Favorite Files

1. doPDF
2. Fraps
3. Free File Camouflage
4. FreeDOS
5. HandBrake for Windows
6. Intel Chipset Device Software
7. Lagarith
8. LibreOffice for Windows
9. Mandriva Linux
10. MediaInfo
11. Memtest86+
12. Microsoft Small Basic
13. Mozilla Firefox (v3.6) for Windows
14. nVIDIA GeForce Drivers for Windows
15. O&O DiskImage Professional Edition
16. openSUSE
17. Printer's Apprentice
18. Realtek High Definition Audio Codecs for Windows
19. Scarab Darkroom
20. Sumatra PDF
21. Tor for Windows
22. UltraDefrag
23. Unstoppable Copier for Windows
24. VirtualBox
25. VLC (VideoLAN) for Windows
26. WebShot
27. Win7 MAC Address Changer

Recent Posts

1. 
   Review - VLC (VideoLAN) for Windows

   2.0.1 (May 5, 2012)

   Installed this over top of an earlier 1.x version and am a little uptight because 1, my old skin doesn't work (no biggie) but 2, because it took every file association related to media from every other app on my system.
   
   I need to look into what happened, but if I can't find a way to prevent that, I will not be able to give it more than 2 stars.
   
   If it works properly and installs properly, then it is probably a 4 star app. But if in their arrogance they decided that during install the want to take over everything in the hopes you won't mind, that's not good.
   
   Maybe someone will have an answer. If I find one, I'll update the review.

2. 
   Review - Mozilla Firefox (v12) for Windows

   12.0 (Apr 24, 2012)

   I'm frustrated with these rapid releases.
   
   In part because things that worked perfectly in v3.6.x do not work - either at all or in part - in 12.
   
   Adblock Plus in 3.6 works incredibly well. But in 12, even with that option unselected to allow certain ads through, there are a Bunch of ads that get through. I will check out Google News and ads that do not show up on 3.6.x show up in 12. Same thing for YouTube and many other channels.
   
   The skin I use, Past Modern, does not work with 12 either.
   
   TabMix Plus works differently, as does Custom Geometry - and I seem to lose some functionality.
   
   I really dig Firefox. v3.6.27 works GREAT for me. Why do they have to go and break stuff that works?

3. 
   Review - Tor for Windows

   2.2.35-8 (Apr 23, 2012)

   The main version, the one not bundled with portable Firefox, works fine with the Firefox I have installed - except for Flash videos on various sites, it seems.
   
   But that aside, I don't understand the extent of the protection.
   
   If I fire up Outlook for email, is that also protected? What about IE?
   
   Do individual apps have to be programmed to be made aware of Tor? Or perhaps like Firefox, do you have to have a plug-in or add-on for a specific app like Outlook or Outlook Express?
   
   Thanks for any help.
   
   But bottom line is that it works as advertised while browsing. But I don't know if it masks downloads, either direct or bit torrent, though I have read you are not supposed to do bit torrent with Tor for a variety of reasons.

4. 
   Review - LibreOffice for Windows

   3.5.2 (Apr 5, 2012)

   This office suite is getting better and better all the time. Since being branched off from Oracle, LibreOffice is moving at a good clip.
   
   You get the whole deal, including a full-on database, and they really are starting to become stable, mature, functional apps with some nice, up-to-date features.
   
   Unless you need nearly perfect MS Office compatibility, I think you should invest some serious time into learning how to make the most out of this office suite. It is a remarkable production from a group of really dedicated contributors and it is a testament to what OpenSource can be.
   
   It does almost everything I could want on a daily basis and it does it very well. I'm glad this thing is out there. I'm grateful for all the work they put in.
   
   Thank you folks for carrying on and making it a near Must-Have for the PC.

5. 
   Review - nVIDIA GeForce Drivers for Windows

   295.73 (Feb 26, 2012)

   Dag Nabbit. Still introducing problems where none previously existed on my Windows 7 Pro 64 bit system.
   
   266.58 is still the most stable for me.
   
   295.73 seems broken in at least 2 ways right off the bat for me. One, having initialization trouble with DX10/11 mode in some games (Civ 5 for example) and two, sometimes support for Aero seems to "flicker" on and off. I'll be playing a game or doing web surfing, watching videos on YouTube and bam, it'll toggle OUT of Aero mode to Classic, meaning no transparency effects and such on the desktop. Then it might pop back IN to Aero mode - and I can discern no pattern.
   
   So for now my 3 Gigabyte GTX-580 is sticking with 266.58.

6. Comment - Nvidia improves performance, not power, ahead of E3 with new notebook GPU

   295.73 (Jun 1, 2011 - 7:04 PM)

   I thought the new 485M was the top performer in the graphic market for Nvidia on the Mobile side?

7. Comment - Tip: Recover valuable disk space after installing Windows 7 SP1

   295.73 (Feb 27, 2011 - 1:30 PM)

   Will CCleaner also take care of removing these files?

8. Comment - Tip: Protect your PC with Paragon Backup & Recovery (Advanced) Free 2011

   295.73 (Feb 14, 2011 - 11:30 PM)

   Cool info. Thanks!
   
   I've been using Paragon Partition Manager for the last few years and it has been very reliable and capable for me, which Partition Magic stopped being for some reason.
   
   I'll give this app a try. Free = Win!

9. Comment - LibreOffice 3.3: Fast, fun and functional

   295.73 (Feb 8, 2011 - 7:40 PM)

   There is a list of how many features are in LibreOffice not in OpenOffice on their page, and there are a lot, including more aggressive support for open standards such as SVG, and they have already been chosen to replace OpenOffice in an increasing number of Linux distributions, including Ubuntu and OpenSuse (I believe). Many of the coders that used to work on OpenOffice have moved over to LibreOffice, so the people most familiar with the codebase are no longer contributing to OpenOffice. It also looks like development in LibreOffice is going to be more constant and less stagnant than OpenOffice.

10. Comment - LibreOffice 3.3: Fast, fun and functional

    295.73 (Feb 7, 2011 - 6:05 PM)

    Not perfect but it is on a better path than OpenOffice and if they can improve the SVG support and include hardcore updates to the help / documentation, I would see no reason to go with OpenOffice at all.