Software Reviews

Recall -- After briefly reviewing Sound Pad by Menasoft in last weeks' newsletter, I asked Infopackets Readers to send me their own picks for a favorite freeware sound editor. Quite a number of of users recommended a program called Audacity. ... Infopackets Reader Peter G. writes: " I have used Audacity to record audio tapes onto CD. It's pretty straightforward to use -- anyone with a bit of experience will find it quite easy to work out without having to read the help files too much. What I like about it is the very clean interface without any bells and whistles to clutter it up. From the ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader Tom W. writes: " Hi Dennis! I have just recently subscribed to your newsletter and am already learning more. I am always trying to learn all I can: it's my hobby. I have been trying to find a good freeware program to record my ... audio tapes using my computer. I tried several Google searches for freeware programs, but I they all turn out to be shareware or trialware software. I was wondering if you know of any good freeware programs for recording audio? The program that came with my CD Recorder doesn't allow me to modify / amplify the sound volume. Unfortunately, the ... (view more)

Windows looks about the same every time I startup the computer. The icons on my desktop always look the same, and my Wallpaper only changes on occasion. Even the taskbar has a certain familiarity that's comforting, albeit terribly dull -- no matter ... which version of Windows I use. Recently, I discovered a desktop replacement program called 3DNA, and now using my Windows PC is like a new adventure after every click. What is 3DNA? 3DNA is a three-dimensional (3D) alternative to the traditional Windows desktop environment. The application provides a fully customizable workspace (referred to as a ... (view more)

Have you ever stopped to read the headlines that make news on the Internet? Fact: Almost one in every three Internet users in the United States has been hit by either a computer virus or a hacker in the past two years.(1) Fact: In just 24 hours, the ... 'MSBlast' Internet worm exploded onto some 120,000 Windows computers around the world.(2) Overall, MSBlast has infected an estimated 8 million PCs,(3) while damage from the worm is about $525 million USD.(4) Fact: Internet security and privacy issues frequently dominate news headlines as hackers repeatedly infiltrate computers connected to the ... (view more)

Most programs I review only do one or two specialized things, and they're usually pretty good at what they do. However, today I came across a multi-purpose optimization utility program that impressed the pants off me. The utility I'm referring to is ... called WinOptimizer Platinum Suite, and it contains an incredible package of cleanup tools designed to keep Windows lean, mean, and running smoothly. WinOptimizer Platinum Suite: a New Successor Ashampoo WinOptimizer Platinum Suite is the new successor to the already hugely popular Ashampoo WinOptimizer Suite. With an all-new interface and many ... (view more)

When was that last time you visited a web site that asked you for a login ID, password, or account number? With all the web sites I visit on a regular basis, it's tough to keep track of that sort of stuff. I used to use Internet Explorer's ... AutoComplete to remember my logins and passwords for me, until I got fed up losing all my important data every time the computer had to be restored or formatted. A while ago, I asked Infopackets Readers for an alternative solution to AutoComplete. Thankfully, many Readers referred me to a program which not only remembered all my form data, but also allowed ... (view more)

There are a few issues regarding last week's article on Email Saver Xe, so I'll just get straight to it. RE: Incorrect Coupon Code I normally proof-read articles a number of times before sending out the newsletter to Readers. And so after making a ... number of routine corrections to last Thursday's feature article, I initiated the command to clean the subscriber base and begin sending out the newsletter. A few hours later, my mailbox began filling up with letters from Infopackets Readers wondering why the coupon code for Email Saver Xe would not work. As it turns out, the correct coupon code is ... (view more)

I live in my MS Outlook Inbox; at least 75% of my computing day is devoted to reading RSS news feeds and responding to emails. If my system crashed and I lost all my MS Outlook data, my business would be 'up a paddle without a creek', so to speak. ... Thankfully, WinGuides (makers of Registry Mechanic ) created a program called Email Saver Xe with email Inbox protection in mind. Side Note: RSS is an acronym which stands for Really Simple Syndication. You can subscribe to RSS news feeds using a news reader application like NewsGator (compatible with MS Outlook as a 'plugin') to receive automated ... (view more)

Have you ever had a program that just won't uninstall? Nowadays almost all programs provide a facility for uninstalling themselves -- usually through the Add / Remove Programs section in the Windows Control Panel or by using an uninstaller that came ... with the program. The trouble is, most uninstalls do the absolute minimum required to remove an application completely from your system. Subsequently, files which should have been removed end up scattered throughout the system, along with hundreds of inactive entries in the System Registry. Side note: The Windows Registry is a database where all ... (view more)

I'm a frustrated musician at heart, only because playing music doesn't come naturally to me. In fact, I'm a poor piano player and a pathetic guitarist -- but I love it all just the same. Finding sheet music for songs is always a challenge, ... especially for someone of my skill level. When I discovered MidiNotate, it solved the sheet music problem and gave me the extra push I needed to play better. What is MidiNotate? In a nutshell, MidiNotate is software designed to convert MIDI and Karaoke files to onscreen or printable sheet music. MidiNotate works by evaluating sound descriptions stored in a ... (view more)