you can launch a Web browser, you can get work done through ajaxWindows.
eyeOS
eyeos.info
Web This Web OS has ultra-simplified applications, including an RSS reader, satellite maps, a word processor, even a browser—yes, for browsing the Web while on the Web.
Freespire 2.0
www.freespire.com
Linux This community-driven OS is based on Linspire (formerly Lindows)—a Linux distro that looks like Windows, with an emphasis on compatibility with other platforms.
Glide
www.glidedigital.com
Web | Flash Sleek style sets this Web OS apart, as does the ability (using a separate utility) to sync files, bookmarks, and e-mail from your real OS. Read our full review of Glide Effortless.
gOS
www.thinkgos.com
Linux Ubuntu-based and powered by Google's apps (just don't call it Google OS), gOS comes with the $200 PCs from Wal-Mart, but you can download it for any PC.
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Antivirus/Anti-Malware
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avast! 4 Home Edition
www.avast.com
Windows Spiffy-looking avast! notifies you by e-mail or IM if it catches a virus. You can't schedule scans, but its recovery database can help if a virus damages your files.
Read our full review of avast! 4 Home Edition.
AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition
free.grisoft.com
Windows Its control center is awkward, but AVG scans files on demand, upon access, on a schedule, and in e-mail. Its rescue disks will help you recover from disaster.
Read our full review of AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition.
Avira AntiVir Personal Edition Classic
www.free-av.com
Windows AntiVir scans files on demand, upon access, and on a schedule; it doesn't scan e-mail attachments until they're saved, but it does go to work on rootkits. It's especially good at coexisting with other security software. Like most good AV software, it has the Virus Bulletin's VB100% award and certification for virus detection from ICSA Labs.
Read our full review of Avira AntiVir Premium Security Suite.
HijackThis
www.trendsecure.com
Windows Run HijackThis, save a log, and then post the log on sites that support the program. You'll quickly get personalized expert help to remove any malware.
NanoScan
www.nanoscan.com
Windows | Web In less than a minute, NanoScan can analyze all processes running on your computer and identify viruses, Trojan horses, spyware, or other malicious programs.
ThreatFire AntiVirus
www.threatfire.com
Windows ThreatFire detects the bad guys by their behavior, not by outdated virus signatures. It's surprisingly accurate and a good companion to standard antivirus apps.
Read our full review of ThreatFire 3.
Trend Micro HouseCall
housecall.trendmicro.com
Windows Use the venerable HouseCall online scanner to get a second opinion, or use the app for cleanup when malware prevents installation of a local antivirus utility.
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Firewalls
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Comodo Firewall Pro
www.personalfirewall.comodo.com
Windows This protective dragon for XP and Vista keeps hackers out of your system, controls which programs can access the Net (its whitelist of about one million means you get fewer pop-ups), and blocks tricky "leak test" techniques. It's both tough and good-looking.
Read our full review of Comodo Firewall Pro.
ShieldsUP!
www.grc.com
Windows | Web Be sure your fire-walls are keeping your always-on Internet connection hidden from attackers. Shields-UP! provides a quick confirmation.
Read our full review of ShieldsUP!.
SmoothWall Express
www.smoothwall.org
Linux Got a spare PC running a Pentium 200 MHz or higher with 128MB of RAM? Turn it into a dedicated network firewall with this open-source download.
ZoneAlarm Free
www.zonealarm.com
Windows The free edition remains a useful protector against hack attacks and against programs that abuse your Internet connection.
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Security
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
EULAlyzer
www.javacoolsoftware.com
Windows Wonder what you're agreeing to when you click "I Accept"? Don't worry; just drag EULAlyzer's target icon onto the EULA for a quick report on any troublesome language.
Read our full review of EULAlyzer Personal 1.1.
Hotspot Shield
www.anchorfree.com
Windows Create an instant virtual private network (VPN) tunnel between your laptop and the router at any Wi-Fi hot spot to protect your data from snoops on the public airwaves, even if you're using extra encryption. If you're on a network that limits the use of certain apps (such as Skype), the VPN could give you unfettered access. It even works with your wired connection for an extra layer of security.
Kruptos 2
www.kruptos2.co.uk
Windows Kruptos makes a file accessible only to someone who knows the password; it includes a file shredder.
PC Flank
www.pcflank.com
Windows | Web While ShieldsUP! tests your firewall's ability to stealth all ports, PC Flank performs surgical strikes that emulate specific malware attacks to verify that your firewall blocks them.
SendShield
www.sendshield.com
Windows This Outlook add-on strips out extra info and tracked changes in Word documents attached to messages.
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Finance
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mint
www.mint.com
Web Mint isn't like Quicken, where you enter in all your transactions. Instead, it syncs with your bank and credit card accounts online, checks your spending habits, and tells you how to improve to save money. If you're not paying attention to your spending, it'll send you regular alerts to inform you where your money has gone (nice for making sure you haven't been ripped off).
GnuCash
www.gnucash.org
Linux Linux users can track their bank accounts, stocks, and expenses in this financial program using a double-entry accounting method.
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Office
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AbiWord
www.abiword.com
Windows | MacOS | Linux Volunteers keep this open-source word processor alive. It closely mimics the look and feel of Microsoft Word 2003 and earlier.
Read the full review of AbiWord 2.0.
Gliffy
www.gliffy.com
Web | Flash An online-only diagramming tool with more options than you can flowchart. The free version is limited to five diagrams.
Google Docs
docs.google.com
Web | Mobile Google's slickly designed office suite offers online shared word processing, spreadsheets, and presentations-and best of all, finally a solid alternative in the office-suite space to the totally dominating Microsoft. Upload or e-mail your current documents for storage and editing.
Read the full review of Google Docs.
IBM Lotus Symphony
symphony.lotus.com
Web | Mobile A much prettier version of OpenOffice.org, Symphony is prepped for presentations, spreadsheets, and word processing in a single window (but lacks OO's drawing and database modules).
Read the full review of IBM Lotus Symphony Beta.
KompoZer
www.kompozer.net
Windows | MacOS | Linux A full WYSIWYG Web-page authoring tool akin to Dreamweaver, KompoZer integrates an FTP site manager for file uploads.
NeoOffice
www.neooffice.com
MacOS This version of OpenOffice.org has the same great tools and price (free), but with an interface designed specifically for the Mac OS.
Notepad++
notepad-plus.sourceforge.net
Windows Notepad++ handles text--especially source code-in ways the basic Windows Notepad could only dream of, with embellishments like tabs and color coding.
Read the full review of Notepad++.
Scribus
www.scribus.net
Windows | MacOS | Linux This open-source page layout tool has features comparable to big names like PAgemaker, plus support for PDFs and scalable vector graphics (SVG).
Windows Live Mail
get.live.com
Windows Live Mail not only reads your Hotmail, but also can check POP, IMAP, or HTTP mail accounts. It works as an RSS feed reader and a newsreader.
Zoho
www.zoho.com
Web | Mobile Zoho features every tool you could want-word processing, spreadsheet, presentations, database, even a wiki-and several you never knew you needed. Some are also available off-line.
Read the full review of Zoho.
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Calendar/PIMs
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Plaxo
www.plaxo.com
Web Perhaps the ultimate online address book, Plaxo is enhanced with the superpowers of a social network and plug-ins for many Web-based services like Flickr, YouTube, Twitter and LiveJournal for sharing across the Internet.
Backpack
www.backpackit.com
Web Backpack is more than a to-do list site. Your five easy-to-update pages send reminders via e-mail or SMS and include a whiteboard for online collaboration.
Read the full review of Backpack.
EssentialPIM Free
www.essentialpim.com
Windows Imagine taking the e-mail out of Microsoft Outlook to get a killer personal information manager (PIM). That's what EssentialPIM is all about.
Google Calendar
calendar.google.com
Web | Mobile Featuring seamless integration with other Google products, sharing capabilities, and SMS reminders, this Web app does for calendars what Google did for search.
Read the full review of Google Calendar.
Lightning
www.mozilla.org/projects/calendar/lightning
Windows | MacOS | Linux To be more like Microsoft Outlook, Thunderbird needs a calendar. Lightning provides that, plus a to-do list. It can even sync with Google Calendar.
Power Calculator
www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/powertoys/xppowertoys.mspx Windows This XP-only PowerToy replaces the lame Windows calculator with a mathematical powerhouse.
Remember The Milk
www.rememberthemilk.com
Web | Mobile Never forget another grocery item, or anything else, using this extensible online task manager. It'll send reminders via e-mail, SMS, and IM.
Sunbird
www.mozilla.org/projects/calendar/sunbird
Windows | MacOS | Linux Sunbird is Mozilla's standalone calendar for tracking events and upcoming tasks. It's a sister to Lightning, which adds the same functions to Thunderbird.
30 Boxes
www.30boxes.com
Web One of the best-looking online calendars, 30 Boxes features easy-to-grasp pop-ups for adding events and viewing schedule details.
Yahoo! Calendar
calendar.yahoo.com
Web Track your schedule and share it with friends, then sync your calendar with Outlook or your phone. It's a great place to back up a handheld.
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Backup/Sync
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Allway Sync
www.allwaysync.com
Windows Sync files between your PC and an external drive, filtering by folder, file name, or file type. The program displays warnings about questionable files before syncing.
DriveImage XML
www.runtime.org
Windows Make an image of your entire hard drive for backup and restore purposes.
FolderShare
www.foldershare.com
Windows | MacOS Install the utility on multiple computers, create an online account where you identify each computer, and pick folders to synchronize. Up-to-date data becomes available on all those PCs whenever you make a change in a folder, with sync taking place in the background so you're never disturbed, just happy to find your files wherever you work.
Read the full review of FolderShare.
MozyHome Free
www.mozy.com
Windows | MacOS MozyHome provides automatic online backup for up to 2GB of your data.
PassPack
www.passpack.com
Web Pack away all your passwords in this secure online vault; it even logs you in to Web sites.
SyncToy v2.0
www.microsoft.com/downloads
Windows Make sure folders across your networked computers contain the same files, even on drives that change location and name.
WinClone
www.twocanoes.com
MacOS Bootcamp users: Now you can clone (back up) your Windows XP/Vista partition for reinstall on a new Mac.
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App Launchers
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Launchy
www.launchy.net
Windows Launchy launches (duh) applications, files, folders, or searches via a command-line-esque interface.
ObjectDock
www.stardock.com
Windows Organize your application shortcuts in a toolbar that mimics the look and feel of the Macintosh dock, complete with icon animations. It will even mimic Windows Taskbar buttons. Add in extras (docklets) like real-time clock and weather forecasts, even a fully functional Windows Start button and Recycle Bin, to get everything you need.
QuickSilver
www.blacktree.com
MacOS This open-source launcher takes plug-ins that allow it to do almost anything you want in the MacOS.
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Utilities
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Absolute Uninstaller
www.glarysoft.com
Windows Replace the Add/Remove Programs control panel in XP to get batch uninstalls and clear out leftovers that Windows frequently misses when uninstalling.
CCleaner
www.ccleaner.com
Windows The extra C is for crap, and that's what CCleaner gets rid of: all the detritus left behind in the course of using Windows.
CoolMon
www.coolmon.org
Windows CoolMon displays all of your system's vital statistics, including use of your CPU, RAM, and hard drives, internal PC temperature, and more.
Defraggler
www.defraggler.com
Windows Defragment your entire hard drive-or just one heavily fragmented file at a time.
DriverView
www.nirsoft.net
Windows DriverView lists every single device driver running on your system, with extra info on each.
Eraser
www.heidi.ie/eraser
Windows Shredders are popular in the office, so why not have the digital equivalent? Eraser adds a right-click menu that will do away with a file or folder forever.
FileZilla
www.filezilla-project.org
Windows | MacOS | Linux Download this FTP client for accessing multiple sites or to use as an FTP server. In both cases, FileZilla has convenient drag-and-drop support.
Glary Utilities
www.glaryutilities.com
Windows Glary offers a ton of utilities for cleaning, optimizing, and securing Windows in one package.
Microsoft Virtual PC 2007
www.microsoft.com/windows/virtualpc
Windows Install anything-DOS, OS/2, or any earlier version of Windows-as a virtual machine. It'll run in a separate window on your Vista or XP desktop.
Read the full review of Microsoft Virtual PC 2007.
SandBoxie
www.sandboxie.com
Web Place a layer of "transient storage"-a sandbox-between your applications and your hard disk to stay safe.
SecureZIP
www.securezip.com
Windows Compress and decompress files on the fly, even in e-mail through Outlook integration, and encrypt archives as desired.
Task Killer
www.rsdsoft.com
Windows Stop any Windows process dead; this is handy for clearing frozen applications.
TinkerTool
www.bresink.com
MacOS Get access to additional preference settings in Mac OS X to turn on hidden features.
Uniblue ProcessScanner
www.processlibrary.com
Windows | Web You can do the Ctrl-Alt-Delete salute in Windows to see what's bogging down your PC, but can you understand the results? ProcessScanner, coupled with the online Process Library, provides extra information on each process (like whether it autostarts or not, and who makes the software in question), and even lists the security risk to your system for running it.
Adobe Reader
www.adobe.com
Windows | MacOS | Linux | Mobile This simplest of Adobe's PDF programs lets you do just about anything PDF-related (besides create new ones), including online collaboration. It includes a host of features to aid users with disabilities.
AIM
www.aim.com
Windows | MacOS | Linux | Web One of the most widely used pieces of free software ever, AOL Instant Messenger offers a ton of capabilities.
Read our full review of AIM 6.5.
Audacity
audacity.sourceforge.net
Windows | MacOS | Linux Whether you're recording or editing, Audacity is all about audio in practically any format.
Firefox
www.mozilla.com
Windows | MacOS | Linux This PC Mag Editors' Choice Web browser has been on top of the heap since version 1.5 came out in late 2005. Read our full review of Firefox 2.0.
GIMP
www.gimp.org
Windows | MacOS | Linux The GNU Image Manipulation Program (GIMP) does most of what Photoshop does; the Gimpshop project (plasticbugs.com) even makes it look like Photoshop. Read our full review of The GIMP 2.0.
iTunes
www.apple.com/itunes
Windows | MacOS When you're attached to the top media player in the land (iPod), success is a given. iTunes continues to build sales and refine its organization of songs, video, games, podcasts, and more. Read our full review of Apple iTunes 7.6.
OpenOffice.org
www.openoffice.org
Windows | MacOS | Linux You can spend a lot for Microsoft Office or nothing for this suite with full-function word processor, spreadsheet, database, presentations, even an equations editor. Read our full review of OpenOffice.org 2.3.
Skype
www.skype.com
Windows | MacOS | Linux You'll pay to call regular phones, but if you sign up all your friends, Skype provides easy (and even international) calls and video-conferencing for nothing. Read our full review of Skype 3.0.
Thunderbird
www.mozilla.com/thunderbird
Windows | MacOS | Linux Mozilla's no-cost e-mail alternative is extensible, fast, and easy to master. And a wealth of free add-ons means there's not much this program won't do, from calendars to encryption. Read our full review of Thunderbird 2.
Ubuntu
www.ubuntu.com
Linux This Linux-based OS comes with many of these Hall of Fame products (Firefox, OpenOffice.org) preinstalled.
WinAmp
www.winamp.com
Windows After a decade of playing music, the "skinnable" WinAmp has several versions, including one with full CD ripping and burning.
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Operating Systems
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ajaxWindows
www.ajaxwindows.com
Web A virtual operating system (aka Web OS), it uses Asynchronous Java-Script and XML (AJAX) programming to mimic the look and feel of a Windows desktop in Firefox or IE. It stores files (using Gmail) and runs its own applications, plus Web apps like Meebo and Google Maps. If you can launch a Web browser, you can get work done through ajaxWindows.
eyeOS
eyeos.info
Web This Web OS has ultra-simplified applications, including an RSS reader, satellite maps, a word processor, even a browser—yes, for browsing the Web while on the Web.
Freespire 2.0
www.freespire.com
Linux This community-driven OS is based on Linspire (formerly Lindows)—a Linux distro that looks like Windows, with an emphasis on compatibility with other platforms.
Glide
www.glidedigital.com
Web | Flash Sleek style sets this Web OS apart, as does the ability (using a separate utility) to sync files, bookmarks, and e-mail from your real OS. Read our full review of Glide Effortless.
gOS
www.thinkgos.com
Linux Ubuntu-based and powered by Google's apps (just don't call it Google OS), gOS comes with the $200 PCs from Wal-Mart, but you can download it for any PC.
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Antivirus/Anti-Malware
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avast! 4 Home Edition
www.avast.com
Windows Spiffy-looking avast! notifies you by e-mail or IM if it catches a virus. You can't schedule scans, but its recovery database can help if a virus damages your files.
Read our full review of avast! 4 Home Edition.
AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition
free.grisoft.com
Windows Its control center is awkward, but AVG scans files on demand, upon access, on a schedule, and in e-mail. Its rescue disks will help you recover from disaster.
Read our full review of AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition.
Avira AntiVir Personal Edition Classic
www.free-av.com
Windows AntiVir scans files on demand, upon access, and on a schedule; it doesn't scan e-mail attachments until they're saved, but it does go to work on rootkits. It's especially good at coexisting with other security software. Like most good AV software, it has the Virus Bulletin's VB100% award and certification for virus detection from ICSA Labs.
Read our full review of Avira AntiVir Premium Security Suite.
HijackThis
www.trendsecure.com
Windows Run HijackThis, save a log, and then post the log on sites that support the program. You'll quickly get personalized expert help to remove any malware.
NanoScan
www.nanoscan.com
Windows | Web In less than a minute, NanoScan can analyze all processes running on your computer and identify viruses, Trojan horses, spyware, or other malicious programs.
ThreatFire AntiVirus
www.threatfire.com
Windows ThreatFire detects the bad guys by their behavior, not by outdated virus signatures. It's surprisingly accurate and a good companion to standard antivirus apps.
Read our full review of ThreatFire 3.
Trend Micro HouseCall
housecall.trendmicro.com
Windows Use the venerable HouseCall online scanner to get a second opinion, or use the app for cleanup when malware prevents installation of a local antivirus utility.
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Firewalls
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Comodo Firewall Pro
www.personalfirewall.comodo.com
Windows This protective dragon for XP and Vista keeps hackers out of your system, controls which programs can access the Net (its whitelist of about one million means you get fewer pop-ups), and blocks tricky "leak test" techniques. It's both tough and good-looking.
Read our full review of Comodo Firewall Pro.
ShieldsUP!
www.grc.com
Windows | Web Be sure your fire-walls are keeping your always-on Internet connection hidden from attackers. Shields-UP! provides a quick confirmation.
Read our full review of ShieldsUP!.
SmoothWall Express
www.smoothwall.org
Linux Got a spare PC running a Pentium 200 MHz or higher with 128MB of RAM? Turn it into a dedicated network firewall with this open-source download.
ZoneAlarm Free
www.zonealarm.com
Windows The free edition remains a useful protector against hack attacks and against programs that abuse your Internet connection.
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Security
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
EULAlyzer
www.javacoolsoftware.com
Windows Wonder what you're agreeing to when you click "I Accept"? Don't worry; just drag EULAlyzer's target icon onto the EULA for a quick report on any troublesome language.
Read our full review of EULAlyzer Personal 1.1.
Hotspot Shield
www.anchorfree.com
Windows Create an instant virtual private network (VPN) tunnel between your laptop and the router at any Wi-Fi hot spot to protect your data from snoops on the public airwaves, even if you're using extra encryption. If you're on a network that limits the use of certain apps (such as Skype), the VPN could give you unfettered access. It even works with your wired connection for an extra layer of security.
Kruptos 2
www.kruptos2.co.uk
Windows Kruptos makes a file accessible only to someone who knows the password; it includes a file shredder.
PC Flank
www.pcflank.com
Windows | Web While ShieldsUP! tests your firewall's ability to stealth all ports, PC Flank performs surgical strikes that emulate specific malware attacks to verify that your firewall blocks them.
SendShield
www.sendshield.com
Windows This Outlook add-on strips out extra info and tracked changes in Word documents attached to messages.
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Finance
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
mint
www.mint.com
Web Mint isn't like Quicken, where you enter in all your transactions. Instead, it syncs with your bank and credit card accounts online, checks your spending habits, and tells you how to improve to save money. If you're not paying attention to your spending, it'll send you regular alerts to inform you where your money has gone (nice for making sure you haven't been ripped off).
GnuCash
www.gnucash.org
Linux Linux users can track their bank accounts, stocks, and expenses in this financial program using a double-entry accounting method.
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Office
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AbiWord
www.abiword.com
Windows | MacOS | Linux Volunteers keep this open-source word processor alive. It closely mimics the look and feel of Microsoft Word 2003 and earlier.
Read the full review of AbiWord 2.0.
Gliffy
www.gliffy.com
Web | Flash An online-only diagramming tool with more options than you can flowchart. The free version is limited to five diagrams.
Google Docs
docs.google.com
Web | Mobile Google's slickly designed office suite offers online shared word processing, spreadsheets, and presentations-and best of all, finally a solid alternative in the office-suite space to the totally dominating Microsoft. Upload or e-mail your current documents for storage and editing.
Read the full review of Google Docs.
IBM Lotus Symphony
symphony.lotus.com
Web | Mobile A much prettier version of OpenOffice.org, Symphony is prepped for presentations, spreadsheets, and word processing in a single window (but lacks OO's drawing and database modules).
Read the full review of IBM Lotus Symphony Beta.
KompoZer
www.kompozer.net
Windows | MacOS | Linux A full WYSIWYG Web-page authoring tool akin to Dreamweaver, KompoZer integrates an FTP site manager for file uploads.
NeoOffice
www.neooffice.com
MacOS This version of OpenOffice.org has the same great tools and price (free), but with an interface designed specifically for the Mac OS.
Notepad++
notepad-plus.sourceforge.net
Windows Notepad++ handles text--especially source code-in ways the basic Windows Notepad could only dream of, with embellishments like tabs and color coding.
Read the full review of Notepad++.
Scribus
www.scribus.net
Windows | MacOS | Linux This open-source page layout tool has features comparable to big names like PAgemaker, plus support for PDFs and scalable vector graphics (SVG).
Windows Live Mail
get.live.com
Windows Live Mail not only reads your Hotmail, but also can check POP, IMAP, or HTTP mail accounts. It works as an RSS feed reader and a newsreader.
Zoho
www.zoho.com
Web | Mobile Zoho features every tool you could want-word processing, spreadsheet, presentations, database, even a wiki-and several you never knew you needed. Some are also available off-line.
Read the full review of Zoho.
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Calendar/PIMs
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Plaxo
www.plaxo.com
Web Perhaps the ultimate online address book, Plaxo is enhanced with the superpowers of a social network and plug-ins for many Web-based services like Flickr, YouTube, Twitter and LiveJournal for sharing across the Internet.
Backpack
www.backpackit.com
Web Backpack is more than a to-do list site. Your five easy-to-update pages send reminders via e-mail or SMS and include a whiteboard for online collaboration.
Read the full review of Backpack.
EssentialPIM Free
www.essentialpim.com
Windows Imagine taking the e-mail out of Microsoft Outlook to get a killer personal information manager (PIM). That's what EssentialPIM is all about.
Google Calendar
calendar.google.com
Web | Mobile Featuring seamless integration with other Google products, sharing capabilities, and SMS reminders, this Web app does for calendars what Google did for search.
Read the full review of Google Calendar.
Lightning
www.mozilla.org/projects/calendar/lightning
Windows | MacOS | Linux To be more like Microsoft Outlook, Thunderbird needs a calendar. Lightning provides that, plus a to-do list. It can even sync with Google Calendar.
Power Calculator
www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/powertoys/xppowertoys.mspx Windows This XP-only PowerToy replaces the lame Windows calculator with a mathematical powerhouse.
Remember The Milk
www.rememberthemilk.com
Web | Mobile Never forget another grocery item, or anything else, using this extensible online task manager. It'll send reminders via e-mail, SMS, and IM.
Sunbird
www.mozilla.org/projects/calendar/sunbird
Windows | MacOS | Linux Sunbird is Mozilla's standalone calendar for tracking events and upcoming tasks. It's a sister to Lightning, which adds the same functions to Thunderbird.
30 Boxes
www.30boxes.com
Web One of the best-looking online calendars, 30 Boxes features easy-to-grasp pop-ups for adding events and viewing schedule details.
Yahoo! Calendar
calendar.yahoo.com
Web Track your schedule and share it with friends, then sync your calendar with Outlook or your phone. It's a great place to back up a handheld.
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Backup/Sync
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Allway Sync
www.allwaysync.com
Windows Sync files between your PC and an external drive, filtering by folder, file name, or file type. The program displays warnings about questionable files before syncing.
DriveImage XML
www.runtime.org
Windows Make an image of your entire hard drive for backup and restore purposes.
FolderShare
www.foldershare.com
Windows | MacOS Install the utility on multiple computers, create an online account where you identify each computer, and pick folders to synchronize. Up-to-date data becomes available on all those PCs whenever you make a change in a folder, with sync taking place in the background so you're never disturbed, just happy to find your files wherever you work.
Read the full review of FolderShare.
MozyHome Free
www.mozy.com
Windows | MacOS MozyHome provides automatic online backup for up to 2GB of your data.
PassPack
www.passpack.com
Web Pack away all your passwords in this secure online vault; it even logs you in to Web sites.
SyncToy v2.0
www.microsoft.com/downloads
Windows Make sure folders across your networked computers contain the same files, even on drives that change location and name.
WinClone
www.twocanoes.com
MacOS Bootcamp users: Now you can clone (back up) your Windows XP/Vista partition for reinstall on a new Mac.
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App Launchers
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Launchy
www.launchy.net
Windows Launchy launches (duh) applications, files, folders, or searches via a command-line-esque interface.
ObjectDock
www.stardock.com
Windows Organize your application shortcuts in a toolbar that mimics the look and feel of the Macintosh dock, complete with icon animations. It will even mimic Windows Taskbar buttons. Add in extras (docklets) like real-time clock and weather forecasts, even a fully functional Windows Start button and Recycle Bin, to get everything you need.
QuickSilver
www.blacktree.com
MacOS This open-source launcher takes plug-ins that allow it to do almost anything you want in the MacOS.
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Utilities
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Absolute Uninstaller
www.glarysoft.com
Windows Replace the Add/Remove Programs control panel in XP to get batch uninstalls and clear out leftovers that Windows frequently misses when uninstalling.
CCleaner
www.ccleaner.com
Windows The extra C is for crap, and that's what CCleaner gets rid of: all the detritus left behind in the course of using Windows.
CoolMon
www.coolmon.org
Windows CoolMon displays all of your system's vital statistics, including use of your CPU, RAM, and hard drives, internal PC temperature, and more.
Defraggler
www.defraggler.com
Windows Defragment your entire hard drive-or just one heavily fragmented file at a time.
DriverView
www.nirsoft.net
Windows DriverView lists every single device driver running on your system, with extra info on each.
Eraser
www.heidi.ie/eraser
Windows Shredders are popular in the office, so why not have the digital equivalent? Eraser adds a right-click menu that will do away with a file or folder forever.
FileZilla
www.filezilla-project.org
Windows | MacOS | Linux Download this FTP client for accessing multiple sites or to use as an FTP server. In both cases, FileZilla has convenient drag-and-drop support.
Glary Utilities
www.glaryutilities.com
Windows Glary offers a ton of utilities for cleaning, optimizing, and securing Windows in one package.
Microsoft Virtual PC 2007
www.microsoft.com/windows/virtualpc
Windows Install anything-DOS, OS/2, or any earlier version of Windows-as a virtual machine. It'll run in a separate window on your Vista or XP desktop.
Read the full review of Microsoft Virtual PC 2007.
SandBoxie
www.sandboxie.com
Web Place a layer of "transient storage"-a sandbox-between your applications and your hard disk to stay safe.
SecureZIP
www.securezip.com
Windows Compress and decompress files on the fly, even in e-mail through Outlook integration, and encrypt archives as desired.
Task Killer
www.rsdsoft.com
Windows Stop any Windows process dead; this is handy for clearing frozen applications.
TinkerTool
www.bresink.com
MacOS Get access to additional preference settings in Mac OS X to turn on hidden features.
Uniblue ProcessScanner
www.processlibrary.com
Windows | Web You can do the Ctrl-Alt-Delete salute in Windows to see what's bogging down your PC, but can you understand the results? ProcessScanner, coupled with the online Process Library, provides extra information on each process (like whether it autostarts or not, and who makes the software in question), and even lists the security risk to your system for running it.