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1. 
   Review - ZoneAlarm Plus

   3.7.061 Beta (Feb 2, 2003)

   It's an okay firewall for average users, but every firewall needs advanced settings that allow for the blocking/freeing of specific ports manually.

2. 
   Review - DivX for Windows

   5.0.1 (Apr 10, 2002)

   5.0 was a step forward in compression, but a step backwards in CPU usage. In switching from 4.0, I had problems with sound desyncing with the video, major slowdowns, etc. In comparison, with 4.0, I'd have smooth, synced video/audio with no slowdowns, even with 6-12 programs running in the background.
   
   Any word on whether 5.01 fixes the slowdowns?

3. 
   Review - Trillian

   0.722 (Feb 1, 2002)

   umm... there IS a spam block function, and there IS an auto updater :o

4. 
   Review - Trillian

   0.72 (Jan 30, 2002)

   GREAT program. I use MSN, ICQ, IRC, and AIM with it, and it's great not having to wade through mIRC, MSN Messenger, AIM, and ICQ, each taking up more memory than trillian :o Definitely a must-get!

5. Comment - Microsoft Completes 64-Bit Windows

   0.72 (Apr 1, 2005 - 12:50 AM)

   There is one big reason Windows x64 will run faster on those shiny, new AMD64 chips: registers. The AMD64s have an extra set of 64 bit registers that the extended x86-64 standard uses, but that the x86 (32 bit) standard does not. Increasing the number and size of your registers is like increasing the RAM in your system or increasing your cache... only registers are orders of magnitude faster, so your improvement should be significantly more pronounced than simply dumping another stick of ram in.
   
   I can't wait to see what my 3400+ will pull off in Windows x64.

6. Comment - Microsoft Offers Bounty on Virus Writers

   0.72 (Nov 8, 2003 - 4:04 PM)

   Users who choose to sign up for an internet connection should learn about things like firewalls and virus scanners.
   
   HOWEVER, you have to admit it is inherently insecure and irresponsible to program an OS to open up ports most average users will neither use nor know about by default on a fresh install. For example, most users will NEVER use the RPC services, and most will NEVER use the network messenger, but both are turned on by default, both are probably unknown to most users, and both are highly exploitable.

7. Comment - Windows Password Flaw Revealed

   0.72 (Aug 2, 2003 - 4:25 PM)

   No problem - my IP is 127.0.0.1 ;)

8. Comment - Appeals Court Halts Microsoft Java Order

   0.72 (Feb 4, 2003 - 3:41 PM)

   "so then your saying the benifit to me is that Sun gets to force its Java on me so that Developers can then write programs to sell me cause they know Im forced to have it on my system? Sounds like a bonus for developers in both short n long term."
   
   Should we then assume that you are angry and upset over every program forced upon you by Microsoft? I could name a handful of programs you have to live with if you're running a Windows machine...
   
   Another point - don't *just* complain about Java being forced upon you. Complain about .NET being forced upon you. Realize that all future versions of Windows will have it embedded, and likely will have it embedded in such a way that you can never remove it.
   
   S...Microsoft gets to force its J...NET on me so that Developers can then write programs to sell me cause they know Im forced to have it on my system?
   
   Maybe at some point a java based product might come out I want but truthfully it really is more for Sun and developers than it is for anyone else.
   
   Don't tell me you've never been to a website with Java applets. www.javaarcade.com is a sweet site when you're in a computer lab at school :) www.scorch2000.com is a great site for simplistic multiplayer gaming.
   
   "I ,like a lot of ppl I suppose, really don't care about how its written if it works and does what I want."
   
   You will care when it comes down to the fact that how something is written can limit what you do it with and what you use it on.
   
   " Why cant THAT program install java if it was needed "
   
   It could, but 25MB is a lot of disk real estate for any program that may already be pushing the limits of the CD. That may not be too much of a problem, so it's easy to expect newer programs to go ahead and include the latest JVM out when they release. Still... it's a huge hassle to install multiple programs just to get something working.
   
   However, what about older programs? It's absurd to expect users to download a 25MB program in order for your product to work. What about web pages? Should Microsoft fully remove the JVM from Windows, many pages would have to simply remove content. Anything used in applets would have to be switched to some other format that was browser-friendly.
   
   "instead of forcing it on me with, as I understand it to be Suns wish, no way to remove it."
   
   I don't know how true that is (in fact, I think that's bogus - I think I remember Sun giving the option to uninstall Java if you wish), but even if it is - look at Microsoft and all the programs you can't remove from Windows.
   
   "Im sorry no matter which way you slice it I don't like the Government or the courts controling whats in my computer...that should be my decision."
   
   It has never been your decision. If the government doesn't control what's on your computer, Microsoft will, and has.
   
   The only truly fair option in all this would be for the courts to deny Microsoft the ability to include .NET as part of Windows. Then Microsoft and Sun could duke it out in the marketplace on relatively fair terms. However, if you've kept up with computer history, Microsoft has never been successfully denied the inclusion of any program within Windows, despite the court system's best attempts.
   
   I really wish it were as simple as keeping .NET and Java both separate from Windows, letting the customer decide which to use. There are aspects of both I like, and the competition would only force them to improve, and likely incorporate features included in their opponent.
   
   Unfortunately, distribution is key in the establishment of any technology, and with its OS monopoly, Microsoft can easily force .NET upon everyone while at the same time continuing to crush Java's distribution channels. It's highly illegal, of course, but the government seems neither inclined nor able to stop it.

9. Comment - MS SQL Server Worm Cripples Internet

   0.72 (Jan 25, 2003 - 7:05 PM)

   "One such administrator told BetaNews that a tool offered by Microsoft to confirm all hot fixes were applied, HFNetChk, did not correctly identify the missing patch. "
   
   To their credit, it's hard for admins to apply a patch they either don't know about or think has already been applied.
   
   It is pathetic that the software was set up in such a way that this could even happen. If Microsoft hadn't been so stupid as to make a server send a reply that is identical to a request, this wouldn't happen.
   
   So, it seems Microsoft is at fault on two counts - poor programming of the actual server and then poor programming of the tool to check for missing patches.