Free Software Downloads and Software Reviews

My rating:

Product:

WindowFX

Version: 3.0

Get Windows Vista effects on Windows XP!!!

Pros: This amazing little program adds animation to your windows and menus. It can give you thumbnails of the contents of a minimized window by mousing over it, it can show you a graphical display of windows to switch between, and it even allows you to assign a mouse button to use to change windows without using your keyboard! The animations are really nice. They range from fade-in/fade-out to spin in and out, etc. This nifty little program will add the type of animations and effects promised by Windows Vista to Windows XP.

Cons: This is a great program, but it is pretty graphic intensive. You will need to have a good graphics card, processor, and RAM to run it smoothly. My machine has a 2.8 gHz processor, 512MB of RAM, and a ATI RADEON 9000 card w/64MB video RAM, and it does not have any major problems running it. The download offered here is a trial that will run out in about 30 days. Since this is a part of the Object Desktop Suite, along with other popular programs like WindowBlinds, you may want to just purchase the subscription to Object Desktop if you are thinking of buying this or any Stardock product, that way you will have immediate access to all their programs. I think that if you have the hardware, then you should definitely try this software!

Posted: 11-Jun-2006 07:52:15 PM

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My rating:

Product:

Internet Explorer 6 Service Pack 1

Insecure Explorer

Pros: Can use to download information from Windows Update. Thanks to monopolizing the web, some pages will only display in IE. Easy to use because there are no good features.

Cons: Horribly slow. No tabs. No skins, unless you download Hotbar, and expose your computer to spyware (when you aren't exposing it enough by running the browser anyway). No pop-up blocking unless you download third-party toolbars with it integrated, and that means more spyware. Get Firefox or Opera instead.

Posted: 24-Apr-2005 11:13:01 PM

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My rating:

Product:

Norton AntiVirus

Version: 2005

Resource Hog.

Pros: Good anti-virus scanning. A lot of people use it. The live updates are pretty easy to use, and it reminds you when you need to run them.

Cons: Scans more slowly than others. This program is a total resource hog. It drains RAM like a whirlpool drains your bathtub. It is very expensive, and the trial is only for 15 days, and not to mention a HUGE download. McAfee trial is 30 days. Norton 2003 was way better than this.

Posted: 24-Apr-2005 11:01:22 PM

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My rating:

Product: Version: 2.1.1 build 325

Wonderful Spell-Check Program

Pros: If you use online forms or message boards, then you need this IE add-on. It will check the spelling of your text so that you will have error free writing. I love it. It works like a charm. I post in message boards a lot, and they mostly do not have built-in spell checkers, so I have to write it in a word processing program that has one, then copy and paste it over. With this program, now I can do this within my IE browser. It also works in IE-based browsers as well.

Cons: This won't work in Firefox, Opera, or any other non-IE browser. So if you are an alternative browser user, then you won't benefit from this. It does not check grammar, and you can't really add anything to the dictionary. Still, I love this program and would install it on any computer where there is IE. I don't know how I lived without it!!!

Posted: 20-May-2006 10:30:36 PM

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My rating:

Product:

WindowBlinds

Version: 5

Simply Breathtaking!!!

Pros: I was a huge fan of WindowBlinds 4.5. It was really a great program for skinning Windows with. Now, Stardock has outdone itself with this update. The capabilities that it adds are incredible. The visual capabilites have been updated, and now the themes include transparency, irregular shapes, glowing effects, and more. The stock options for themes are good, and you can download even more at the wincustomize.com website. This version makes your computer look and feel like any OS you want. The compatability issues have been improved. The program runs faster and smoother than previous versions. It also uses less resources. Some of the display quibbles are gone now, too. I have always felt that this was the most sophisticated skinning program out there, but now it is the best, hands down! And if you have the purchased version, you will get even better features out of this program.

Cons: The trial used to be unlimited, now it only lasts for 60 days, and it has limited skinning capabilities for that trial. That is generous for a trial, but compared to what it used to be, that is kind of rough. Also, the unregistered product begs you to buy it at each startup. I think it is well worth it though. Some programs that skin themselves may act a little strange with this. Still, for the depth and excitement that it adds to the boring Windows shell, you simply must give this download a chance. It breathes life into your PC, and will make you feel as if you have a new OS again!

Posted: 13-Dec-2005 12:17:46 AM

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Ratings submitted:	90
Reviews written:	90
"Helpful" votes received:	352
"Not helpful" votes received:	177

My Profile: Mrsone

WindowFX

Get Windows Vista effects on Windows XP!!!

Internet Explorer 6 Service Pack 1

Insecure Explorer

Norton AntiVirus

Resource Hog.

Wonderful Spell-Check Program

WindowBlinds

Simply Breathtaking!!!

About me: Mrsone