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1. 
   Review - Media Player Classic - Home Cinema (32-bit)

   1.5.1.2903 (Mar 4, 2011)

   @sinewave: "AVI is a *container* format that can contain a plethora of differently encoded video and audio streams. It's not like MP4, for instance. AVI is like MKV."
   
   You're half right and half wrong. Yes, AVI and MKV are containers rather than codecs, but so is MP4. MP4s usually contain MPEG H.264/AVC video streams with AAC audio, but can also contain other formats.
   
   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MPEG-4_Part_14
   
   Anyway, MPC-HC is great as a player in it's own right, and great for those who don't want to bother with any other installations for video.
   
   Personally, I find it best to install ffdshow and use the built in codecs and splitters as a fallback:
   
   - install ffdshow
   - In MPCs Internal Filters, tick everything
   - In MPC's "Options / External Filters", add "ffdshow video decoder" and set it to preferred.
   
   The same can be done with "ffdshow audio decoder" if required.
   
   The only other video playpack tool I have installed is VLC. I don't find it quite as responsive as MPC, but need it for certain streaming functions.
   
   There's one other gotcha, just for MPC/FFDshow x64 users, and that's regarding other applications that use do video thumbnailing, like XNview. If the thumbnailing application is x86, then it won't be able to use the x64 decoders and splitters. For that reason you may also have to install the x86 version of ffdshow, and perhaps an x86 MPC for testing playback (I just use the original MPC standalone rather than a full MPC-HC).
   
   Computer video is so darn complicated you have to be an IT expert to navigate it sometimes. Blame the lack of standard and proprietary formats. Anyway, that landscape taken for granted, as I started off this long post by saying, MPC-HC is great for your average user.

2. 
   Review - Google Earth for Windows

   4.3.7284 Beta (Jan 26, 2009)

   This rubbish didn't even realize I have an older version installed on a different drive. Just installed itself to C overwriting the Add/Remove entry, and left all the old files still on there. Easy to fix, but what a load of garbage for an installer.

3. 
   Review - AbiWord for Windows

   2.6.5 (Dec 4, 2008)

   Word and Writer are great if you want to do complex stuff, or don't mind using software that takes a lot of resources even though you'll only use 1% of it's features, but for me, when on older hardware, this simple, quick-starting word processor fits the bill.

4. 
   Review - Process Manager for Windows

   1.0.112 Beta 1 (Dec 4, 2008)

   Sure you don't mean Process Explorer from Sysinternals/MS? That's in v11 but is a full-blown application, that - as you point out - has been years in development.
   
   This is a simple utility that seems to aim to make it quicker and more efficient to do two tasks - kill processes or change their priority, and it does exactly that by reducing the number of actions needed to execute those tasks.
   
   I'll be using this, but I'd really like to see an option to hide the system tray icon.

5. 
   Review - Shareaza

   2.4.0.0 (Oct 3, 2008)

   Free, open source, without adware or spyware, and connects to the eDonkey network, Gnutella 2 and the original Gnutella, plus BitTorrent. Downloading files are able to gather sources from all of the above at the same time.
   
   IMO the best general-use P2P program around. And yeah, their original site was hijacked by dubious people in dubious cirsumstances some time ago.

6. Comment - Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 R2 betas go live

   2.4.0.0 (Jan 10, 2009 - 9:20 AM)

   This fiasco illustrates two interesting points.
   
   One, people still get excited by the idea of a new OS! Many of us who deride Vista on the basis that it's new features simply aren't worth it's extra demands on performance really aren't just clinging on jealously to the "good ol days" of XP. Give us a sniff of a decent upgrade with new and improved features that might actually (*gasp* - could it be possible?!) run QUICKER on the same hardware (due to that almost forgotten concept of programming elegance and efficiency, rather than Bloat), and guess what.... we'd all love to upgrade. Perhaps W7 will provide that, perhaps not, but I for one am interested to find out.
   
   Two, the big boys like Microsoft need to get with the program and embrace distribution of software via BitTorrent and public trackers. Adding extra servers? What a waste, there's billions of PCs attached to the internet that can not only cope with the demand, but will thrive on it. Just goes to show how the naive scared attitude of the big corps, led by the near-extinct behemoths in the media industry, can lead once-savvy organizations like MS to cut off their nose to spite their face.

7. Comment - Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 R2 betas go live

   2.4.0.0 (Jan 10, 2009 - 9:09 AM)

   Ooops

8. Comment - Windows XP pauses again in its shuffle out the door

   2.4.0.0 (Dec 27, 2008 - 6:37 AM)

   You're right Hollywood_, for the tech-challenged masses who can't cross the street without getting run over by a virus or some spyware, Vista may be a move forward. It gives them a nice solid iron suit of armour to wear while crossing that street.... it may slow them down, but will protect them from getting run over.
   
   For those of us who don't even bother running AV (I use a command line scanner to check new files on demand only when necessary), but have never once had any virus or spyware infection - i.e. clued-up users - those Vista protective "features" are superfluous.
   
   And the rest of it's features? Virtually all of them are available as open source or freeware utilities that are small, light, and don't tie you into the "MUST UPGRADE MY HARDWARE!" con perpetrated by the corps.
   
   I look at XP as a platform. I use it's basics, which will run on virtually any hardware very fast, and then us the lightest free utilities possible - about 20 or 30 of them - to bring it up to being the best OS possible that does everything I want in the WAY I want at zero financial cost.
   
   Upgrade to Vista? It adds nothing I need at the cost of running slower on the same hardware. I'd be a fool to "upgrade".

9. Comment - Windows XP pauses again in its shuffle out the door

   2.4.0.0 (Dec 23, 2008 - 10:54 AM)

   The whole concept that Microsoft can force distributers to sell one version of Windows or another with their PCs is what's wrong here.
   
   It's all about corporate profiteering as usual, and nothing about customer choice.
   
   It's just One More Reason why I smile every time I see an illegally installed copy of corporate software like Windows.

10. Comment - Tab Mix Plus for Firefox 3 stacks up a new version

    2.4.0.0 (Oct 26, 2008 - 1:00 PM)

    Neither AdBlockPlus or NoScript are neccessary if you use the Proxomitron or Privoxy standalone proxies. Admittedly, the FF add-ons are easier for the average user, but both the above are way more versatile, and work with any browser.
    
    With proxomitron installed and Grypen's filter set, I've hardly seen a popup or advertisement on the web for about 10 years.
    
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proxomitron
    
    http://www.castlecops.co...Grypen_Proxomitron.html