Favorite Files

1. Adeona for Windows
2. Adobe Photoshop Lightroom for Windows
3. Adobe Reader for Windows
4. AnyDVD HD
5. AOL Instant Messenger for Windows
6. Ares
7. Autoruns
8. Avi2Dvd
9. Bart's PE Builder
10. BeamFile
11. BitTorrent for Windows
12. BitWise for Windows
13. Blender for Windows
14. BurnAware Free
15. BurnAware Free (Beta)
16. CCleaner for Windows
17. cFosSpeed
18. CHM Ifilter
19. Clean Messenger
20. Construct
21. Copernic Desktop Search
22. Damn Small Linux
23. Defraggler
24. Dial-a-fix
25. DVD Decrypter
26. DVD Flick
27. DVD neXt COPY Standard
28. e
29. eMule
30. eMule Plus
31. eXeem
32. FairUse4WM
33. FastStone Capture
34. FastStone Image Viewer
35. FileZilla v3 for Windows
36. Firebird for Windows
37. FireTune
38. Floola for Windows
39. Free Download Manager
40. Freemake Video Converter
41. Gentoo Linux
42. GMail Drive
43. Google Chrome for Windows
44. Google Desktop for Windows
45. Google Talk
46. Half-Life 2 Enhancer
47. Hamachi for Windows
48. HandBrake for Windows
49. IconLover
50. ImgBurn
51. Inno Setup
52. Internet Download Manager
53. Internet Explorer Developer Toolbar
54. IObit Smart Defrag
55. Library .NET v3
56. Mandriva Linux
57. Microsoft .NET Framework (v3.0)
58. Microsoft Acrylic
59. Microsoft ActiveSync
60. Microsoft Anti-XSS
61. Microsoft Avalon and Indigo
62. Microsoft Expression Blend
63. Microsoft Expression Design
64. Microsoft Expression Web
65. Microsoft Internet Explorer for Windows XP
66. Microsoft Kodu
67. Microsoft Max
68. Microsoft Pre-Release Software Visual Studio Tools For Office "v3"
69. Microsoft Private Folder
70. Microsoft Save as PDF or XPS
71. Microsoft Silverlight for Windows
72. Microsoft Small Basic
73. Microsoft Virtual PC
74. Microsoft Visual Basic
75. Microsoft Visual Studio
76. Microsoft Windows Defender (32-bit)
77. Microsoft Windows Home Server
78. Microsoft Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool (x86)
79. Microsoft Windows Vista (32-bit)
80. Microsoft WinFX SDK
81. Mozilla Firefox (v2) for Windows
82. Mozilla Firefox (v3) for Windows
83. Mozilla Firefox Portable Edition
84. Mozilla Sunbird for Windows
85. Mozilla Thunderbird (v3.1) for Windows
86. Mozilla Thunderbird Portable Edition
87. n-Track Studio
88. Nakido Flag
89. Nero
90. NeroVision Express
91. Nexenta
92. Notepad++
93. NSIS (Nullsoft Scriptable Install System)
94. nVIDIA GeForce Drivers for Windows
95. Nvu for Windows
96. ooVoo for Windows
97. OpenOffice.org for Windows
98. Opera for Windows
99. Orbit Downloader
100. Outlook on the Desktop
101. Paint.NET
102. Parted Magic
103. Partition Logic
104. PDF-ShellTools
105. PerfectDisk Professional
106. Picasa for Windows
107. Pidgin for Windows
108. Process Explorer
109. PSPad editor
110. ratDVD
111. ReactOS
112. Rendezvous for Windows
113. RoboForm
114. RSS Bandit
115. RunWithParameters
116. Sandboxie
117. Screenshot Captor
118. Scribus for Windows
119. Shalom Help Maker
120. SimplyMEPIS Linux
121. Skype for Windows
122. SmitfraudFix
123. Spybot - Search & Destroy
124. SWiSH Max
125. Tor for Windows
126. Ubuntu
127. UltraEdit
128. UltraVNC
129. UnHackMe
130. Unlocker
131. UPX (Ultimate Packer for eXecutables) for Windows
132. Video DVD Maker Free
133. VLC (VideoLAN) for Windows
134. Vuze for Windows
135. Wine
136. WinMerge
137. WinRAR (32-bit)
138. wxBasic for Windows
139. X-Fonter
140. xacc.ide
141. XeroBank Browser
142. µTorrent for Windows

Recent Posts

1. 
   Review - RoboForm

   7.1.8 (Jan 28, 2011)

   Actually, I paid right away. Now they've solved the problem of me having to re-register every time I reloaded my PC or switched PC's, which as a software engineer, is often. I paid for the "everywhere" license and now I have RoboForm on EVERYTHING, and it is always in sync too, which rocks. Still the best password manager, hands down.

2. 
   Review - Notepad++

   5.0.1 (Jul 15, 2008)

   Seriously fantastic editor. Ever since 5.x was released, the load time was dramatically sped up which was perhaps my only real complaint prior to that. I love the syntax highlighting for SQL and Code. The program is constantly being updated, and the interface doesn't look like it comes from Windows 3.1 like many other free editors.

3. 
   Review - Ubuntu

   7.04 "Feisty Fawn" Herd 5 (Mar 5, 2007)

   I tried FF Herd 5 the other day. It has some nice features, for example, it located and displayed the wireless access points that were available, which is a huge step up. It still didn't allow me to set my WPA-PSK conncetion natively however, I had to hack that in by hand.
   
   I also saw that there was a 3D Desktop setting built in, which I think means built in Beryl.
   
   Things didn't go smoothly however - it didn't correctly detect my video card and monitor settings, which Edgy did just fine, so my display looked like heck. The wireless connection didn't setup as smoothly as it should have, and even the partitioning seems to have changed, and was tough to understand.
   
   I like Ubuntu, but I still don't get all the hoopla over it. It is still very immature as far as Linux distros get. Something like Suse or Mandriva (or others) has much better hardware detection, wireless setup, broader software package selection, so on and so on. I think ubuntu somehow managed to get a "coolness" factor that the other distros haven't for some reason, but honestly, there are plenty of mature, stable distros out there that give a "windows like" experience from start to finish. I think Ubuntu will just frustrate the average user (at this point in time anyway) more than help them.

4. 
   Review - Slackware Linux

   11.0 RC2 (Aug 21, 2006)

   For what it is worth, Slackware is a darn solid distro. Some of the comments below seem to indicate that the technology it comes with is "old", and I can't deny that to some degree, but then again, that's why it is so solid. Slackware if NOT for noobs to Linux.
   
   If you want an easy to use, bleeding edge distro, then go with Mandriva, (or RedHat or Suse maybe) but if you want a solid, professional package then you could do worse than Slackware.

5. 
   Review - Mandriva Linux

   2007 Beta 1 "Thor" (Aug 1, 2006)

   Mandriva has early releases of ISO's to customers who donated money, which enourages people to donate. Having access to those ISO's doesn't mean you that work for Mandriva.
   
   For what it is worth, you can always access the latest Mandriva, for free, by downloading the "Cooker" version. That is the open source "in development" version, but you can always get "the latest and greatest" with no donation required.
   
   Once the donaters get their early "official" copies, Mandriva then releases them for free anyway, minus any non-open-source code such as some drivers and programs, and that's just a licensing issue, same as any other distro.
   
   For what it is worth, Mandriva is still the most feature rich and easy-to-use distro I've tried, and I've tried them all. Power users may whine about it because it "feels like Windows", but Joe average will love it. My mother can use it, and she's 75 and can't figure out how to use a cell phone yet. If she can use it, it's easy. Best driver selection of any distro I've ever seen.

6. Comment - The rumors came true: iPhone 4 launches on Verizon Wireless Feb. 10

   2007 Beta 1 "Thor" (Jan 11, 2011 - 12:58 PM)

   You are missing an option on your poll. I'm an existing AT&T customer and will switch to Verizon as soon as get the iPhone up to 4G (let's hope that's iPhone 5), plus I think it's stupid to jump on board on day one. I'm sure the network and service is gonna "bounce" several times as they work out the kinks, same as AT&T did. Might as well wait a few months, get the new phone and the stable service. PS - I have no desire to pay AT&T even more money for the privilege of dropping them on their ass.

7. Comment - Will you buy Windows Phone 7?

   2007 Beta 1 "Thor" (Oct 6, 2010 - 9:04 AM)

   I'm a software developer in the Silverlight arena (WP7's "native" language, so to speak) and have been attending the developer workshops over the past two days (in fact, I'm sitting in one right now) in order to learn more about the OS, the phone, and development.
   
   There are indeed a few things that concern me. As others have mentioned, the lack of cut-and-paste, lack of multi-tasking, and generally unfinished feel are going to be a problem for WP7. As a first generation iPhone owner, I know I waited 4 years for Apple to get around to fixing some of those major problems, and I can't see any incentive to switch to a new phone that doesn't have them from the get-go. That's an evolutionary step backwards, and WP7 doesn't offer any compelling features or reasons to make the backwards step.
   
   On the other hand, it does get a few things right. Silverlight and XNA are arguably much easier languages to learn than Objective-C, and Microsoft makes the tools available to start programming free and easy to get. In addition, programs written for the phone (especially XNA apps) migrate easily to other platforms. So if you want to write a game in XNA for PC, XBOX and WP7, no problemo, basically it's a singular code base. This means that "there is an app for that" is even more likely with WP7 in a few years, but only if MS can keep the public's interest. (It also arguably opens up the world to a plethora of crap programs - how many fart apps do you really need?)
   
   While I'm not a MS "fanboy" (in fact, I code my MS apps on a Macbook Pro) I do fully support Silverlight and so I'll likely own a WP7 even if it's not my "main" phone, we'll see.

8. Comment - Betanews Giveaway: Logitech Harmony One Advanced Universal Remote

   2007 Beta 1 "Thor" (Sep 20, 2010 - 9:22 AM)

   Lovable Stuffs Tights (Bill Gates TV shuts off)

9. Comment - Hey, Microsoft, Betanews readers have some 2010 advice for you

   2007 Beta 1 "Thor" (Dec 23, 2009 - 8:46 AM)

   Just to clarify (and correct me if I'm wrong, it's been known to happen) Technet is still IT focused, not consumer focused. Your average household doesn't need nor want access to Sharepoint Server, SQL Server, 20 different versions of a given OS, etc. They want MS Money, MapPoint, Office, Win 7 Ultimate and the latest copy of Flight Simulator and Age of Empires.
   
   So Yes, TechNet, but more like ConsumerNet.

10. Comment - Hey, Microsoft, Betanews readers have some 2010 advice for you

    2007 Beta 1 "Thor" (Dec 22, 2009 - 1:25 PM)

    Here's a suggestion: Create a consumer focused subscription deal similar to the MSDN Subscription package. Have people pay one, affordable annual fee, and then give them a list of things that they can download and run as wanted/needed. For example, for $250/yr, then can download the latest OS, Office, Games, let's throw in Visual Studio, Educational/Financial/Map software, etc. And give them enough licenses to install it on several machines so as to cover each PC in the house. Maybe 5 licenses each? It greatly simplifies the tracking of licenses, distribution costs, etc. No more complaints about scratched CD's, or not having the latest and greatest software. Same day delivery on new software. I'll be first in line to sign up...