win

Safe and dependable software old-timers WordPerfect and WinZip have been bestowed with some upgrades. WordPerfect gets a major overhaul with Version X4, while WinZip's 11.2 adds some new features to the program, the first update in a year.

You can read the full CNET Reviews analysis of WordPerfect X4 here, but in short, it's a good, solid improvement on what has gone before in the suite even if it is cost-prohibitive and not quite as spiffy as one would hope. It's able to gracefully handle more than 60 document formats, including the nascent Open Document Format, … Read more

Microsoft plans to spend a lot of time in Los Angeles this fall.

The software maker had already said that, after canceling last year's Professional Developers Conference, this year's PDC would be held in Tinseltown October 27-30. This week, Microsoft noted that its WinHEC (Windows Hardware and Engineering Conference) will take place the following week, also in downtown LA.

Microsoft had previously said only that the show would take place in the fall at a West Coast location. The event typically takes place in the spring, but Microsoft said in November that it was postponing this year's event … Read more

The HD format war may be over, but don't tell Corel. The company's WinDVD 9 software plays both Blu-ray and the now-defunct HD DVD format--perfect for those few Windows PCs with HD combo drives, such as the HP Pavilion Slimline S3330f. The software supports the full range of features for both formats, including their next-gen audio soundtracks (Dolby TrueHD and DTS HD), Blu-ray Profile 1.1 (picture-in-picture commentaries), and--while it lasts--Web-enabled "In Movie Experience" features on HD DVDs.

WinDVD 9 is available Tuesday in three versions. The entry-level version ($50) handles standard DVD movies, along with … Read more

After taking Candace Clicks to a nice dinner for Valentine's Day, Power Downloader thought it would be a good idea to go look at the night sky. To get the best view, Candace and Power made their way just outside of town where the lights from the city wouldn't detract from their view. Though the view was amazing, neither Power nor Candace knew much about which stars they were looking at besides the Big Dipper, the Little Dipper, and the North Star.

The next day at the Powerlair, Power Downloader decided to find a program he could send … Read more

New Englanders weren't the only fans banking on a Patriots Super Bowl victory on Sunday. Last night, a California-based domain squatter faced disappointment as his auction for 19-0.com ticked down to a close with no bidders.

The auction might have had more success if the Patriots indeed won instead of cementing an 18-1 record for their season, but even then takers would have probably been sparse. The auction had a starting bid of $19,000 and a "Buy It Now" price of $150,000, pricing it out of the range of all but the most dedicated … Read more

The newly free NewsGator suite has a remarkably powerful set of tools for managing RSS feeds, and without a doubt one of the program's best features is its FeedStation podcast catcher. Fully synchronizable with the Webware version of NewsGator, the Windows version, FeedDemon, comes bundled with FeedStation and preset integration settings for iTunes and Windows Media Player, but not WinAmp.

Laugh all you want at the llama, but the latest WinAmp has an impressive feature set, and is far more flexible than the industry favorite iTunes. However, its podcast manager is clunky and only marginally better than iTunes' native podcatcher, and that's frustrating. Using WinAmp's smart view function, I'll show you how to set its Podcast folder to automatically check for podcasts managed by third-party software.

… Read more

In a major coup for Linux and for Novell, Office Depot has decided to consolidate its wide-ranging server architecture on Novell's SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 10. Office Depot is the second-largest office supplies retailer in the US (right behind Dunder Mifflin).

While this won't make Dwight happy (word on the street is that he's taken out a contract on Justin Steinman and is currently stalking Novell's Waltham headquarters looking for "weak defenses"), it's a solid demonstration of Linux's continued strength.

Well done, Novell. This is the kind of news I look forward … Read more

Every computer user needs a solid file compression program. Not only are they mandatory for opening downloaded software, they offer several other useful features for tasks like creating e-mail attachments, performing backups, and saving space on your hard drive. Most people use WinZip because it comes pre-installed on a lot of Windows PCs, but WinZip isn't the only program available for file compression.

There's certainly nothing wrong with WinZip, but some programs offer better file compression or features that may be more in tune with what you need. For instance, some apps make efficient compression their focus, while … Read more

Microsoft has a busy conference schedule for next fall.

The company, which canceled this year's Professional Developer Conference, confirmed that it does plan to hold the event next year, October 27 through 30, in Los Angeles.

Microsoft also plans to hold its WinHEC (Windows Hardware Engineering Conference) at some point in the fall at a West Coast location still to be determined. Microsoft said those details still haven't been worked out, but a company representative said the two events are not planned to run concurrently.

Perhaps having both events in the fall means that Microsoft will be ready … Read more