[PCWorld]

Post your comments for 14 Great Programs You Didn't Even Know You Needed here

[shirtour]

It would be ever so helpful if you would specify at the outset whether each of these "must-have's" is VISTA-compatible! It would save your poor VISTA-running readers from salivating after the review, only to go to the download page and see that it was all in vain, and once again cursing the day they ever left WIN XP.

[bertyhell]

nice programs :)of all the once names here i use 1maxthonand i recommend iti like the function where you can specify were to open a linkin a new tab or new windowgood programsome other programs sound nicebut are for thouse rare occasions that ill prob forget to use themill try some of them thoughtyvm for this article :)bert

[matthew2582]

Wow - what a clown - stop trying to be cute and all "friendly and hip' - you don't know why people use Opera? Really? Really - you have no idea? Then how do you get padid? Is that the kind of [edited] stuff you get paid for? Firefox is just for Linux Groupies? Let's see - Opera is the lightest, fastest browser on the plant - and 15% of the world relies on Firefox. [edited] [Edited by AuroraManson- no personal attacks please]

[RomWhite]

Matthew....I've tested Firefox and Opera--and they left me as cold as a Canadian cadaver. (Sorry. I'm being "hip" again.) Have you tried Maxthon? And thank you. I work very hard at being a clown. And you know how it goes. A clown's work is never appreciated in his own lifetime. And who wants to be a dead clown.Ron White

[Fatcat]

Great article! It was amusing to read and included more than a few programs I'm sure I will actually use!

[a50505]

The writing style was well done; lucid, informative, entertaining.Not an easy combination to achieve.The reasons / justification for why each utility was useful turned out to be Very Much worth my time to read. I don't have enough hours in the day to research this on my own, and I'm pleased to see others insights.Matthew: I think you're being a little bit rough on the author. Even if someone doesn't know everything that I do, they very likely know at least some things I can learn from.As for Opera, I used it a lot some years ago, but firefox is hard to beat. I do still miss Opera's zoom-feature that does pixel-level scaling (instead of just kicking up the fnt-sizes & leaving images behind, like firefox does).As for size/performance, firefox is tolerable for me now... but since I don't know what I'm missing, I will go back and give opera another try. I'm also going to take a look at Maxthon. John[quote name='matthew2582']Wow - what a clown - stop trying to be cute and all "friendly and hip' - you don't know why people use Opera? Really? Really - you have no idea? Then how do you get padid? Is that the kind of [edited] stuff you get paid for? > > > > Firefox is just for Linux Groupies? Let's see - Opera is the lightest, fastest browser on the plant - and 15% of the world relies on Firefox. [edited] > > > > > > [Edited by AuroraManson- no personal attacks please]

[drrexx]

The price of some of these programs is actually quite steep ---which makes them useless for most people. For some of them we would shell out money for things that Windows should do well in the first place. To add insult to injury, we are expected to make fun of the idea that Microsoft is evil and log cabin-dwelling Linux users... And what's wrong with Opera? Please explain. It's got a small footprint. It runs well across different platforms. It packs more functions than either IE or Firefox, and it's faster than both. Sorry, I really didn't care for this article.

[LANjackal]

PC World is really going down the tubes.Have you guys ever heard of proper journalism? It's amazing that a reputable mainstream tech website allows writers not only to insert biased opinion into what is supposed to be an informational article, but blatantly say that they're bashing a company they're writing about.[quote name='RomWhite']As long as I'm bashing Microsoft--and really, can you think of a better way to spend a summer's evening?Unbelievable.

[dteek]

You should point out that Maxthon is just a shell for Internet Explorer. Since it runs on top of IE, it is subject to the same security vulnerabilities as IE (which is why I would never use it).

[aspicer]

Wow this has been fun. Let's all meet back here again next time and beat each other up some more. It sure does help relieve the stress.

Write a better article or SHUT UP!

[Liquidwave22]

Extreme violence!!!! I thought this was a very informative and useful article I will not use all, but I will use some of the programs that are listed here some of these comments are mean and very disrespectful this author did a great job listing programs that anyone can use if I used IE I would use maxthon in an instant I really don't see everyones issue with this as for expensive if you were to get each peice of software it would egual out to about 15 dollars apeice

[Alphabool]

I was stunned to read some of the highly unpleasent reviews of this article. I have never enjoyed a PC World article more; every paragraph was entertaining and informative. Bravo!

[Number3124]

Thats why im using WinXP thank God! I just saw Vista in person and it was so UGLY!!!

[techie4fun]

Good little review PC World. Half of these programs I didn't even know existed.

[njowd2k5]

You don't see why people use Opera? If you can't see that, then I'm dubious that you're qualified to be writing such an article.

You do realize that a lot of the features you mentioned about Maxthon are done in Opera as well, don't you? Opera is the browser that invented tabbed browsing. Opera allows you to pick up from all tabs you left open when you closed it, start over, etc. When Opera crashes, it gives you the option to start with a blank page, home page, or what you were last viewing, so a crash doesn't mean all hope is lost. Tabs can be moved, locked, etc.

You can open pages in new windows, new tabs, new tabs / windows in the background, block pop ups, and tons more.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opera(Internetsuite)#Features

Not to mention it's speed, compliance, etc. Do some research.

[zoomiejr]

There is another way to know that you have accidentally hit "Caps Lock"--a beep.
Windows XP--go into Control Panel, then into Accessability Options, click on Keyboard tab, and then click the box "Toggle Keys." You will then get a 'beep' when you hit Caps Lock, Num Lock, and Scroll Lock.
I have found this great in letting me know that I've managed to push that dreaded Caps Lock key!
I think using software that you already have is better, in some instances, than adding even more software, in an attempt to fix just ONE problem.

[tree12345]

hello all from Seattle. I am a NOVICE. I appreciate the banter, not the personal attacks but the disagreeing and the informed and polite. I think that the hostile individuals must have had a lousy day and/or perhaps a pitiful life sad lonely life and are just looking for a quick snipe at anything or anyone. It is pretty easy to be a rude person when you dont have to face your person.


I have learned about something new, that I had no knowledge about, several things actually, from the persons who agreed or disagreed and wrote intelligently about their views. I totally appreciate that.. My hats off to you folks. I thank the original writer, I liked your humor, certainly much better than a dry, boring, long-winded technical writer. I am curious about this opera stuff. I have downloaded the green printer and will love it and share it if it is all i hope it to be.....I was removed, my choice, from a computer for the last 14 years to raise a family and just enjoy life. When I left the legal assistant field I had a 286 and we were excited to have networked our office to share legal forms and a printer so we did not have to run upstairs to print. I have lots to learn and even more to catch up on. thanks again.