Site Kreator: Painless and Professional Web Design for Less - 3/15/2007 Want to create an interactive Web site, but have little or no experience? Site Kreator may be the perfect tool for you, with options for painlessly creating Websites with CSS and implementing blogs, image galleries, mailing lists, and more.
AOL OpenRide: A Trip into the Next Generation of AOL - 3/7/2007 AOL's new Helix (formerly OpenRide) software features an innovative QuadPane design that integrates the AOL Web browser, AOL Mail, AOL instant messaging (AOL People), and the AOL Media Center tools into one easily accessible interface. While Helix promises to help you do what you want online in fewer clicks and fewer hassles, is it really worth taking the trip in this case?
Ashampoo WinOptimizer 4.0: Optimize Windows to Your Heart's Content - 2/28/2007 WinOptimizer 4 takes a bold leap ahead of its previous release with the ability to now adjust well over 450 Windows system settings. Whether added or upgraded, the tools and tweaks contained in version 4.0 set a new standard in optimization versatility.
Windows Vista: Worthy of the Hype? - 2/21/2007 You've undoubtedly heard the hype. But is the new Windows Vista worth the upgrade and the money? Here's our take on the launch of Microsoft's latest operating system.
Internet Business Promoter: Successful Search Engine Optimization in a Suite? - 2/17/2007 Internet Business Promoter (IBP) effectively combines a number of search engine optimization (SEO), Web site promotion, and SEO results tracking tools into an interface that is both easy to understand and work with. Its capabilities don't come cheap, but the suite can easily pay for itself in a very short period of time with better search engine results.
HomeNet Manager 3.0: Manage Your Home Network More Efficiently - 2/13/2007 The third iteration of HomeNet Manager boasts a host of helpful network management features, including wireless network configuration, network-resource sharing, and device management and troubleshooting.
Windows Live Mail Desktop: Out with Outlook Express, In with Windows Live Mail - 2/8/2007 Even though it's still in beta, Windows Live Mail is already a quantum leap ahead of its Outlook Express predecessor. Its excellent handling of multiple mail accounts and security features may even tempt some that have previously abandoned Microsoft e-mail clients.
Network Magic 4: Network Management Made Simple - 2/6/2007 Network Magic provides information about your network and helps facilitate mundane tasks such as sharing of folders or printers, acting as a helpful, easy-to-use intermediary between your router and your computer. Interface improvements and new features in the v4 release put this home network management software in the must-try list.
BitDefender: Comprehensive PC Protection with a Serious Pedigree - 1/25/2007 Not content to tackle security issues from just one vantage point, the BitDefender trio of internet security products comprehensively safeguards computers from a range of threats. The BitDefender line carries considerable clout in the security sector, so what exactly makes the products so great?
Skype 3.0: Streamlined and Enhanced for the New Year - 1/11/2007 Skype is ushering in the New Year with an update to the Windows version of its software. Version 3.0 features a handful of tweaks designed to streamline the tabbed interface while also emphasizing features that were not always easy to find in previous versions.
Norton 360: A Full Circle of Protection for Home Networks - 1/3/2007 Symantec has repackaged its security features and PC utilities into a consumer-friendly product that comprehensively protects your PCs and backs up important data online. While Norton 360 doesn't currently do everything that Symantec's standalone packages can, it should serve as a competent security mix for home networks.
FileHawk: Taking Desktop Search Beyond Your Desktop - 12/19/2006 FileHawk goes beyond simply searching your PC's hard drive by extending its search capabilities to CD/DVD drives, external hard drives, and flash memory drives, but does this new desktop search tool have enough to make up for its price tag and somewhat limited interface?
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.
