Since I use Windows 95 and Windows NT 4.0 primarily, much of the software here will be available only on these platforms. Another consequence of using these operating systems is that I am forced to look for software that is fast and efficient though or because I only have 32 MB of RAM. And because I'm cheap, most of these will also be freeware, with the exception of Opera, which is definitely worth supporting, and PowerTerm, which may be depending on your needs.
Opera is the fastest and certainly most efficient web browser available besides Lynx, that is. But it takes up only 2 MB of disk space installed, that's with a news reader and e-mail client as well as javascript and SSL support, and requires only a 386 and 6 MB's of RAM to run well. Get this: I typically have 10-15 browser windows open, sometimes up to 30, and sometimes, simultaneously, I'm in a telnet session, and I'm downloading up to 5 files with my download manager! And that's with a 33.6 modem connection! You should have seen me with my ethernet connection! Opera is currently available for Windows 3.1x, Windows 95 and NT. It also works on WABI, WINE, Virtual PC, and OS2. Native versions for Mac and OS2 will be available in the near future. Unfortunately, Linux users have been lax in supporting Project Magic. Screenshot. Also see Amaya, Arachne.
War FTP Client is an advanced FTP client written by the same man who authored the most popular FTP server for Win32. This is also a man with a mission. Check out his web site to find out why he has made his excellent programs free for individuals to use. Also see NcFtp for Win32.
SimpTerm offers VT100/VT52/ANSI emulation, support for file transfers and other internet protocols besides telnet, and, yes, it has a vertical scrollbar. Also see EasyTerm, PowerTerm, Tera Term and Console Telnet.
FoxMail is a fast, fully featured, friendly freeware e-mail client for Windows 3.1, 9x, and NT (whew!). Also see Pine.
I'm relatively new to IRC (Internet Relay Chat), but not to user interfaces, so I'm using XiRCON for now, though XiRCON does claim to have all the features other irc clients have.
I like WebWerx so much, I've created a page just for it here. Also see HTML Constructor and SiteAid.
Xitami is at least as fast as any commercial web server if not faster. All the features but SSL, which is forthcoming, are included. And whatever operating system you're using, there's probably a native Xitami for it. Also see Apache.
I do most of these pages with CWordPad then use RTF2HTML and WebWerx 2.2 to produce what you see now. I try to check my links with CheckWeb. Line Feed Stripper is the best HTML compression program I know of. QuickSend is a user-friendly SMTP mailer. TinyWeb Server was my first web server.
This is my less-than-favorite category. Many, if not most, of these are commercial.
I use Yeah Write for most of my word processing, that is, besides CWordPad. Freeware and commercial versions are available. Also see Word Express, Digita Wordworth.
I purchased NoteTab Pro, but now use it mainly as a text viewer since most of the work with plain text I do is with HTML, and WebWerx is much better with it. Also see cgEdit, Vim, and TxEdit.
I couldn't get by without Cripton Quick Notes and Yankee Clipper Plus. Paper? Who needs paper? Both are freeware.
You'll hear it again and again - Paint Shop Pro is awesome! Also see GifClean32, Screen Capture, PlanetView, and IrfanView.
Yes, I finally have multimedia software on my computer, though they are minimal. Check out WPLANY and MMedia32. Fast and free.
I use to get by with COMMAND.COM and DOSKEY, but I've found a few others that are far better, notably the New Technology Shell. Unfortunately the author has stopped working on it (because he switched to Linux!). But he has, however, released the source code.
OpenView is a cousin of AfterStep, a Linux window manager. To paraphrase the author, OpenView has many of the features that make AfterStep a good window manager. In addition, it is much more attractive than Explorer and uses fewer resources. Take a look at my OpenView desktop under Windows NT 4.0. Also see Talisman.
Servant Salamander is an excellent file manager for Windows 95/NT. I have to admit, I've was once very reluctant to use a file manager besides Explorer and could even have been called an Explorer junkee. But Servant Salamander has redeemed me. It's just as fast as Explorer, but has many more features including the best features from Windows Explorer and Norton Commander. Get it. Also see GNU Midnight Commander.
I used to use Vern as my virtual desktop manager and it's great, but Virtual Desktop (IMO) is much, much better, and it's free.
FMH-MemInfo tells me all I need to know about my memory and Uptime tells me my current processor usage [so when I know Windows has crashed yet another time] as well as system uptime - which is usually no longer than two hours if I'm actually using it - Windows 95, that is - I've got it so it actually has some stability.
If F-PROT can't kill it, nothing can. The DOS version is free for non-commmercial use. All you really need is the scanner, if you're smart, virus smart, that is.
In order to make Windows NT closer to a real operating system, at least in functionality, like Unix or Linux, I've installed Unix for WINdows, a set of Unix utilities including the Korn Shell and telnet. 32 more MB's of RAM wouldn't hurt either. But purchasing a couple of cheap Debian GNU/Linux CD's seems the wiser, and more affordable, choice. BeOS looks promising. I'm looking for a copy of OS/2 Warp, but can't afford to buy it new, so if you know of someone willing to part with their CD, then please contact me. Also see DR-DOS and the GNU-Win32 Project.
X-Setup and the Microsoft PowerToys are absolute must-haves for Windows 95/NT customization and enhancement. Clean System Directory, RegClean, WExpand, and EXE2CAB are tools every power user should have. Start Or Switch and Command Runner make the Explorer shell much more user friendly.
Note: If you have any problems with the software on this page, it is not my responsibility, though I will help in any way I can if asked. BTW (By The Way), you should always back up your registry before installing new software. The two most critical files are, of course, user.dat and system.dat, both located in your Windows directory. It also helps to read the documentation that comes with the program. If you can't understand the documention, you probably shouldn't install it!
Copyright © 1997 Mark Santos. All rights reserved.