Computer and Internet questions

[Ckyzxr]

I'm usually a bit behind on latest software and trends with computers so I wanted to ask the resident experts some questions.

What's the best download manager and do they really help?

In your opinion, what's the best Antivirus suite?

What's the best browser and why?

What tools or utilities do you think are essential for daily computer/internet/gaming use?

Other hints or tricks?

Any really good software available to optimize my system?

I'm WinXP/2.4 Pentium/1024 RAM/Radeon 9600XT/Cable Internet

[file cabinet]

> What's the best download manager and do they really help?
If you're on dialup they're a must.. when I had dialup, I used Getright (http://www.getright.com/) or Star Downloader (http://www.stardownloader.com/).

> In your opinion, what's the best Antivirus suite?
I have no idea.. I don't use an AVP.

> What's the best browser and why?
Firefox and Opera(doesn't have as good of JS support as Fx).
Firefox because of tabbed browsing and extensions. Default install is barebones so I can add what I need.

> What tools or utilities do you think are essential for daily computer/internet/gaming use?
Netlimiter (http://www.netlimiter.com/) or Foobar2000 (http://www.foobar2000.org/)

> Other hints or tricks?
disabling several xp services and disable indexing on hard drives...

> Any really good software available to optimize my system?
disabling several xp services, I don't have the link of the site I'm thinking of.. (snake-something.com?).. I was close http://www.blackviper.com/WinXP/servicecfg.htm

[Groty]

What's the best browser and why?

Netcaptor. Bought it years ago. One of the very first tabbed browsers. URL Aliasing, POP-UP Blocker, Ad blocker, Cache/History...everything clean up automatically at shutdown(if you choose), Captor Groups - grouping tabs together, only permits a few Browser Helper Objects(the basis for most spyware), clean interface, not heavy like MyIE2 always seemed, Cookie Reports, Privacy Scanner... on and on and on .... http://www.netcaptor.com. The developer is a really good guy too!

He may be working on a version that uses the Mozilla engine instead, I know he was talking about it a few years ago. Wonder how that Mozilla ActiveX project is coming along...


What tools or utilities do you think are essential for daily computer/internet/gaming use?

Need a good RSS Agreggator. I use Feedreader, which is free. I'll either build by own soon or buy FeedDemo from Bradsoft.

[file cabinet]

Need a good RSS Agreggator. I use Feedreader, which is free. I'll either build by own soon or buy FeedDemo from Bradsoft.

http://sage.mozdev.org/
Free RSS reader for Fx... Thunderbird (http://www.mozilla.org/thunderbird/) also has an RSS reader.

[Groty]

I was gonna recommend XM PCR...

but apparently you can't buy it anymore!

http://news.com.com/XM+Radio+pulls+PC+hardware+amid+piracy+concerns/2100-1026_3-5330698.html

That was the first thing I looked into. I can get Ripcast like software for it.

I turned to XM PCR because my work Hard Drive was overloaded with MP3's and I got busted for Streaming. Damn'd sniffers!

[jittus rye]

In your opinion, what's the best Antivirus suite?

http://www.grisoft.com/us/us_index.php

AVG Anti-Virus Rocks.

My system runs sleek like a tiger.