Martin's software reviews on OpenOffice, Evil Lyrics, Ad-aware, Kazaa lite, Winamp 5, AVG virus scan, Sneakmail, MSN Messenger plus, and more!


Name: Open Office 1.1 Suite Homepage: OpenOffice.org Download: here Brief Overview (swf): here Cost: None Description: This is a replacement for the $600 Microsoft Office package. This is the real-deal not a cheap imitation. It can open and save to all Office formats, ie. doc, ppt, and xls. It also exports to pdf with the click of a button. I cannot think of a single reason you would ever use anything else. Contained in Open Office is: • Writer, a virtual clone of Microsoft Word. • Calc, a spreadsheet program like Excel. • Impress, presentation software not unlike PowerPoint • Draw produces everything from simple diagrams to dynamic 3D illustrations and special effects. • Database User Tools is a database program similar to Access. Name: Evil Lyrics 0.1 Beta Homepage: Evillabs.sk Download: here Cost: None Features: • Searches most of the lyrics databases on the Internet • Automatically displays lyrics to current song in Winamp, QCD Player, Windows Media Player 9, Foobar2000 and Sonique • Stores lyrics for offline viewing • Shows lyrics without disturbing ads and pop-ups • Contains no spyware • Only 200 KB installation file
Other recommended software: Ad-Aware 6.0 - Removes programs and cookies that track you and serve your computer with ads. Kazaa Lite (100% not Kazaa!) If you have Kazaa I would very strongly suggest that you uninstall it at once, run Ad-Aware 6.0 to clean your system, and then install Kazaa Lite. If you are naive and content with Kazaa then at the least download Diet K, which cleans up much of the bundled ad-ware and spy-ware: Winamp 5.0 Beta 2 - Said to have the stability of Winamp 2 and the flexibility and features of Winamp 3, hence, Winamp 2 + 3 = 5! AVG Virus Scan - Having an anti-virus program these days is an absolute must. Paying for it isn't. Here is the best free one on the market. OR if you already have virus software or are not inclined to install any, use this free online virus scan to test for viruses. Everyone should do at least this. SneakMail.com - They introduced the concept of disposable e-mail addresses. Say you need to give your e-mail address to verify a purchase, you would go to their site first, get an e-mail address giving the details of what it was for, and then all mail sent to that address would be forwarded to your normal e-mail address with [XYZPurchase] in the subject line. That way you'll know if the company ever sells your e-mail address since it'll have that heading. Also, if they do, you can delete it and wow no more spam! A great concept. MSN Messenger Plus - An add-on to MSN Messenger that gives it added features and security. You can have away messages, remove the ads, name contacts with their real names, setup easy file sharing, and download a host of useful plug-ins. Be sure not to install bundled ad software. Once you get it you may want to try these cool Easter eggs, '/patchou', '/insult', and '/strek \V/'.