Best shareware/freeware

Post by **FZ1** » Wed Jan 03, 2007 7:42 pm

Alright all. Post up some of your favorite freeware and shareware apps. Don't just post the name of the app. You should include the following for each app:

1. Name of app and it's platform (Windows, Linux, Mac, WinMobile, etc)
2. What it is used for
3. Why do you like it or what sets it apart from other apps (besides being cheap/free)
4. What don't you like about it (if anything)
5. Where can you get it. Please post the author's or source page please rather than a generic download site so they can get proper credit.

PUBLIC SERVICE MESSAGE: If you use an app and really like it, consider contributing a few bucks to the author or paying for the shareware. Even a few dollars. It gives them incentive/means to improve the product(s) or write some other useful ones. I know the amount of time it takes to code something from scratch.

We can collect the posts and maybe make a sticky out of it.

Post by **FZ1** » Wed Jan 03, 2007 7:42 pm

When I had my Dell laptop, I used an app called:

NETSTUMBLER

1. Netstumbler for Windows.
2. It's used for "pinpointing details of a wireless network, helping you configure, secure, optimize and discover".
3. I liked the simple layout and ease of use along with using little RAM & CPU resources.
4. It doesn't support all cards but most!
5. http://www.netstumbler.com

HANDBRAKE

1. Handbrake for Mac - MacOS X (10.3.9 or later, Universal Binary) A Windows port is being worked on.
2. A GPL'd multiplatform, multithreaded DVD to MPEG-4 ripper/converter.**
3. A great tool for ripping DVD's to play on your iPOD or PSP
4. Works great so far. There are some protected DVD's it won't rip but I haven't found any yet.
5. http://handbrake.m0k.org/

**Please do not pirate movies or music! I am not advocating such activities.

Post by **dicecca112** » Wed Jan 03, 2007 8:13 pm

CCleaner

1. File Cleaner for Windows
2. Registry Cleaning, Extra File Cleaning, Uninstall Entry Cleaning
3. Cleans folders you set, cleans exceptionally well
4. Registry cleaner isn't through enogh
5. http://www.ccleaner.com/

bubba · Post by **bubba** » Wed Jan 03, 2007 8:14 pm

Unlocker

1. Windows 2K/XP
2. Unlocker is an Windows Explorer extension allowing you with a simple right-click on a file or folder to get rid of error message such as error deleting file or folder, cannot delete folder: it's being used by another person or program.
3. like - easy to use, works, not ad driven.
4. dislike - none so far
5. author - Cedrick Collomb http://www.softpedia.com/get/System/Sys ... cker.shtml

Alibre Design Xpress 3D Solid Modeler

**Free; paid upgrade available

1. Windows 98/Me/2000/XP
2. Alibre Design Xpress is a rich and capable 3D solid modeler for creating mechanical parts, assemblies and 2D drawings - and is free. Certain more elegant features, like 3D sketching and part Booleans, can be found in the paid versions of the Alibre Design product family. Alibre Design Xpress equips the person needing basic 3D design capabilities.
3. Like - Good for personal use, get your feet wet in the world of 3D design.
4. not autoCAD or solidworks by any stretch of the imagination, but for the price, its worth it.
5. Made by Alibre -
download -> http://www.download.com/Alibre-Design-X ... 24841.html
manuals and such -> http://www.alibre.com/support/downloads.aspx

Topher · Post by **Topher** » Wed Jan 03, 2007 8:45 pm

1. BitPim (Windows, Linux, MacOS X)
2. BitPim allows synchronization of Phone Book, Calendar, WallPapers, RingTones and manipulating the embedded filesystem in CDMA cell phones.
3. Thanks to Verizon's greedy tactics of forcing it's subscribers to purchase all ringtones, wallpapers, etc, by using their Vcast service, bitPim is one of the few ways I can upload mp3s, wallpapers and videos to my cellphone without having to go through the VCast service, not to mention that my phone doesn't come with a calendar and contact synchronizer to my PC. Verizon even went so far as to disable the built in bluetooth data transfer features of my Samsung A930 so we can't transfer ringtones and wallpaper from other bluetooth enabled phones. Verizon blows, but BitPim is great!
4. It's still a bit buggy
5. http://www.bitpim.org/

Sporg · Post by **Sporg** » Thu Jan 04, 2007 11:07 am

WinRAR

1) Windows 95/98/Me/NT/2000/XP
2) Great for compression of files, also supports other popular formats such as ZIP. Great "right-click" options. It's one of the first things (after drivers and such) that I load onto an OS when doing a build. I have never paid for the full version, but I have never had the trial lock up or stop working. You just have to deal with a popup that encourages you to buy.
3) Free to try, $29 to buy
4) I usually download from: http://www.download.com/WinRAR/3000-225 ... ag=lst-0-1
5) Product published by RARLABS http://www.rarlabs.com/[/b]

alister · Post by **alister** » Thu Jan 04, 2007 5:13 pm

ZipGenius

1) Windows 95/98/ME/NT/2000/XP/2003/Vista 32 bit
2) ZipGenius supports more than 20 compressed archive formats, including CD/DVD-ROM image files in ISO9660 standard. This is the file compression suite you were searching for: it is free and easy to use, plus it supports more than 20 formats of compressed archives, including RAR, ARJ, ACE, CAB, SQX, OpenOffice.org documents and the excellent 7-zip.
3) FREE
4) cannot think of any negatives
5) http://www.zipgenius.it/eng/index.php

bubba · Post by **bubba** » Wed Feb 28, 2007 10:00 am

Neat little exe that tells you all kinds of stuff, even the pesky little s/n that you lost.

SIW - System information for Windows

http://www.gtopala.com/

SIW (System Information for Windows) performs computer configuration analysis and diagnostics. It gives detailed information about your computer properties and settings, detailed specs for:
â€¢ Software: Operating System, Installed Software and Hotfixes, Processes, Services, Users, Open Files, System Uptime, Installed Codecs, Licenses.
â€¢ Hardware: Motherboard, Sensors, BIOS, CPU, chipset, PCI/AGP, USB and ISA/PnP Devices, Memory, Video Card, Monitor, Disk Drives, CD/DVD Devices, SCSI Devices, S.M.A.R.T., Ports, Printers.
â€¢ Network: Network Cards, Network Shares, currently active Network Connections, Open Ports.
â€¢ Tools: Password Recovery, Reveal passwords hidden behind asterisks, Product Keys and Serial Numbers (CD Key), MAC Address Changer, Shutdown / Restart.
â€¢ Real-time monitors: CPU, Memory, Page File usage and Network Traffic.
SIW can create a report file (CSV, HTML, TXT or XML), and is able to run in batch mode (for PC Auditing and Inventory).
SIW is a standalone utility that does not require installation - one less installed program on your PC as well the fact that you can run the program directly from a USB flash drive (Portable Freeware).
Platform:
Microsoft Windows 98/Me/NT4/2000/XP/Server 2003/Media Center/Tablet PC/Windows 2003 Server R2/Windows Server 2003 x64/Windows XP x64/Windows Vista/ WinRE / Bart PE / Winternals ERD Commander

cyberneticimplant · Post by **cyberneticimplant** » Wed Feb 28, 2007 10:10 am

Process Explorer

1. Windows 9x/Me, Windows NT 4.0, Windows 2000, Windows XP, Server 2003, and 64-bit versions of Windows for x64 processors, and Windows Vista

2. Displays information about the programs running on your computer

3. 10 times better than Windows Task Manager, Free

4. No Dislikes

5. http://www.microsoft.com/technet/sysint ... lorer.mspx

bigblockmatt · Post by **bigblockmatt** » Wed Feb 28, 2007 11:26 am

Open office

1. Open office - Windows, linux, apple

2. All the basics of Microsoft office.

3. I havent used it in depth, but i have installed it on my girlfriends comp. which she uses for school and basic computing and she has no problems with it.

4. Only issue i have found it to make sure you switch the default save format from the open office one to rtf or doc.

5. http://www.openoffice.org/

GIMP

1. Gimp - Windows, linux, Mac

2. Free Photoshop type of program

3. n/a - never used

4. n/a - never used

5. http://www.gimp.org/

cyberneticimplant · Post by **cyberneticimplant** » Wed Feb 28, 2007 3:45 pm

I love Open Office. I think in many respects it is better than Corel Word Perfect. It has much better compatability with Microsoft Power Point documents. Corel would not work with Power Point at all.

R3N3G4D3 · Post by **R3N3G4D3** » Wed Feb 28, 2007 5:24 pm

Notepad++

1. Notepad++ (Windows)
2. regular notepad txt files, coding
3. It's a notepad on steroids, runs as fast as regular notepad, but has tabs, and syntax highlighting for just about any programming language out there (also awesome for lisp since it does bracket matching), it sure beats waiting half an hour for visual studio to open, and did I mention that it's free?
4. Not really important to me, but some might get bugged by the fact that they can't compile the code they write in it, although I'd rather have it work as fast as it does now than being able to compile
5. notepad-plus.sourceforge.net

Zenphic · Post by **Zenphic** » Wed Feb 28, 2007 5:27 pm

IMGBURN

1. Windows and Linux with Wine
2. A CD/DVD burning software. Can burn images or build them.
3. It has many features and is very small. Good burns, no coasters yet.
4. I can't figure out how to make it automatically label DVD's according to a template
5. http://www.imgburn.com/

Nobahar · Post by **Nobahar** » Wed Feb 28, 2007 8:37 pm

Gaim
1. It's on Windows, Linux, probably Mac too.
2. Instance messaging system with multiple protocols (aim, yahoo, msn, etc)
3. It has all the features of deadaim, provides multiple protocols in a very customizable format. Gives more freedom on customizing your client and has neat features that aren't bubbly and take up space with needless props.
4. Since the latest version is a beta, still sometimes run into bugs- mostly when transferring files.
5. http://gaim.sourceforge.net/

cyberneticimplant · Post by **cyberneticimplant** » Wed Feb 28, 2007 9:05 pm

Infranview (Freeware)

1. Windows 95/98/Me/NT/2000/XP/2003 Server/Vista
2. Very Quick Image Viewer
3. Supports Many Formats, Lets You View Images Very Quickly and Easily
4. No Dislikes
5. http://www.irfanview.com

x0dyssey · Post by **x0dyssey** » Wed Mar 07, 2007 5:11 pm

EVEREST Ultimate Edition

1. Windows 95/98/Me/NT4/2000/XP/2003 Server/Vista/PE/x64 editions as well
2. Anything and everything you wanted to know about your system with diagnostics and benchmarking applications as well. Overclocking info and temps, BIOS/Driver info. You name it, everest has it.
3. Tons of information and editing options as well.
4.Limited use on shareware, not one version has every feature.
5.http://www.lavalys.com/products/overvie ... UE&lang=en
Download link : http://www.download.com/Everest-Ultimat ... ag=lst-0-1

dgood · Post by **dgood** » Wed Mar 07, 2007 5:39 pm

Getdiz 3.0 go to downloads.

.nfo and .txt viewer and writer. works great makes stuff look cooler in it too.

Alathald · Post by **Alathald** » Wed Mar 07, 2007 5:47 pm

Inkscape
1. Linux, Windows, Mac
2. powerful and convenient drawing tool fully compliant with XML, SVG, and CSS standards
3. It's easy to use, I created a stencil for a skateboard deck and scaled it up to put on a tshirt as well without losing any res (gotta love vector graphics) also what I used to do my avatar (well most of it)
4. It doesn't support animated SVG (yet) but I just export to GIF and use the GIMP GAP
5. http://www.inkscape.org/

Someone also mentioned the GIMP and OpenOffice, both are wonderful programs, I don't just use them because they're free but because they perform just as well if not better than Photoshop and Microsoft Works Suite respectively. Seriously, if you have Works on your computer, give Oo a spin.

Here's a link to a page with a couple of zero BS programs; they do what they say, no more no less:
http://www.ravenblack.net/programs/
the guy who worte them is a stange bloke but I particularly like motepad (replacement for Notepad; better than getDiz IMHO)

Post by **Digital Puppy** » Wed Mar 07, 2007 6:38 pm

DVD Decrypter.

Hands down.

liqnit · Post by **liqnit** » Wed Mar 07, 2007 11:44 pm

Paint.Net
1) Windows
2) Great replace for windows Paint with a lot of features.
3) easy to use, updetes often
4) http://www.getpaint.net/index2.html