Windows Software

Take control of Vista with Vispa

Is a 0.1 version release really worth looking at? I mean, don't these beta releases increase global warming by making my machine belch blue smoke? Maybe in some cases, but Vispa 0.1 is one program that gives you a clearer Vista.

It's a minuscule, butterfly-size program--weighing in at 63kb--but with a targeted punch to the heart of Windows Vista's control panel. In one simple interface, Vispa collates some of the most obscure Vista functions, heretofore accessible only through the Registry or in deep corners of the Control Panel. Not surprisingly, it's not for beginners, either.

A real page turner from Adobe

Someone was certainly following the KISS method when it came to designing Adobe's new electronic book reader, Adobe Digital Editions.

Adobe on Tuesday announced the release of Adobe Digital Editions 1.0 available for free download to Windows and Mac users.

The application provides a very basic and easy-to-navigate interface for storing, sorting, viewing and annotating digital text files along the lines of what Apple's iTunes does for audio and Google's Picasa for pictures.… Read more

Virtual desktop shuffle

The problem with your computer's display is largely a problem of real estate, the fact that despite any 3D graphical magic happening on screen, your computer screen can't easily escape its two-dimensional boundaries.

Virtual desktops step in to maximize your screen's surface area by multiplying the number of desktop environments at your disposal and then organizing them so you don't lose track. Like Firefox and Internet Explorer's tabbed browsing, virtual desktop managers often organize your multiple display screens in tabs or slides that surface when you click.

You'll find plenty of virtual desktops in the CNET Download.com library, … Read more

Democracy Player: First Look

Democracy Player, set to be renamed Miro with its next release, is an open-source video player that not only works for almost every type of video file out there, it also arranges vidcasts into "channels" to help keep them all organized. The channel guide creates automatic downloads of your favorite Web shows, from Ask a Ninja to National Geographic Wild.

Take a quick tour of Democracy Player with this First Look video.

GOM Media Player, jockeying for your musical attention

GOM Media Player Pros: Wide media support, built-in screen capture tools Cons: No help manual, saving settings are a little weak Extras: Audio output options, subtitle support, skins

Numerous media players are jockeying to become the default setting for your music and video streams. Among the top audio contenders clamoring for your ear--among them RealPlayer, Windows Media Player, DivX Player, QuickTime, and WinAmp--GOM Media Player has stood out as a firm favorite.

GOM Media Player's support for a wide range of media certainly helps. DAT, MPEG, DivX, XviD, WMV, ASF, AVI, and MOV formats are all compatible, as … Read more

Power Downloader scans for system red flags

Power Downloader knows that regular maintenance for his PC is crucial to his continued success as an Internet superhero. If his computer is not in top working condition when on the tail of some infamous spammer, it can mean the difference between life and death. While the stakes might be higher for Power Downloader, he also knows that everyone should perform routine maintenance if they want their computer to continue working properly.

Though there are several programs available to fix specific problems, Power Downloader decided that a one-program solution might be the most convenient way to keep his system in tip-top shape. After some quick research at Download.com, Power found Advanced WindowsCare Personal edition.… Read more

First Look: Ad-Aware 2007

For its first major update in over two years, Lavasoft's Ad-Aware 2007 offers a redesigned interface and an overhauled detection engine, along with an enhanced Update Manager and a new Tracksweep feature that clears your browsing history for multiple applications with one click.

Take a quick tour of Ad-Aware 2007 with this First Look video.

Windows Home Server RC1

Yesterday, Microsoft announced a public beta release candidate for Windows Home Server, the home-networking software that Bill Gates first showed off at the Consumer Electronics Show back in January.

The application for the release candidate requires filling out a simple survey that was only 10 questions for me. The beta-testing program has apparently been quite popular, so I'm not sure how much longer the application process will be open. According to the program information for Windows Home Server RC on the Microsoft Connect site, the "(b)road Public Beta RC is setup to track all of the people … Read more

Optimize your hard drive in three easy steps

I admit I'm a digital pack rat. I have a directory of images on my local drive devoted to LOLcats. I have gigabytes of FLAC files from live concert recordings and MP3 files from music sites such as CNET Download.com Music.

I'm good at regularly backing up my information to DVD and moving some files permanently to backups, but my 160GB hard drive is usually pushing full capacity. To keep my machine running at a speed I like (and deserve!), I have to perform regular maintenance. While there are lots of ways to optimize your hard drive, my basic method requires only three steps.… Read more

Will you use Safari?

For those of us interested in software, the lack of an iPhone developer's kit announcement at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference yesterday was a bit of a disappointment.

What we got instead was Safari for Windows, which is exactly what I don't need: another Web browser. When considered with the relaunch of Netscape Navigator last week, it's clear, however, that the battle for control of your browser is still a major front in the software wars.

Internet Explorer has reigned supreme since the dawn of the new century, while Mozilla Firefox continues to chip away at Microsoft'… Read more