There are various tools that will enable you to maintain your hard drive. These include migrating content from one computer to another, copying the contents of an old drive to a brand new drive, partitioning a large drive or simply backing up your most important data. Luckily for you, you don't need to go out and buy all these applications separately as companies such as Paragon Software have bundled the core functionality in to one toolkit; namely Paragon Hard Disk Manager 8.5 SE which we're giving away completely free of charge.

Paragon Hard Disk Manager 8.5 SE, worth £21, is a complete hard disk management toolkit that will enable you to copy, merge, backup and partition your drive. This is an exclusive download for Incisive Media web users and is available for a limited period of time.

Paragon Hard Disk Manager 8.5 SE link.

A new PC will be free of viruses and other malicious software, but get online and your system is under threat instantly. Although many new machines do ship with at least basic anti-virus support, it would be well worth protecting your PC as thoroughly as possible. A good all-in-one security application enables you to protect your computer from viruses as well as identify potential threats and remove any unwanted items. The benefit of a single application is that you do not have to worry about how well different applications will work together.

Comodo Internet Security 3.5 is a free suite comprising of a number of different security utilities all designed to provide maximum protection for your computer. This tool provides goo protection against almost anything you may encounter when browsing the web and there is also a professional version available for even more thorough protection.

Comodo Internet Security 3.5 link.

Often mistaken for the oldest web browser, Internet Explorer was indeed the browser of choice for many for a number of years. Unfortunately though, as newer versions were few and far between, people began looking for alternatives. One reason IE was so widely used was because it shipped with Windows itself and even with Mac OS until fairly recently. There are now a number of alternatives available including Firefox and Opera, but there are other alternatives based on Internet Explorer itself.

Avant Browser 11.7 is an alternative browser that has a similar look and feel to Internet Explorer, but has a number of extra options. You can deactivate certain elements of web pages, including pictures and flash animation as well as block pop-ups and other advertisements. Worth trying if you're looking for a quick, lightweight web browser. 

Avant Browser 11.7 link.  

By now, I'm sure you're sick of us going on about how, after a period of time, your Registry will be cluttered with irrelevant information after using your PC to test and the uninstall new software. The problem is that the supplied uninstallers do not always remove all the file associations left behind by unwanted software. The result is that your PC can take far longer to boot than necessary. With the latest issue of Computeractive magazine, on-sale right now, you can get the full version of PC Tools Registry Mechanic 7, worth £30.

PC Tools Registry Mechanic 7 will examine your Registry and check for information that it thinks is safe to remove. In theory, this should speed up your PC with a more streamlined Registry. You can backup your current Registry so if you do experience problems, you can quickly restore your old database.

Computeractive issue 279 link.

If your job requires you to travel and work in different cities or  countries from day-to-day and/or stick to strict deadlines, organisation is very important. It wasn't so long ago, carrying diaries and organisers or even business cards would have been the items used by most, but technology has now superseded these more traditional items. Laptops, PDA's and mobile phones now enable most of us to stay organised, and if equipped with some sort of personal information manager, keep track of important dates and other scheduled tasks.

EssentialPIM 2.81 Free is a freeware personal information manager which will help enable users to stay organised from day-to-day. It can be used as a calendar, to take important notes and handle your contacts. It's a small application but has an easy-to-use interface, and has a host of other useful features.

EssentialPIM 2.81 link.

Go out and buy your new PC and you'll find that it ships either pre-configured in various partitions that the manufacturer has decided is most suitable for your requirements or as one continuous block. Fear not, you can quickly and easily amend, create or delete partitions on any drive with commercial partition management software. Luckily for you, with the latest Christmas edition of PCW magazine, on-sale right now, you can get the full commercial version of Paragon Partition Manager 9 SE, worth £21.

Paragon Partition Manager 9 SE is all you need to manage your drive partitions, whether the drive is internal or connected externally. Use it to create, delete, merge or expand existing partitions. You could have a small system partition, then separate the rest of the drive so you have partitions for your work and media files.

PCW Christmas edition link.

When its time to purchase a new computer there are a number of things to consider, and if you haven't done your research you can easily come unstuck. Many computer manufacturers advertise their products with various facts and figures, some you may understand but others are a little vaguer which can be frustrating when comparing machines. Obviously manufacturers need to make a profit on each machine and sometimes cut corners to save themselves money, the trouble is that manufacturers can disguise poor components in seemingly 'good value' packages.

Belarc Advisor 7.2 is a useful freeware application that will perform a detailed audit on your computer, identifying all installed hardware and operating systems. By performing a thorough audit you can identify how well your system is really performing, or if it matches the manufacturers advertised figures.

Belarc Advisor 7.2 link.  

The latest computers ship with huge hard drives, large enough to store all of your applications, files, folders and media libraries. Your new machines drive may be divided into smaller partitions already, or be a single, large partition, either way you may want to change how your hard drive is partitioned. Windows does not enable you to do this easily or effectively, so a good third party application may give you more flexibility when creating or managing your drive and its partitions.

O&O Partition Manager 2 has a similar look and feel to the Disk Manager that ships with Windows, but provides greater flexibility and a number of more advanced features as well as supporting a number of disk types. Use it to divide your drive, change the size of partitions and move them to a different location.

O&O Partition Manager 2

Microsoft have noticed that Google, Zoho and others have moved to what has been dubbed 'cloud computing' where you edit and publish documents and other work, online. You install and store a spreadsheet on your computer, you simply do everything online. Indeed, you can even host your files online. With the next version of Office, your license will enable you to edit your documents and other files online. However, it may be too late as many other companies are producing advanced online 'apps'. The added advantage of these online tools is that you don't need to worry about your operating system or host computer.

SlideRocket is a good example of an software-as-a-service model which will enable you to create an advanced presentation online. As the tool is online, you can access from nearly any computer and, of course, enable other online users to access and work on your presentation. There is a limited free version and and individual and business version.

SlideRocket link

We are all aware of video portals such as YouTube and have probably used it at one time or another, to watch sporting clips, music videos or even a favourite cartoon from your childhood. Sites like YouTube are great fun and are fine when searching for popular or well known clips but when it comes to finding something rare or specific; it may struggle to come up with the goods. As broadband connections become faster and more reliable a good RSS player may be worth considering as they provide a greater choice of clips which may be downloaded straight to your computer.

Miro 1.2.8 is an online television service that provides a comprehensive list of clips and channels for you to watch. You can view online or download your favourites and watch them on your computer at a later date. Miro will automatically store and manage your clips, deleting the oldest as you download new ones. Mac OS X and Linux versions are available from the GetMiro WebSite.

Miro 1.2.8 link.

A smooth running PC is something we would all like but unfortunately, most of us know it's not that easy. People are dealing with computer problems on a daily basis; some may be minor issues, others more serious. The worst case scenario for most is when your computer has difficulty booting, maybe through a viral infection of some sort. If your machine won't boot there is no way you can identify the problem, let alone begin fixing it. However, before you begin taking drastic steps there may be an effective way of recovering your computer, and all the files stored on it.

System Rescue CD 1.1 is a freeware utility comprising of selection of useful programs on a bootable CD designed for repairing Windows. As it's a bootable CD it does not require Windows to start and is still able to read files from a Windows hard disk. It can also use your computer to access the Internet to identify and find answers to any problems.

System Rescue CD 1.1 link.   

As well as being the world's largest online music store, iTunes is also one of the largest music managing applications available, for both Mac and PC. The success of iTunes is mostly down to its usability, but that's not to say it doesn't have its faults. One of the most frustrating thing about iTunes is that it does not enable you to perform any tasks directly from your iPod, without using and iTunes equipped machine, which can be completely impractical if on the move, you maybe travelling abroad and have no access to a computer, let alone one equipped with iTunes.

Floola 3.8 is a standalone, cross-platform application that can be launched directly from your iPod and requires no installation. It supports all commonly used features such as artwork, smart playlists and podcasts. You can also use it to convert audio or video, so that you can copy almost any file to your iPod and even enables you to add YouTube and MySpace videos by entering the URL.

Floola 3.8 link.   

Portability is something that many computer users take advantage of, USB devices are a quick and easy way of storing and transferring data between numerous machines. Hugely convenient and fairly cheap,  modern USB drives store a reasonable amount of data and are small enough for you to take on the road. The trouble with all this data moving back and forth is that recognising recently edited and saved documents can become a little trickier, especially as drives become larger.

Allway Sync 8.4.2 is a synchronisation tool that enables you to synchronise files across multiple computers, ensuring recently saved documents are synchronised to save any confusion. The application can be set to synchronise at chosen intervals or you can use it to update newly saved documents. This may be a handy utility for those on the move.

Allway Sync 8.4.2 link. 

Over a period of time, depending on how much you use your computer, it will gather necessary and unnecessary data, storing it deep within your systems Registry. The Registry is usually larger than required simply because it retains a wealth of out-of-date information regarding removed files and applications; this information often accumulates and will ultimately result in your PC processing Registry information more slowly. In more extreme cases, this information will increase the time it takes your computer to boot.

Auslogics Registry Defrag 5 is a useful freeware application, easy to use for novices attempting to compact Registry information. Compacting information will reduce start-up time and your machine will become more responsive. The program also provides accurate visual representations of fragmented areas of your drive.

Auslogics Registry Defrag 5  

There are a number of applications deemed essential for many, like a word processor. However there are also a number of other useful tools that perform simple, yet necessary tasks. Such applications include a screen grabbing tool, download manager and a tool to rename multiple files. A good file renaming tool enables you to easily change the names of multiple files as well as other renaming procedures as well as support numerous tags. By using such a tool, prevents you from having to manually edit the names of individual files.

ReNamer 5.40 is a freeware utility that enables you to easily change and edit the names of multiple files and folders at one time. Although this tool may easily be overlooked, it has a number of useful implications, especially for people who simply haven't got time to manually edit file names or those with limited patience.

ReNamer 5.40 link. 

There's nothing more frustrating when you have to work on a temporary computer when you are working away from the office. If you had your own way, you'd probably spend an hour re-configuring the computer, installing your favourite apps, before you even start to use the PC. However, you probably won't be able to install software, make system changes, so you're restricted to the basic installed apps. One solution is to take your own portable USB drive, with installed applications, and use this on the host PC.

Opera 9.61 USB Edition is the portable version of the web browser that will enable you to install it on a portable drive (or even your iPod) and then connect this to the host PC and use the apps in a self-contained environment without them leaving a trace on the host PC. It means you can use your own configured browser, with all your favourite bookmarks, without it leaving a web trail when you remove the USB device. Ideal.

Opera USB Edition link.

Buying a fast new hard drive is an ideal way of speeding up your old PC. Any modern hard drive should be faster than what you already have installed, so your PC will boot more quickly and launch applications swiftly. However, after writing files to your drive, it will slow as the drive contents become fragmented. Ironically, this large drive will slow considerably as your PC take far longer to find and load the content.

IObit SmartDefrag 1.02 is a free disk defrag tool that will enable you to re-arrange your drive contents in to a logical sequence so your system can find and load files more swiftly. It's one of the few free disk defragmentation tools that will work in the background and sort your drive contents whilst you use your PC.

IObit SmartDefrag link.

It's too easy to think that you need to buy a new PC. You don't. A computer from two years ago will only be slightly slower than a brand new machine. Even all-in-one machines enable you to upgrade the memory and the hard drive. If you have a small hard drive, you could go out and buy a bigger drive, connect as a slave and migrate the data from the old drive to the new one. You could even migrate a partition, rather than the entire drive, if you only wanted to upgrade an existing drive you use for file storage.

Paragon Drive Copy 9 Personal is a commercial tool designed for the sole purpose of moving and migrating data from one drive to another or from partition to partition. It doesn't matter if your drive is internal or external, or a combination, every option is supported. Although it's a tool you'll use irregularly, at £16.95 it's worth adding to your portfolio of software.

Paragon Drive Copy link.

In a business environment staying organised enables you to stay on top. Many people who work toward regular deadlines often rely on colleagues and others working to their own timetables, this can make the need to share information about meetings and schedules more important. The trouble with larger offices and organisations is that each department may be using different computers, running different operating systems and other software which may hinder the ability to collaborate and share important data.

Chandler 1.0.2 is an opensource personal information manager that enables you to share work related information irrespective of platform. It also offers an online hosting service which can be set up and offer access to other users so all necessary calendar information can be shared.

Chandler 1.0.2 link.

Have you ever attempted to print a website, particularly a site that's made up of dynamic content? Unless you scale down to a level where it's guaranteed to fit on your page, most of the time the web content will spill across multiple pages, resulting in a poor experience. There are many examples where you'd like more control over your printed pages. For this, you need a specialist printing tool.

FinePrint 6 is a commercial print management tool that acts as a printer driver, so when you print your document(s), you are then given full control over the output. For example, you can turn your pages in to a mini-booklet, which is ideal if your document is designed for distribution.

FinePrint link.

Not too long ago, a good FTP client would have been a useful weapon in the arsenal of most Internet users. With the development of modern web browsers FTP clients have become less relevant, and also because broadband has given us greater connection speeds. The average Internet user has probably never used an FTP client, or has no reason to, but if you regularly download, and especially if you upload files to the Internet, an FTP client may be a convenient way of quickly uploading data.

FileZilla 3.1.5 is a standalone freeware FTP client that enables users to transfer all manner of files to and from the Internet. In combination with your broadband connection you can administer a remote site or make use of any free homepage space to get your files online more efficiently. The application is very similar to using the Windows Explorer, although you'd be working with two windows rather than the single pane.

FileZilla 3.1.5 link.  

There are times when you'll need to design an invitation, a company or group newsletter or even want to print address labels for your post. Either way, you could turn to a word processor, but as these tools are not page layout applications, you won't be able to get precise control over how elements are positioned on your page. It's far easier to use a desktop publishing tool where you simply drop in a box for an image, import the image and then move it to any location on the page.

With Computeractive magazine issue 278, on-sale now, you can get the full commercial version of Serif Page Plus 9, which is Vista compatible and worth £69. With this DTP tool you can quickly layout a page and even publish it as a commercial quality PDF document for printing.

Computeractive 278 link.

The Internet is huge, so finding relevant web pages isn't always easy. There's also an over reliance on one particular search engine, from Google, for our results. One interesting plugin for Safari has recently been ported to work across Firefox and Internet Explorer and will enable you to quickly enter a search term and see instant results that are most relevant to your requirements.

Inquisitor is an free add-on that used to be Safari-only and is now available for both Firefox and Internet Explorer. It was recently bought by Yahoo and, as a result, is now based around the Yahoo search platform, meaning search results are restricted to this network. It's currently only in beta - and you have to login to the Mozilla add-ons website in order to download - and we couldn't get it working on our main desktop-based Firefox 3. Simply never appeared in our Add-ons manager.

Inquisitor link.

Installing software is a piece of cake, especially when on the Internet; you can install an application such as a media player without even realising. So if installing software is so easy, why is it so difficult to remove certain applications from your system? Even after using the Windows Add/Remove utility, not all applications will be completely removed, often leaving files and folders on your system. Some programs may require a third party application for complete removal.

Total Uninstall 5.0 will remove all traces of files and folders associated with unwanted applications. The application monitors where folders are placed during the installation of all new applications and this makes the removal of them more thorough and effective.

Total Uninstall 5.0 link.

Many of us have used eBay at some point or another whether to buy or sell an item, but for some, eBay is almost an addiction. eBay is fairly easy to use, even for a complete novice but if you regularly use eBay and need to keep track of your items, it can get confusing. There are a number of users who now make a considerable amount of money or even run a business using eBay and although there are numerous tools to ensure you win items, there are very few that help with the business aspects of eBay.  

AuctionX2 1.1 is designed to increase your eBay sales. Use it to create graphs that will show which products are performing most productively, download sales reports and even monitor the profit you're making on items as well as monitor repeat bidders and customers. Unfortunately, although it's a useful concept, AuctionX2 suffers with its poorly designed user-interface.

AuctionX2 1.1 link.

Only yesterday we mentioned that Mamutu used an alternative approach to fighting (potential) security threats on your PC. Instead of using definition updates to stop the latest threats, it uses a proactive approach based upon activity on your PC. If it detects something unusual, it will block and ask if you want the activity to continue. We also mentioned that PC Tools ThreatFire was one of the other recent tools that is designed to take an alternative approach to dealing with threats.

PC Tools ThreatFire 4 is now available and this ships with a few new features such as a detailed analysis of all current processes, an improved user-interface as well as the addition of the free PC Tools AntiVirus, which offers additional protection.

PC Tools ThreatFire link.

Online passwords are part-and-parcel of secure web browsing, from accessing email to online banking they are required to keep personal or sensitive information safe. When using your own desktop or laptop, these passwords are often saved or remembered by your web browser, so there's almost no need to manually type them in. Unfortunately though this may make remembering passwords even more difficult and if you are using a different machine, how do you remember all the different online passwords you may use on a daily basis?   

KeePass Portable 1.14 is a password safe utility that enables you to keep all of your passwords securely in one place. As this is the portable version, you can take your email, Internet and online banking passwords with you, on a portable vice such as a USB key. By using a master key, you have access to all important passwords no matter what computer you may be using.

KeePass Portable 1.14 link. 

It's debatable whether a Registry cleaner actually helps speed up your PC. The theory is that when you install and then remove software from your PC, information is retailed in the Registry about the software location, filetypes, startup files and more. This means that when you reboot your PC, it may look for missing files when you start the machine, which means that it takes longer to launch. By checking your Registry for irrelevant information, it should streamline how your computer finds and ignores certain files, thus improving the usability of your computer.

Eusing Free Registry Cleaner 2.0 appears to be a major new revision of the popular free Registry cleanser. However, it isn't, despite the version update. It contains a few visual improvements to the user-interface, support for more languages and a few other additions. However, if you've never used Eusing, it's a good no cost option.

Eusing Free Registry Cleaner link.

Although most of us are aware of or use digital music, not everyone is aware that MP3s can be compressed differently, depending on your needs. In comparison to CDs and especially Vinyl, MP3s provide far less musical information, but what they lack in quality they make up for in convenience. Most of us use portable MP3 players on the move or at the gym, but would put on a CD or even a record when at home. The trouble with older analogue formats is that they often require you to dig out your old record player so you can listen to them. You may own rare or live versions that can no longer be purchased, so why not record and convert your audio for more convenience.

Reaper 2.53 is a powerful audio editor that enables you to create original compositions, but a more useful application for many could be to record and convert your analogue audio formats, such as vinyl or even VHS to a more user-friendly digital files. Another bonus is that you can take your rare or favourite tracks wherever you go, as well as preserving the original formats.

Reaper 2.53 link.

As many of us are working remotely these days, it's important to keep in touch with other users. For business users, LinkedIn or Plaxo is a good source, but neither provide a chat client. Skype is an excellent alternative, although it's not that well used for home users. Windows Live Messenger, AOL Messenger or the social networking tools from Facebook or MySpace are used more often. Indeed, some old-school users still use ICQ or even IRC for chatting and making live instant contact with other users across the Internet. What you need is a chat client that brings as many of these technologies together, within one application.

Pidgin 2.5.2 is the premier Windows-based multi-format chat client that should enable you to chat to other users, irrespective of their choice of network. Unfortunately the theory doesn't include Skype (which uses a closed system) nor Facebook, two of the more popular formats for online chats, so it's more suited to the home user and a portable version isn't too much use unless you have a Yahoo, MSN or similar account.

Pidgin and Pidgin Portable links.

Traditionally, most security software will rely on definition updates to recognise and protect your system against the latest threats. Generally speaking, this works. Most threats are recognised and defeated before a mass breakout and, as you'll often receive a new threat by email or by downloading a file, if you haven't got Internet access, you often won't be affected. However, some of the more ingenious virus developers are finding new ways to get in to your machine, so you need new technology that takes a pro-active approach to stopping threats.

Mamutu 1.7 is a tool that takes a pro-active approach to security. It doesn't rely on security updates, but attempts to evaluate a potential threat by behaviour. Don't think Mamutu is new to this kind of pro-active prevention. The PC Tools ThreatFire uses a similar approach and PC Tools recently added this to Spyware Doctor 6 and other security developers are doing the same thing. So you'd have the best of both worlds - behaviour analysis and old-fashioned definition updates.

Mamutu link.

It must be really frustrating for many Opera users. The browser has been around longer than most, yet all the talk is about Firefox v Internet Explorer and, more recently, Google Chrome. Sure, all three have their merits, but Opera is an immensely powerful, extremely fast cross-platform browser and is one of the only browsers that has been available in a mobile format which can be used on your smartphone. Yet it's also free.

One of the few reasons we can think of is that corporate IT policy states you must use the browser of their choice and this is primarily Internet Explorer. Some allow the installation of Firefox and, because of this, it's grown more popular - as users like to keep the same bookmarks across both home and work, it's a reason why people have migrated across to Firefox as their 'other browser'.

Opera 9.61 is now available and ships with a number of minor fixes and a few interface improvements. However, if you've not tested the recent Opera 9.6, which shipped with a host of new features, give it a go now.

Opera link.

Only a few years ago, Webroot Spy Sweeper was the default commercial anti-spyware application of choice. Although it's still very popular in the States, it's less well known through Europe, primarily due to a limited amount of marketing or press, which resulted in limited exposure for their brand. We gave away a 12-month edition of Spy Sweeper 5.5 last year and it was immensely popular. For a good reason, it's an excellent and well-updated security tool.

Webroot Spy Sweeper 6 is now available and, in addiiton to additional support for combating the latest threats, this version now supports the facility to backup your most important files. Ideal for protecting your work. You can even access these files anywhere in the world and restore back to your PC if you suffer from a system loss or file error, in the future. You get 1GB of free storage to get you started.

Webroot Spy Sweeper 6 link.

Organisation is either your strong point or it isn't, in the workplace or at home. Some people are just better at managing tasks easier than others, but depending on your job, there may come a time when a little planning is needed. Instead of scribbling down notes on a scrap of paper only to lose them shortly after, it may be time to look into many of the task management tools out there. Task managers can help track tasks, view schedules and even monitor ongoing costs.

Task Coach 0.71.1 is an application designed for a user to manage single or multiple tasks. The application is also cross-platform, meaning it can be used across Windows, Mac OS and Linux; however, the application is currently designed for single users which mean tasks cannot be shared with other users, but it is in its infancy. Luckily though, the developer intends to migrate the tool so that this information can be shared with other users.

Task Coach 0.71.1 link.   

Once we find a web browser we like we tend to stick to it, updating it when a new version is available. However, what performs well on one machine may not be quite as effective on another; after all, there isn't exactly a shortage of alternatives. There's not always a huge difference between the majority web browsers but some are designed with specific browsing habits in mind. Flock for example, combines integrated photo sharing and social networking with RSS support. But there are other open source browsers that are definitely worth a try.

K-Meleon 1.5.1 is an open source browser that's based on the Gecko rendering engine used by Mozilla Firefox. It looks like a cross between Internet Explorer and Firefox and is fairly easy to get to grips with. Although it's not as widely used as other browsers, it is fast and very lightweight. Like Firefox, it also has a number of plug-ins available.

K-Meleon 1.5.1 link. 

Most of us work across various computers, whether at home or at work. Snag is, we want the same information across every machine. These include our favourite websites so we can quickly book a holiday at work or check the latest news whilst we're at home. Mozilla has an official solution called 'Weave', but it can be a little cumbersome and insists on shutting down after Firefox, which means you have to wait for it to find the Weave server, check the status and then upload your updated content.

Foxmarks 2.5 is alternative Firefox bookmarks synchroniser. In the new version there is now an option to synchronise your passwords, so if you open an account on one computer, the password/login information will be transferred to any other computer with Firefox (and, of course, Foxmarks 2.5) installed.

Foxmarks link.

Once we've purchased a new PC most of us will intend on using it for a couple of years before upgrading or purchasing something new. When it's time to upgrade most manufacturers have improved hardware significantly but you still need to consider what your needs are, and what upgrades will be most beneficial. By choosing the correct upgrades for your specific needs, whether gaming, video editing or browsing the web, you could improve your systems performance in those areas significantly.

CPU-Z 1.48 is a free utility that enables you to gather extensive information on the CPU installed in your computer. All areas of performance can be analysed such as speed, cache details and more and you can also use it to find information on other related hardware such as your motherboard and installed memory.

CPU-Z 1.48 link.     

Not strictly download related, but this is a blog and it's where we rant. It's been a long time since the first aluminium MacBook Pro. I still have the first revision which was released many years ago and, quite frankly, we were expecting big things from the new laptops announced this month. The MacBook looks interesting. It's basically a smaller MacBook Pro and a little lighter than it's predessors. Always a good thing.

They might have upgraded the graphics chipset, added more memory or upgraded the size of hard drive, but how about mobile broadband support, within the laptop, so we don't need to connect a 3G dongle to a precisous USB port when we're on the road? Rival laptop manufactures have been added mobile broadband support for a while now. It's the norm in Europe.

What about operating system 'instant on'? Over a year ago we read that Intel had unveiled new technology that enabled core components from your OS to be stored and be read from flash chips, which meant that it would boot and come out of sleep, almost instantly. What happened to this feature? There's nothing worse than having to shut down or reboot your computer - particularly if you're using Windows in Boot Camp - and wait for the machine to start, just to check your email.

Still, as I said, those new MacBooks look interesting, if a little pricey in the UK.

Apple MacBook and 'instant on' links.

There are a large number of 'burning suites' available, often bloated with a selection of needless utilities.  Not too long ago disc burning applications were more lightweight and designed to quickly and easily burn any disc you may need, shipping with more than enough features for the average user. You can now find a selection of good, free burning tools that offer many of the facilities found in more costly options.

CDBurnerXP 4.2.2.1012 is a free disc burning tool that's been around for a number of years that enables you to burn anything from a simple data or audio CD to a full blown Blu-Ray as well as create a bootable disc for your computer. It has a simple user-interface which helps you to create discs with virtually no fuss. 

CDBurnerXP 4.2.2.1012 link.

It's been in beta for a while, but the new version of Adobe Flash Player has been made available. Apart from basic speed improvements, there are a number of new features which will improve your web experience in the future (bear in mind that this is just a player and will only show the code that has been designed for the new player). For instance, it now supports 3D effects, so you will be able to quickly see around and behind objects in a Flash animation. New and improved audio/video codecs will mean more web developers will use Flash to playback media via a web page. Advanced text support means that a flexible text engine will result in better printing when you try and output a web page with Flash graphics.

There are many other new features and a complete list can be found on the Adobe homepage.

Adobe Flash Player 10 link.

How many of us have an old PC from a few years back that's simply doing nothing at the back of the office or in the storage cupboard? You could put this to good use. We've mentioned here that home users could consider turning an old PC in to a media server that enabled them to stream audio across their home. Business users could use the old PC as a mail server and use it to handle incoming email.

MDaemon 10 is a professional-level Windows mail server that's been around for years. Better still, they've recently released a free 5-user version. This would enable you to use your old PC to filter incoming email and even setup auto-responses for particular requests. As you control your own email, you can even setup MDaemon so you can access your corporate email from a remote location or even use MDaemon as a powerful anti-spam filter that does all the work before you download the mail to your regular workstation.

MDaemon 10 and MDeamon Free link.

On the Windows platform there are many tools that will enable you to keep installed applications up-to-date. Simply run a tool such as UpdateStar or SUMo and these tools will analyse your system, check for installed applications, then compare these to a database of 'known' apps. If there's a new version available, these will be highlighted and you can choose to download and update or ignore.

AppFresh 0.7 is a preview version of forthcoming technology for your Mac that will enable you to check for non-Apple software installed on your computer. When it finds a new version, you can download and install. Sadly this download and installation isn't done automatically, but it still works well. AppFresh is a very well designed application and is worth including on your Mac if you like to keep your software up-to-date.

AppFresh link.

With a laptop and mobile broadband, it's really easy to work from any location for just about any company. If you need to work alongside other people, then there's no reason why you could setup a web portal so that you can store documents and other files, then check them in and out with a sub-versioning tool. On the Windows platform, the choice of sub-versioning tool is TortoiseSVN (yes, we still need to get that up on vnunet.com/downloads), but there isn't anything quite as effective on the Mac.

Versions beta 8 is a new sub-versioning tool that will enable you to check your files and documents in and out of a storage area that is shared by other users. You could be working on some code or perhaps a document and you don't want to overwrite work by other users. This is where you need a sub-versioning tool and, if you have a Mac, Versions might be an option.

Versions link.

Most people stick with the websites that they trust. However, it's far too easy to search for a site in Google and be presented with a number of different results. How do you know which sites are trustworthy and those which are out to obtain your personal information for their gain? McAfee SiteAdvisor is a plugin for both Firefox and Internet Explorer that employs a traffic light system that will show a green light, amber warning or red light for sites which are viewed as problematic. Users themselves rate each site.

Norton Safe Web is a plugin for Norton Internet Security 2009 which is rather similar to McAfee SiteAdvisor in that your Google results are rated by green tick or red cross and are rated by end users. However, Norton Safe Web requires that you purchase and use Norton Internet Security 2009 and is supplied as a plugin, whereas McAfee SiteAdvisor does not require a McAfee installation to operate. At least in it's basic free mode.

Norton Safe Web and McAfee SiteAdvisor for Firefox links.

We spent a lot of time on this blog whilst Firefox 3 was in development keeping you informed with the forthcoming release. It dragged on for months. The first beta was very delayed. Now Firefox 3.0 is available and is proving to be a success. It was worth the wait. Now we have Firefox 3 beta 1 available, with beta 2 already in development and due for release soon. The official release of Firefox 3.1 should be before the end of this year.

There are a range of improvements due for Firefox 3.1 For instance, Google Chrome ships with an incognito mode which enables you to surf the web in private, without anyone else being able to follow your web trail. Something similar is planned for Firefox 3.1, although this feature isn't part of beta 1. New beta 1 features include a new version of the Gecko rendering engine, support for CSS 3, a tab-switching shortcut that will enable you to quickly move across open tabs by viewing a preview of the open web page and support for recent web developments.

Firefox 3 beta 1 link.

Computer security is a constant issue, and something all users are aware of. Malicious software has many disguises and can be distributed in a number of ways, making it increasingly difficult for most security tools to identify. Many security 'suites' claim to provide complete protection, often shipping there products with fairly useless utilities. Usually though, all that's wanted is a functional, non obtrusive security application not a bulky, ineffective 'security suit'.

Microsoft Malicious Software Removal tool 2.3 is a freeware utility that enables you to identify the very latest threats to your Windows operating system. Use it to manually run scans, and view the results in a full screen report. By using the Microsoft website you can ensure you are equipped with the latest version.

Microsoft Malicious Software Removal tool 2.3 link.

The Microsoft Office suite is a very capable package that many of us have become accustomed to, but there's no getting away from the fact it's expensive. Although the applications within the suite are very able, many of the features that ship with programs like Word are hardly or never needed by the average user. There are now a number of open-source word processing applications now available that enable you to create documents and save them as a Word document (.doc).

OpenOffice 3 is a very able open-source alternative to Microsoft Office that ships with a spreadsheet tool, word processor and a presentation application as well as other utilities. It's cross platform and compatible with Microsoft Office formats, so you can open, edit and save documents with ease. The latest version 3 is now fully Mac compatible using the Aqua interface.

OpenOffice 3 link.

Even if you consider yourself reasonably computer literate, there are some areas of computing that may be beyond your capabilities. Although the Windows operating system enables you to safely optimise certain areas of it, you may not be ready to manually tweak Windows by editing the Registry. The safest option would be to use an application specifically deigned for optimising or tweaking Windows, which prevents you from accidentally creating any unwanted and potentially problematic Registry entries.  

Fresh UI 8.17 is a free tool for optimising Windows. Use it to configure your operating system to your personal preference with minimal risk. There's no need to manually edit your registry, so there's no risk of potentially interfering with or damaging key areas of your operating system.

Fresh UI 8.17 link.     

A good screen grabbing tool has a numerous practical implementations, at home or in the workplace. Maybe you work in an office as a designer or you simply need to print an on-screen image, and using a screen grabbing tool will save you time. The more able tools enable you to grab images of anything thats visable on-screen, including web pages, flash animation and even open applications.  

Screenshot Captor 2.43.01 is a comprehensive tool that enables you to take grabs of moving animation and many other items some tools are unable to. You can remove the cursor from your grabs, and chose a desired resolution for your image and many other features that will enable you to obtain the grab you need.

Screenshot Captor 2.43.01 link.

Although certain aspects of Windows are relatively easy to tweak, using an optimisation tool may change settings so your systems performance is more suited to your needs. There are small utilities that will assist but there are also more able tools that enable you to optimise many areas of your computers performance, from your operating system to memory and even Internet options. These tools help to get the most from your system, depending on your own needs, whether you want to browse the Internet or game online.

Ashampoo PowerUp 3.22 is a tweaking and optimization tool that ships with a selection of pre-configured 'profiles' designed to increase specific aspects of your machines performance. This also enables you to quickly tune your computer, depending on your needs, quickly and easily.

Ashampoo PowerUp 3.22 link

Portability is one area of computing that's seen a great deal of interest in recent years. Many of us now have laptops or portable devices with web access, and the number of applications based on portable hardware is on the up. Obviously the needs of users that travel or work on-the-move are very different to a more static work environment, and require software solutions that enable them to work efficiently, no matter where they are.

Geode 1.5 is an experimental add-on for Firefox 3 that incorporates location awareness with your browser great accuracy. For example you may be visiting a new city, almost anywhere in the world and have no idea where anything is. By using your favourite reviews website Geode will enable you to find places such as restaurants, within a set area of your location.
 
Geode 1.5 link.

Keeping your PC completely clutter free is almost an impossibility, but it's important to maintain a certain level of organisation. Not only are drives bigger than they ever have been, both internal and external, but file transfer via portable drives are all contributing factors regarding drive disorganisation. A cluttered drive could cause system problems including a slow start-up, but your hard drive does not have to be loaded with folders and files either, if the files are spread over large areas of your drive, which can cause problems too.

UltraDefrag 1.4 Is an effective opensource defragmentation tool enabling you to easily maintain a healthy drive. This may help prevent crashes, system slowdown and in severe cases, system failure. It has a very basic user-interface but it does ship with all necessary features for effective defragmentation.

UltraDefrag 1.4 link.

Many ISP's provide high speed broadband connections, we tend to sign up based on published figures and pay our bills when due. The thing is how many of us actually know whether or not we exceed bandwidth limits specified by our ISPs? We could be paying more than we need to in charges for services we may not have used. The only way to really know what we use and when is by using a monitoring tool, or set limits on incoming traffic.

NetWorx 4.1 is a free monitoring tool that enables you to evaluate bandwidth usage and monitor network activity. As well as many useful monitoring features, one is feature is the facility to set bandwidth usage limits over set periods of time; this prevents you from incurring charges from your ISP.

NetWorx 4.1 link.  

For some reason, Acronis True Image is immensely popular. Only recently, I was reminiscing with the guys at Acronis that, back in 2002 they were a very small 4 man company based out of the States. Now they produce some of the more popular drive backup and system restore applications, for both home and corporate use.

Acronis True Image 2009 is now available and this tool will enable you to both backup and restore your drive and partitions. The latest version ships with a brand new user-interface, based on a Vista-style design, support for compressed ZIP backup files and one-click suport, so you can setup your backup, then click a button to backup your files.

Acronis True Image 2009 link.

As disorganised as it may be, many of us are guilty of jotting down an important telephone number or email address on a scrap of paper, which we then can't find. Unless you are always prepared, or store the details straight after the call that scrap of paper may end up in the bin. Virtual sticky note applications are designed specifically for such scenarios, they can be accessed extremely quickly and you won't run the risk of the details getting thrown out with the rubbish.

IQ Notes 3.70 is a virtual sticky note application that enables you to safely tore and organise important telephone numbers and other important information. You can also synchronise your notes between multiple machines as well as add notes to applications and even web pages.

IQ Notes 3.70 link.

Online file sharing is a good way of making documents readily available wherever you are; it also ensures that the latest versions of files may be accessed. By using a shared workspace you can easily work with colleagues by quickly swapping documents, notes and other useful information whilst communicating and exploring other ideas. You can chat as a group, much like a conference call, or on a one-on-one. This could be an ideal solution for working together with minimal fuss for you and your colleagues.

PeerAware 1.02 enables you to communicate and transfer documents with your peers, quickly and easily. You can create a 'shared workspace' for connecting with colleagues and swapping information, as well as create a 'knowledge network' to chat and share ideas on a virtual whiteboard.

PeerAware 1.02 link.

Those of us who use computers for work on a daily basis; we tend to stick to a routine. Some of the daily computer based tasks we perform can be incredibly uninteresting, unfortunately though they still need to be done. Your workload may become less laborious by using a simple automation tool that could help you copy and paste or perform other basic tasks, even send emails all with simple key combinations.

RoboTask 3.2 enables users to automate simple, yet time consuming tasks. Program the software with a few basic commands and simply use keyboard shortcuts to automate tasks. This may help you complete the more mundane or annoying tasks more easily.

RoboTask 3.2

Although most of us a familiar with Microsoft Word, there are able replacements. Many of the features that ship with Word remain unused by the average user, yet because it's so widely used, we seem to ignore the fact there may be alternatives more suited to your needs. Having a small word processor you can take on the move is well worth considering, especially if it's free. By using a portable word processor, you can take it with you and launch the application from a USB stick on any computer you may be using.

AbiWord Portable 2.6.4 is a portable word processor with all the necessary features for creating high quality word documents that also supports the Microsoft Word document format (.doc). It's also similar I look and feel to Word and although lacks some useful features Word provides, is well worth looking at.

AbiWord Portable 2.6.4

RAR files offer a high level of compression, even more so than ZIP and this obviously has numerous benefits. Although creating one can take time, the RAR format also enables you to split large files for compression. Compressing files is very useful when it comes to sending email attachments and other files downloaded from the Internet. This type of file compression is also useful for multimedia files, enabling you to store and distribute files more effectively.

WinRar 3.80 enables you to create and manage RAR archives easily. You can lock files to prevent tampering and salvage damaged data. WinRar also supports many other compression formats such as ZIP, ISO and TAR.

WinRar 3.80 link.

If you're a keen user of Skype 3 then you were probably one of the keenest to download and test the new version of Skype 4, which entered beta testing last month. We downloaded and installed it immediately, but were quickly disappointed. The biggest problem was the re-designed interface which was arranged to give video calls the priority. Who really uses Skype to make video calls? Seriously? In business, I don't want to necessarily 'see' the other user when I make a call.

Skype 4 Beta 2 is now available and a the user-interface now enables you to select a compact version (read: the same design as Skype 3.x), received more informed and clearer alerts, so you can see when a call is incoming and more. We're not entirely convinced by Skype 4 and it seems our web users feel the same way, if you take a look at our end-user rating.

Skype 4 Beta 2 link.

A simple backup program will enable you to make a backup of your drive, partition or a selection of files and then restore when you encounter problems in the future. Next generation 'backup' software now enables you synchronise your data across your computers. If you own a desktop and laptop, you might want the work documents you've been finishing on your laptop, on your desktop and the fonts shared across both machines.

Dropbox 0.6.402 is a tool that goes even further. Backup files online, synchronise across computers (PC, Mac or Linux), but also share certain files with other users. For example, enable other users to see and download your favourite desktop images, photos of your kids or, if you're working in a team, the latest presentation you've finished and need others to approve.

Dropbox link.

Paint tools are available in all shapes and sizes, from small freeware tools to expensive, professional standard applications. Although you can use these expensive apps to paint with, they are more suited to high-end graphic manipulation and it would be a waist to purchase one purely for painting. If you are more creative, intend on creating original works and need a tool that is more artistic, it can be difficult finding a tool that offers more natural painting simulation.  

Artweaver 0.5.5 is an application designed for those who prefer to work directly using a tablet or mouse. The program offers various realistic tools including pencils, chalk, charcoal and other brush styles. Use it to import a range of different image formats as well as use existing photos to create sketches from.

Artweaver 0.5.5 link.

If we are at the computer, and have time to kill, many of us have used an online video portal such as YouTube to find and watch entertaining video clips. Humorous clips are widely available online but it can be frustrating when you are looking for something specific, like an old sporting clip or rare music video. Some files may be incorrectly named or so rare that there may be only a single video posted. Searching numerous sites can be time consuming so wouldn't it be far easier if there was an application that searched multiple sites for you?   

Ashampoo ClipFinder 1.47 is a useful plug-in that enables you to search multiple online video portals for your favourite clips. It supports all popular sites and more and enables you to preview and download your favourite videos.

Ashampoo ClipFinder 1.47 link. 

Many of us work from, or own more than one computer. Maybe a desktop in the office or at home and a laptop for working on the move, or when you are working away from home. Using multiple computers is convenient and offers us greater flexibility but it's important for it not to become confusing. If you do work between different computers, it's necessary to keep files updated between machines. This enables you to keep all work up-to-date and saves any confusion when opening, saving and working on documents.

GoodSync 7.2.9 is a tool that enables you to share and work on documents between multiple computers. By using a synchronisation tool, it's possible to work on a particular document whilst on the move, then arrive at work and continue work on your desktop.

GoodSync 7.2.9 link.

Getting your PC to perform as you'd like it to can take a lot of tweaking, and often involves a lot of trial and error. Firstly, you need to identify the areas your machine would benefit from being optimised, then which tools would be most suitable. The trouble is, if there are a more than a couple of areas that would benefit, getting the right setup could be difficult. Not everyone has the time to try and squeeze that little extra performance from their computer, and a more general tool may be more applicable. An easier way of improving performance is to use a tool that's designed to enhance all areas of your system, all in a few clicks.

Ashampoo WinOptimizer 5.09 is a selection of tools that will enable you to easily optimise computer performance. With a simple interface, you can manage several areas of PC maintenance and performance including online performance, the facility to cleanse your hard drive and other useful features. This suite comprises of all the tools required to keep your system running at peak performance.

Ashampoo WinOptimizer 5.09 link.