Lord of the Files

My favorite Shareware / Freeware / Trial Versions for Windows

I’m a journalist who has been online for over a decade (and who has worked as editor-in-chief for top-rated German web sites). Although I’m not a techie, I’ve always been interested in finding reasonably-priced software (PC and Mac) which is best suited to my individual needs. Here are my recommendations – based on continuous testing and extensive research (I currently use all programs with Windows 2000 SP2).

- Peter Jebsen



Utilities

File Manager:

ZtreeWin

A 32bit adaptation of my favorite DOS utility XtreeGold. Windows Explorer doesn’t come close: ZtreeWin allows you to list all the files across all drives, to copy or moving a selection of tagged files (including the directory and sub-directory path of each file!), and to search for text strings within a selection of tagged files. Check it out – it’s truly terrific!
http://www.ztree.com/html/ztreewin.htm


Installation Tracker:

InCtrl5

A free utility (courtesy of PC Magazine) which keeps track of the changes made to your registry and your files when you install new software.
http://www.pcmag.com/article/0,2997,a=4583,00.asp


Partitioning of Hard Drives:

PowerQuest Partition Magic 7

Powerful, yet easy to use.
http://www.powerquest.com/partitionmagic/


Screenshots:

SnagIt

Another utility I wouldn’t want to miss! You can choose between many different output and file formats for your screenshots.
http://www.techsmith.com/products/snagit/default.asp


Compressing Files:

WinZip

A classic! I’ve checked out alternatives, but haven’t found reasons why I should switch.
http://www.winzip.com/


Internet / Online

Browsing Companion:

Alexa 6

A great toolbar which offers instant access to site info, related sites, dictionary and thesaurus. If you’re using the Internet for research, Alexa will point you to many great sites which you wouldn’t have found as comfortably without it.
http://download.alexa.com/alexa6/startpage.html?p=destination_site


E-Mail:

Outlook Express

If you have a reason to use Microsoft’s Hotmail service, I recommend Outlook Express to you. It’s free, it enables you to download your Hotmail for offline handling, and it also offers access to Usenet newsgroups.
http://www.microsoft.com/

The Bat!

If you’re missing anything in Outlook Express, and if you’re maintaining several e-mail accounts, check out The Bat! It probably is one of the most comprehensive programs for professional users.
http://www.ritlabs.com/the_bat/


Search Tools:

Copernic 2001 Plus

A wonderful addition to meta search engines – you can save your search results offline and update them on a regular basis.
http://www.copernic.com/products/copernic/basic/index.html

Google Toolbar

The search engine Google is surprisingly accurate – its toolbar offers even faster access to its resources.
http://toolbar.google.com/


Download Manager:

GetRight

More comfortable, fewer ads than Go!Zilla.
http://www.getright.com/



HTML Editor:

Macromedia Homesite

In the past five years, I have used most major HTML editors for PC and Mac. Homesite was, and still is, the best.
http://www.macromedia.com/software/homesite/



FTP:

LeechFTP

There probably are many FTP programs which are more sophisticated, and I’ve tried many of them. But, so far, I haven’t found a reason to give up LeechFTP. It’s basic (and it’s not being supported anymore), but it also is free.
http://stud.fh-heilbronn.de/~jdebis/leechftp/downloads.html



Bookmark Utility:

PowerMarks

As a journalist, I do extensive research via the Internet. For many years, I’ve looked for a utility which helps me to sensibly store useful URLs. Until recently, QuikLinks was my favorite program, but it was slow and instable. I’ve recently tried PowerMarks which seems to be highly superior!
http://www.kaylon.com/power.html



Access Fee Manager:

SWR3 OnlineCounter 2002

Only for German users: If you don’t know it, check it out! It helps you to keep track of your online time and charges.
http://www.swr3.de/onlinecounter/



For Webmasters:

Xenu’s Link Sleuth

The free alternative to LinkBot – it tells you which links on your website don’t work.
http://home.snafu.de/tilman/xenulink.html
Review:
http://www.pcmag.com/article/0,2997,apn=5&s=1638&a=24514&app=3&ap=4,00.asp

Analog

The free alternative to WebTrends (which I’ve used extensively, and which I highly recommend to anyone who’s willing to pay the price) – it offers a basic analysis of your web server’s log files. You only get a fraction of the traffic info provided by a program like WebTrends, but – again – Analog is free.
http://www.analog.cx/



Graphics

Photoshop Alternative:

Jasc Paint Shop Pro 7

Before – or while – checking out Photoshop, find out whether Paint Shop Pro may be sufficient to your needs!
http://www.jasc.com/products/psp/



Office

Contact / Calendar Suite:

Time & Chaos

For my needs, Time & Chaos is far superior to Outlook because it allows me to see everything that’s important in one window: a calendar, my address book, my appointments, and my To Do list. I was also able to obtain get a Palm plug-in for T&C.
http://www.isbister.com/chaos32.html



Fax Software:

WinFax Pro

An industry leader which I’ve used for many, many years. None of the PC and Mac competitors which I’ve given a try was as comprehensive and/or as stable.
http://www.symantec.com/winfax/
© 2003 Redaktionsbuero Peter Jebsen

Recommend your favorite software!


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