optimized

This handy all-in-one optimizing utility offers more than advertised, and it does it quickly and with little effort.

Comodo Registry Cleaner has a well-designed interface with simple, functional buttons to lead the user in the right direction every time. While it only promises to scan and clean your Registry, there's so much more to this freeware utility. When the program opens, it automatically displays some basic system information about your computer, and it also shows a Tip of the Day without the usual pesky pop-up box. Simply hit the scan button, and wait for the results. More advanced users … Read more

We've received further word from Google on the demise of iGoogle, a version of the Google home page that was optimized specifically for the iPhone. The iPhone-formatted version of iGoogle now redirects users to the generic Google Web site formatted for mobile devices.

We contacted Google again to see if the changes to iGoogle were the result of a staff reduction and advised them that some of our readers were taking up arms over iGoogle for the iPhone being taken down and a Google spokesperson replied:

"We are redirecting all iPhone users to the standard mobile version of … Read more

This easy-to-use and informative application cleans, configures, and optimizes your PC. Advanced WindowsCare Pro's interface dispenses with the bells and whistles to display commands and data without embellishment.

The install Wizard zips through the set up, querying the user on the PC's primary use and Internet connection type. Answer those two simple questions, choose from a short list of options, and you're ready to virus check and scan for spyware, registry errors, and start-up problems, or clean your PC of history and surfing traces. The app's strength is the detailed information the scan provides, which lists … Read more

Many optimizer packages offer a mishmash of tools seemingly tossed in a box, but this well-designed, easy-to-use optimizer will satisfy nearly any novice user's system management needs. However, although the developer's description says the free download version has no limitations, some features were disabled in our tests.

Magic Memory Optimizer launches an attractive interface that's simple to comprehend and navigate. The initial launch window displays current usage for Memory, CPU, Physical Memory, along with some settings you can configure to tweak general memory management.

This utility worked fine in our tests, although we were disappointed that the … Read more

Vista Manager opens a nicely designed interface that's easy to navigate and tasteful. The tools in this package are comprehensive, with a set of utilities organized under each category: system info, optimizer, cleaner, customization, security, network, and miscellaneous doodads.

Vista Manager performed well in our tests. It quickly grabbed system info about hardware and software components, and we especially liked that it listed each installed video and audio codec. We were able to export the log easily to an HTML file. The Process Manager displayed far greater detail than its Windows counterpart, with a more useful presentation in a … Read more

PC Fixer launches an attractive, well-designed interface that's easy to navigate. The functional design complements its ease of use. The feature list is adequate for most users, although experienced techies will prefer a more robust toolbox with more detail provided by its analysis.

Still, this free optimizer package performed well in our tests. It responded quickly, and we liked that it prioritized "ailments" needing repair when it scanned the Registry. We also liked that we could select categories for tweaking, such as IE, individual apps, Startup, Performance, and Service. And, should your changes have a bad outcome, … Read more

RegSweep launches a nicely designed, user-friendly interface that melds colors, text, and buttons in a nice package. Determining how to direct this free app to analyze your system is very simple. However, our satisfaction level with this download is low.

RegSweep completed a system scan for ActiveX, invalid shortcuts, orphaned start-up items, and similar stray bits within 60 seconds and identified 343 problems. Great! We were all ready to clean up these loose ends to make our system zoom like the precision instrument we dream it could be. Unfortunately, RegSweep's demo download is just a tease; all its repair … Read more

While most system optimizing and management tool boxes include similar utilities, not all tool packages are created equal--which is evident once you launch this clutch of goodies with its robust feature set.

Wopti Utilities installs four modules for system info, optimizing, management, and cleaning. It launches a handsome, well-designed interface whose appearance doesn't get in the way of its functionality.

We were pleased by this package's performance in our tests. The performance benchmarking process was thorough and informative. We liked the availability of wizards for each of the optimization tools--very helpful for novices--as well as the Apply and … Read more

Easy to use. Quick performance. Nice, sharp-looking interface. Too bad all of the repair functions are disabled in the trial version.

Perfect Optimizer Registry Cleaner launches an appealing, nicely designed interface, with a colorful appearance that makes a good first impression. Unfortunately, after our tests, we can only say that Perfect Optimizer can't get by solely on its good looks.

In scanning and diagnosing our system's Registry, IE history files, and C and D drives, this app performed very quickly, locating more than 2,000 "problems" in each of its scans--all in less than half a … Read more