| Finn Sivert Nielsen |
Social Anthropologist |
| About
myself My online texts |
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Software sources |
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| Laze's essenials - software | Another excellent software short list. |
| Nonags freeware | A comprehensive overview of free stuff out there. |
| Greg's shareware | A comprehensive overview of almost free stuff. |
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Software |
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| Google
toolbar [Screenshot] |
The best and fastest way to browse the net! According to PC Magazine, "The Google Toolbar (free) isn't just a time-saver: It's mandatory equipment. Type a search term in the toolbar's text window for instant returns from Google's best-of-breed search engine, no matter what site you're currently viewing." Also contains a pop-up blocker. Later versions of the Google Toolbar contains many other utilities as well. In version 4 for Internet Explorer the previously lean-and-mean utility has become bloated with addons, some of which are intensely disliked by many regular users. Among the new features is the annoying automatic update utility, which does not even ask you if you want the new version, but simply installs it. However, it is possible to retain the old version (v.4). It can be downloaded from the GT homepage (http://toolbar.google.com/T4/) - see the link "Windows 98/ME users: Download previous version". Retaining the old version is (due to the automatic updating) somewhat less simple, but quite possible: Simply turn off your internet connection, uninstall v.4 (if you have it), delete all files and folders under c:/Program files/Google/, install the new old GT version, and write protect the /Program files/Google/ folder (see the following this link for details). |
| Powermarks [Screenshot] |
The best bookmark manager in existence. Great capacity and speed, ease of operation - even includes a synchronize option, which allows you to keep identical bookmark collections on several machines. Updates bookmarks in the background. Crash proof. |
| Proxomitron
[Screenshot] |
This is a miraculous and easy-to-use "proxy server", i.e. a filter put up between your browser and the Internet. It blasts adds and pop-ups, stops invasive identity monitoring, and makes browsing faster, more enjoyable and safer. The help files are good, the installation a snap, memory requirements negligable - and it seems crash proof. And it's free. |
| EditPad [Screenshot] |
An excellent, very lightweight text editor that replaces Windows Notepad so thoroughly that you will never use it again. Allows you, e.g. to have hundreds of tabbed files open and to search and replace long text strings throughout them all. Crash-free, no-nonsense functionality. The version I have is not ideal for programmers, since it does not color code text, for the rest of us, though, it is as near ideal as possible. I use v. 3.5.1. A Pro version evidently exists, and it has a fancier interface, but have never missed it. |
| WordPerfect [Screenshot] |
Still the best word processor. WP rules! There exists a community of WP 5.1 users, which is constantly updating and developing the program, adding drivers etc. See their site by clicking here. |
| OpenOffice | The runner-up, perhaps. Free - and open source. |
| PowerDesk [Screenshot] |
Supreme dual-list file manager. With built-in file-viewer, zip, ftp, size-scanner, file-finder, file shredder etc., this is a long way from clunky Windows Explorer. Since Powerdesk's file viewer is powered by Quickview, it is smart to obtain updated Quickview Plus DLL's, which allow you to view a wider range of files. Powerdesk is powered by Quickview, but not entirely, since it allows you to "view" music files (which QV+ does not), and is able to bypass Acrobat Reader when viewing PDF files - making it much faster than QV+. Since it was bought by VCom, the quality and frequency of Powerdesk updates has decreased, and the handy little toolbar, with multiple desktops and other utilities, is no longer packaged with the program. If possible, try to get hold of the latest update of version 5; version 6 is not to be trusted. |
| FoxIt
PDF reader [Screenshot] |
A free PDF viewer and handler, which is at least ten times faster than Adobe Acrobat. Install it as your default PDF viewer and get rid of - once and for all - the long and slow process of loading Adobe Acrobat Reader each time you need to view a PDF file. |
| Dreamweaver [Screenshot] |
The best web-site manager and editor. |
| Frontpage [Screenshot] |
The best web-page editor. (Just don't let it anywhere near your website.) |
| Spywareblaster [Screenshot] |
A small, efficient, self-updating and very unobtrusive utility that prevents spyware from appearing on your computer (freeware). Spywareblaster is such an unobtrusive program that no screen shot is provided; you only notice its presence when it updates at computer startup. |
| WinRAR | Excellent shareware zip program. Fast, with many options. No bugs. |
| AxCrypt | Free, fast and thorough open source file encryption utility. |
| CPick [Screenshot] |
Smart, reliable freeware program "to get colors from your screen with the build in magnifier. Zoom 1 to 10. Modify colors with the RGB or HSV slide bars. Copy the color to the clipboard as Hex, Decimal, RGB or HSV value. Direct changing [of] RGB and HSV values. Store used colors on the visible stacks or add them to a color list visible in the color combo box, creating your own color lists for your projects. Copy the screen behind the magnifier to the clipboard as Bitmap. Save magnifier image as: Icon or Bitmap." |
| MRU-Blaster [Screenshot] |
To preserve your privacy and make your computer quicker, this free utility removes all kinds of recent files lists, and also completely deletes your temporary internet files (secure delete method). |
| Index.dat suite | Completely removes information from index.dat files. These files store information about your internet (and other) activity and slow your computer's performance for no apparent reason. Freeware. |
| Opera web browser | ... may be downloaded here. |
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Tools |
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| Drivers HQ | Locates drivers for your computer. |
| Russify everything | Detailed instructions and resources for cyrillic-enabling your computer. |
| Russian fonts, software and keyboards for Windows | A competitor to the above site. |
| Human Languages Page | A comprehensive catalog of language-related Internet resources. Large collection of reviewed links to online language lessons, translating dictionaries, native literature, translation services, software, language schools, and information on various languages. |
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Organizations |
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| Open Source Initiative | "The basic idea behind open source is very simple: When programmers can read, redistribute, and modify the source code for a piece of software, the software evolves. People improve it, people adapt it, people fix bugs. And this can happen at a speed that, if one is used to the slow pace of conventional software development, seems astonishing. We in the open source community have learned that this rapid evolutionary process produces better software than the traditional closed model, in which only a very few programmers can see the source and everybody else must blindly use an opaque block of bits. Open Source Initiative exists to make this case to the commercial world." |
| The Electronic Frontier Foundation | "EFF is a non-profit group of passionate people - lawyers, volunteers, and visionaries - working to protect your digital rights." |
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