| 7-Zip |
Create ZIP compressed archives
for free with this handy utility. |
| Abilon |
This powerful, speedy RSS reader
offers a choice of views, and features a built-in tabbed browser. |
| AbiWord |
This lightweight, full-featured
word processor is compatible with Microsoft Word documents and also
runs on Linux and Macs. |
| AIM
Mail |
AIM mail offers 2GB of storage
and integration with AOL Instant Messenger. |
| AirDefense
Personal Lite |
This simple program alerts
you whenever you connect to an insecure network or to a hotspot
you haven't previously marked as safe. |
| Alleycode |
A simple HTML editor for people
who are comfortable with code and need to do some quick editing. |
| All-in-One
Secretmaker |
All-in-One Secretmaker blocks
banner ads and pop-ups, filters spam, and offers an array of utilities
for cleaning up and securing your system. |
| Anonymizer |
This anonymous browsing service
will display Web pages without revealing any information to the
sites you visit. |
| Audacity |
All-purpose audio editor lets
you record, play, and edit digital files. |
| Avast
Home Edition |
This antivirus scanner can
do a boot-time virus scan (which can catch more viruses than scanning
once Windows is running) and will continually monitor your system
for threats. |
| Avvenu |
This free remote-access and
file-sharing service lets you and your colleagues get to files on
an Avvenu-enabled computer from another computer, Web-enabled phone,
or PDA. |
| Backpack |
Create Web pages--with to-do
lists, notes, pictures, and more--that you can share with a group. |
| Bartleby |
This online reference library
offers a host of features, including a dictionary, thesaurus, and
various books of quotations. |
| BeInSync |
Make sure you have access to
your critical files and folders with this remote-access tool. |
| BitTorrent |
BitTorrent is useful for downloading
legitimate content quickly or for sharing your own files. |
| Blogger |
This blogging service remains
incredibly simple to use, but offers a rich complement of features. |
| Bloglines |
This Web-based RSS reader lets
you access your news from multiple PCs. |
| CCleaner |
Finds and zaps useless files--including
cache files and old Registry entries--that may be slowing down your
PC. |
| Celestia |
Zoom through the solar system
with Celestia, which offers real-time views of planets, moons, comets,
stars, and more. |
| Copernic
Desktop Search |
Copernic lets you search local
files as well as Outlook and Outlook Express e-mail. |
| Del.icio.us |
Forget bookmarks--this service
keeps track of your favorite sites, and much more, from any Internet-connected
PC. |
| eFax
Messenger |
You can receive faxes on your
PC with eFax, viewing or printing them via the eFax Messenger software. |
| EssentialPIM
Free |
EssentialPIM combines a calendar,
contact manager, to-do list, and notes manager in a single program. |
| Feedreader |
This free Windows utility displays
your news feeds, and includes flexible keyboard shortcuts. |
| Festoon
Beta |
This add-on for Skype and Google
Talk lets users of these two services make calls to each other,
and brings video chat capabilities to Google Talk. |
| Firefox |
Still using Internet Explorer?
It's time you made the switch to Firefox--a more secure, faster,
and more flexible Web browser. |
| FlashGot |
This Firefox plug-in simplifies
downloading, allowing you to grab every page from a Web site or
download multiple files efficiently. |
| Flickr |
Easily upload, share, and post
pictures with this popular service. |
| FolderShare
(Mac) |
|
| FolderShare
(Windows) |
Automatically sync files and
folders between multiple computers and easily share data with colleagues
and friends. |
| FolderSync |
Keep your USB drive and your
hard drive on the same page with this synchronization utility. |
| FoxIt
Reader |
For viewing PDF files, FoxIt
Reader beats Adobe Reader hands-down--and it's got some tools Adobe
lacks. |
| Free
Download Manager |
This companion to Internet
Explorer can speed up single-file downloads, resume interrupted
downloads, manage bandwidth usage, or schedule multiple file downloads
for specific times. |
| FreeConference.com |
Set up and host conference
calls with this free Web service. |
| FreeMind |
FreeMind allows you to compile
your notes in a "mind map"--a free-form tree structure that mimics
the way your brain works. |
| Furl |
Save your favorite Web pages
in an online account that you can access from any computer. |
| GetByMail |
Don't pay for a pricey remote-access
app--GetByMail offers access to your office computer through your
e-mail account. |
| Gmail |
Google's e-mail service feels
more like a Windows application than a Web mail service. |
| Google
Desktop |
Google Desktop extends the
power of the Web's most popular search engine to your desktop by
indexing nearly every document on your hard drive. |
| Google
Earth |
Spin the earth, tilt it, and
zoom in to objects as tiny as one building. |
| Google
Picasa |
Picasa offers a simple--and
free--way to organize, touch up, and share your photos. |
| Google
Video |
Google's service is well suited
for commercially oriented video producers looking for a large audience
for their work. |
| GRC
Shields Up |
This browser-based tool checks
your PC for common vulnerabilities, such as open ports. |
| Groove
Virtual Office |
Bring your far-flung coworkers
together with this file-sharing and collaboration tool. |
| Hyperwords |
This Firefox browser plug-in
makes any text on any Web page clickable. |
| Irfanview |
This lean, mean graphics utility
offers basic image editing and file format conversions. |
| iTeamwork |
This Web-based project management
service helps groups keep track of complicated projects. |
| iTunes |
Apple's media player is a joy
to use even if you never buy a 99-cent song. |
| Kodak EasyShare Gallery |
This site's usability, mobile-phone
access options, and lack of upload restrictions make it our top
pick for photo sharing. |
| Kristal
Audio Engine |
This sophisticated audio mixing
and sequencing platform offers features found in much pricier apps. |
| Lavasoft
Ad-Aware SE Personal |
Ad-Aware scans your PC for
spyware, making sure that no digital snoops are lurking in memory
or on your hard drive. |
| LiveJournal |
LiveJournal offers plenty of
customizable options for your blog, and carries no advertising. |
| LogMeIn |
This remote access service
lets you control your PC from afar, via a Web browser. |
| Microsoft
Tweak UI |
Take control of hidden Windows
XP settings, from determining what appears on your Start menu to
specifying how users log on to your computer, with this extra set
of tools created by Microsoft developers. |
| Microsoft Windows Defender (formerly AntiSpyware Beta) |
Microsoft's antispyware app
catches spyware that other programs don't--including the dangerous
"rootkit" Trojan horse that some Sony music CDs carry. |
| MSN
Hotmail |
MSN Hotmail offers a respectable
250MB of storage and a familiar, Windows-like look. |
| MSN
Search Toolbar With Windows Desktop Search |
This search tool indexes your
hard drive and provides search results through a Windows application,
rather than a browser. |
| MySpace |
MySpace lets you store an unlimited
number of small images, and makes uploading music and images easy. |
| Netomat |
This social networking service
allows you to create, access, and share content on the Web or a
phone. |
| Netscape
Webmail |
Netscape Webmail offers 250MB
of storage and features large, easy-to-click buttons. |
| NewsGator |
NewsGator displays your RSS
feeds in a clean, readable display. |
| Nvu |
This sophisticated Web page
editor doesn't require any understanding of the underlying tags. |
| OmniFormat |
Convert BMPs to JPEGs, GIFs
to PDFs, Word documents to TIF image files, and more with this free
document conversion utility. |
| OpenOffice.org |
This full-fledged, Microsoft
Office-compatible office suite offers a word processor, spreadsheet,
presentation package, and database--and it doesn't cost one thin
dime. |
| Palm
Desktop |
This remarkably well-designed
calendar and address book application will appeal to users who don't
even have a PDA. |
| Pandora |
Enter the name of an artist
or song that you like and Pandora creates a custom "radio station"
for you--and makes surprisingly good choices. |
| PBwiki |
Create a free, password-protected
wiki--a collaborative Web site--with PBwiki. |
| PDF
Creator |
This printer driver lets you
create Adobe Acrobat files from within almost any application. |
| Pegasus
Mail |
A longtime favorite of power
users, this e-mail client provides a huge amount of control over
your mail, with support for mail merges and flexible filtering options. |
| podAmigo |
podAmigo works with the Podomatic
Web service to organize and download your podcasts. |
| Project
Gutenberg |
Browse electronic versions
of more than 17,000 books at this online library. |
| Putfile |
This basic video sharing service
works reliably and well. |
| PuTTY |
This free utility allows you
to create an SSH, Telnet, or Rlogin connection. |
| QNext |
This universal instant messenger
service includes robust music-sharing%252520and photo-sharing features. |
| Revver |
This service--our Best Bet--is
a video sharing site from which you can actually make money. |
| RssReader |
RssReader displays your news
feeds simply and cleanly. |
| SeaMonkey |
This suite of Internet tools
includes the Mozilla browser, an enhanced version of the netscape
Messenger e-mail client, the ChatZilla IRC chat program, and an
HTML editor. |
| SightSpeed |
This video calling service
is simple to set up, synchronizes lip movements and audio neatly,
and offers easy in-call controls. |
| Skype |
Skype offers free PC-to-PC
voice calls with text chat and file transfer capabilities. |
| Spybot
Search & Destroy |
Spybot is a powerful antidote
in the battle against spyware. |
| Steganos
LockNote |
Password-protect text files
with LockNote, a simple notepad with strong encryption. |
| Streamload
Mediamax |
Streamload Mediamax is great
for users who want to share lots of big files in addition to videos. |
| SyncNotes |
This sticky-note application
runs on your computer, but allows you to view and edit your notes
from any Web or WAP browser. |
| System
Information for Windows |
This utility will tell you
everything you need to know about your computer's hardware, operating
system, installed programs, and more. |
| Ta-Da
List |
Stay organized with this straightforward
to-do list manager. |
| The
GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) |
This freely distributed app
includes tools for photo retouching, image composition, and image
authoring. |
| ThinkFree
Online Beta |
This software runs in your
browser and lets you edit Microsoft Office-compatible documents,
spreadsheets, and presentations. |
| Thunderbird |
The tighter security and robust
stability of this e-mail client make it the top choice for managing
e-mail on your PC. |
| Trend
Micro HouseCall |
This Web site runs software
in your browser to scan for and eliminate malware on your PC. |
| Trillian
Basic |
This universal IM client lets
you keep in contact with your friends whether they use IRC, AOL,
ICQ, MSN Messenger, or Yahoo Messenger. |
| Vimeo |
Of the video sharing services
we tested, Vimeo is perhaps the easiest to use. |
| Wapedia |
For accessing Wikipedia from
a PDA or smart phone, try Wapedia. |
| Wikipedia |
This online encyclopedia is
a convenient way to find general information on almost anything. |
| Windows Live Mail |
This Ajax-based service is
still in beta, but you can put your name on a waiting list. |
| WordPress.com |
This hosted blogging service
offers a clean, fast interface. |
| WordWeb |
This handy utility provides
a dictionary and a thesaurus that work in any application on your
computer. |
| WriteBoard |
This service lets you create,
edit, and share documents with others right in your browser. |
| Xanga
Classic |
Xanga offers 200MB of image
storage and features plenty of blog-formatting templates. |
| Yahoo
Briefcase |
Yahoo Briefcase is one of the
easiest ways we know of to store and share files online. |
| Yahoo
Calendar |
This ad-supported calendar
is one of the best available online. |
| Yahoo
Mail |
With a traditional, forms-based
Web interface, Yahoo mail is quick and easy to use. |
| Yahoo Mail Beta |
Beta, not yet public. |
| Yahoo
Widgets |
This application puts "widgets"
on your desktop that provide useful information, such as news updates,
weather reports, stock tickers, or photos, or provide handy little
services, like performing search engine queries, storing your notes,
and more. |
| ZoneAlarm |
Zone Alarm's free firewall
keeps watch over inbound and outbound Internet connections, helping
avert malicious attacks by hackers and spyware. |
