µBook Reader 0.7a can read HTML, .TXT, .RTF, .PDB, and .PRC files. The program supports .BMP, .GIF, and .JPG images and has customization options such as choices of font type, color, and size, as well as a choice of portrait or landscape display. Free from www.gowerpoint.com/.

3D Clipboard 1.0.7 is a tiny utility that saves an array of clips to the Clipboard. Very easy on system resources, and free from www.smartsoft.tj/.

602Pro LAN Suite 2003 is an all-in-one office suite, utilitarian but quite workable, with a word processor, spreadsheet, and photo editor all in a very small download. It is MS Office-compatible and free (the Plus pack adds a thesaurus, RTF and XML export capabilities, and mail-merging with databases, for $30). Find out more from www.software602.com/.

Ability Write 2000 2.0.009 is part of the Ability Office Suite. The word processor is $30 to keep from www.ability.com/.

AbiWord 1.0.2 is a small but sinewy word processor that handles Word, HTML, and Palm (.PDB) files as well as its own documents. Not a lot of graphical support, but what do you want for a free word processor? Find out more from www.abisource.com/. A colleague of mine runs this as a replacement for MS Word, and is very happy with it.

Addin Favorites 1.0.0.6 allows you to organize a Favorites list of your PDFs. Free from www.pdfsoft.com/VPDFSoft/Products/Favorites.html.

Adobe Acrobat eBook Reader is a high-resolution ebook reader with lots of frills and options. Free from www.adobe.com/products/ebookreader/main.html.

All-Purpose Spell Checker 4.0 is a simple little spellchecker that works with most applications. Free to keep from www.pricelessware.org/2004/PL2004BUSINESS-HOME.htm (the original home of the program has disappeared -- thanks to a headsup reader for the alert).

Amazon.com On-Line Books Page, through Web bookseller Amazon.com, provides more than 8000 public-domain books free for the download or for online reading. Most of the books are classics that were never copyrighted (i.e. Shakespeare, Erasmus, Plato) or whose copyrights long since lapsed. Catch up on your reading at www.amazon.com/.

Ap Text to PDF 2.1 imports text files and saves them as a .PDF file. You can change the color, font (a handful of Serif fonts like Courier and Times Roman), orientation, margins, and such. It also comes with encryption to protect the document. Free from adultpdf.com/products/txttopdf/.

Archivista 4.12 is a pricey ($224) but useful shareware program from www.archivista.ch/ that scans documents for electronic storage and retrieval.

ArsClip 2.0.5 remembers the last 15 text entries applied to the Windows clipboard and runs through a system tray icon. Provides hotkeys. Free from jackass.arsware.org/ac.shtml.

As-U-Type 1.2 Beta is a $30 word processing add-on that automatically corrects your spelling errors as you type. MSWord has this feature already, but many other word processors don't. If this is something you find useful (personally, I find it annoying, but that's just me), then download it from www.asutype.com/. Also works with message boards and chat room posts, Web forms, and whatever else you may type.

aSc Network Clipboard 1.0 extends the Windows clipboard functionality across the network. It lets you copy text, graphics, OLE objects, files -- anything you'd normally store using the Windows clipboard -- then paste the clip contents into any application that allows pasting. Free from www.asc.sk/download/.

Atlantis 0.7 is a highly touted freeware word processor that boasts many of the features of its bloated cousins. Available in a multitude of languages as well. Find out more at www.rssol.com/.

ATNotes 9.01 is a free utility that puts virtual "sticky notes" on your PC display. It automatically sizes its notes to fit the text, and the notes are nicely customizable. Check it out at atnotes.fr.st/.

Avery Wizard 2.0 is a utility designed to work with the ubiquitous Avery labels found in every office known to man. It works with lots of different formats and performs lots of neat little functions guaranteed to make office workers smile. Only works with MSWord 97. Free from officeupdate.microsoft.com/downloadDetails/
aw20eng.htm?s=/downloadCatalog/dldWord.asp.

Babylon 3.2.29 is a translation utility from www.babylon.com/ that purports to translate English into any of 8 other languages with a single mouse click. Think the translation will be glitch-free? Hey, it's better than nothing. Use it on your computer or use the free Web-based utility. The free version is adware, which sends info on users to the various advertisers. Avoid this intrusion by ponying up $20 for the registered version.

BCL Drake 5.0 automatically converts .PDF files to editable Rich Text Format documents. Preserves the original look of a .PDF file by dividing the document into zones for conversion. Note: BCL Drake is a plug-in to Adobe Acrobat, but does not work with the free version of Acrobat Reader. $199 from www.bcltechnologies.com/document/index.asp.

Biblio 2 2.4 makes it easy to create bibliographies and outlines. $49 from www.meteortech.com/.

BiblioExpress 2.0 is a free little goodie that helps those of us struggling with research papers to create bibliographies quickly and easily. Find the info on this at www.biblioscape.com/biblioexpress.htm.

Black Hole Organizer 2.5 is a web-enabled, free-form notes application that makes it simple to manage your documents. Find your notes quickly with Power Find, create categories and sub-categories (folders) that are meaningful to you, or use the text editor to format documents. $25 from www.lincolnbeach.com/blackhole.asp.

Book Collector lets you catalog your book collection. $25 for the Standard edition and $40 for the Pro edition, both from www.collectorz.com/book/.

Business Card Designer Plus 3.1.0, $25 from www.camdevelopment.com/bcdp.htm, designs professional business cards cheaply and easily.

Card Reader 1.0 is useful for scanning and digitizing business card info. Not everyone uses V-Cards; now you can scan the data from a business card and toss it. Free from www.haysoft.com/.

Central Webs Text Readers provides a free text reader download as well as lots of links to informative text reader sites. Free from www.centralwebs.co.uk/Links/Books.html.

Characteristica 2.2 takes the place of the standard Windows CHARMAP.EXE program. It displays "maps" of your various fonts, along with other cool font management features. Free from mikegibbard.bizland.com/.

Check Printer 4.6 writes out checks for you, no muss, no fuss. Free from checkprinter.batcave.net/.

ClickBook from www.clickbook.com/ is a printing utility that prints text documents as little fold-up booklets. The demo version puts ads for itself on every page; pony up $50 to keep the program and lose the ads.

Clickcat P2H 2.0 converts Adobe Acrobat PDF files to HTML. Win 2K/XP only. Free from www.pdf-to-html.com/.

Clip Plus 3.1 automatically grabs and saves text and images as they are copied to the Windows Clipboard, making them available for saving, reuse, and printing. Tray accessible. $15 from www.crystaloffice.com/.

Clip Strip 1.5.1 allows you to convert the contents of the Windows clipboard into plain text. All formatting--such as bold, italics, and underlining--as well as any images or other graphical data is removed. Clip Strip is useful when you want to copy information from a Web site and paste it into an e-mail message or into a new word processing or HTML document: You don't have to manually remove the original formatting. Free from www.iscreations.com/.

Clipboard Genie 3.5 remembers the last 1000 entries you've made to your Clipboard, and retrieves them for you as needed. Network-friendly, and lots of extras. $20 from www.vsisystems.com/.

ClipCheck is a $20 goodie from www.almostmedia.com/clipcheck/index.html that spellchecks text you copy to the Clipboard.

ClipMate Clipboard Extender 6 is a powerful and flexible Clipboard extender that gives you more control over what is stored on the Clipboard and how you can access it. $25 to keep from www.thornsoft.com/.

ClipSecure 1.0.1 is a simple, secure text encryption utility that uses the Windows clipboard, and therefore can be used with any text- based program such as e-mail clients, word processors, and others. Free from www26.brinkster.com/belzecue/clipsecure.htm.

CobCase 1.0 is a simple little freebie that lets you alter selected text to show up in all caps, lowercase, or a couple of other choices. A minor but useful little goodie; free from www.educ.umu.se/~cobian/cobcase.htm.

ConTEXT 0.96.1a is a text editor that handles almost all kinds of programming languages, particularly ASCII, as well as code templates and more. Free from www.fixedsys.com/context/.

CopyShop 2000 2.01 is a $30 goodie from www.klicksoft.com/english/copyshop.html that allows you to print color photocopies using your scanner and a color printer.

CopyWriter 2.01 is a lightweight, general purpose .TXT and .RTF (rich text format) editor. Free from home.planet.nl/~gaale131/.

CrossEyes 2.0 lets you see tables, sections, field codes, and all character, paragraph, and style formats in Microsoft Word, versions 97 through XP. $70 from www.levitjames.com/default.asp.

CryptoEdit 4.1 is a powerful and free word processing utility. It comes with enhanced cryptography features, binary files encrypt with compression, support for OLE Objects, different configurable toolbars, a spell checker, multi-language interface, HTML, Unix, and Mac text file export; templates and bookmarks, an integrated e-mail client with an address book, a built-in clipboard viewer, advanced editing functionality, various converters (uppercase, lowercase, ROT-13, KOI-8, etc.), line sorting operations, unlimited file sizes, and print preview. Who could ask for more? Check it out at ps.yaroslavl.ru/.

CopyWriter 2.00 is a lightweight, general purpose ASCII, .TXT, and .RTF editor designed for writing short stories and notes, but also suitable for editing HTML or other text files. Free from home.planet.nl/~gaale131/.

Date Pad 1.0 is a text editor that assigns each document a specific calendar date. Saves documents in .TXT, .RTF, .HTML, or .XML formats. Free from www.ajebe.com/.

DefaultPrinter 2.0 is a utility that helps you switch your active printer quickly. $15 from www.xpertsolutions.ro/defaultprinter/.

Desktop Writer 2.2 is a free word processor designed for children. Ideal for letting the kids create documents without letting them screw up your "real" word processor's settings. Check it out at www.callnetuk.com/home/dcsoftware/products.htm.

Diary Defender 1.0 is a multiple-user, secure diary for the journal keepers among us. Reminds you if you missed a day. Free from xaltra.bizland.com/.

Diary Holder 2.1.0 is a password-protected, encrypted PC diary program. Useful for business-based journals and minutes as well as lovelorn teens. Free from www.mjoya.com/product/free/diary.html.

Dictionary 2000 4.0 is a free multilingual dictionary. Look it up at surf.to/stepanyuk/.

DNoter 2.5 is another free sticky-note utility; this one allows you to set the transparency of the notes to allow you to see behind them. Free from www.ruinedsoft.com/dnoter/index.html.

DocPad 1.0 is a plain-text editor alternative to Notepad. Features include 10-level undo, alphabetization, block indent/unindent, bookmark, case conversion, encoding conversion, file history, jump to line, jump to offset, keyboard macros, search and replace, statistics, variable pitch font and more. Free from www.gammadyne.com/docpad.htm.

DocuTrack 3.7d is a document management and archiving tool that stores Documents in secure (non-editable) raster formats such as industry standard format Tiff files. It supports the ability to scan and view over 70 different formats, including JPEG, WMF, PCX, BMP, PNG, and more. $59 to keep from www.docu-track.com/index.htm.

DoublePage 2.06 is a Word plug-in that lets you print selected documents in column form, saving paper. Supports frames, footnotes, tables, and foreign languages (to an extent). Free from www3.sympatico.ca/jpdonato/feat.html.

Easy Notes 2.7 manage your notes in e- form with both sticky note and calendar capability. $7 from www.rawos.com/easynotes/index.html.

EasyOffice 5.1 is a suite of office tools that includes word processing, spreadsheet, presentation, and contact management applications. Compatible with Microsoft Word, Adobe PDF, HTML, Excel, and zip files; it includes English, French, Spanish, Italian, German, Portuguese, Swedish, medical, and legal dictionaries. The latest version comes bundled with add-ons such as EasyCalculator financial calculator and the financial program EasyZip. Free from www.e-press.com/index.html.

Easy Talking Notepad 1.0 enhances your computer's ability to talk and read your e-mails, documents and online news. $30 from www.softdivshareware.com/talkingnotepad.html.

EasyBib isn't a downloadable utility, it's a Web page that will create an MLA- or APA-standard bibliography for you. Find out more from www.easybib.com/.

EasyOffice May 2002 is a standalone alternative to the big, fancy office packages. The free version is relatively spare but quite workable, and the Premium version ($40) offers faxing, an accounting system, a calculator, and extra clip art. Both are MS Word- and Excel-compatible, and for a "spare" shareware office suite, have a lot of goodies. Find out more from www.e-press.com/.

Edi3 lets you create and organize notes in .RTF (Rich Text Format) form in an intuitive, user-directed structure (in other words, organizes your notes in a way that makes sense to you). Free from www.controlzed.com/massaraksh/edi3.shtml.

E-Diary 2.0.20 is an easy-to-use electronic diary for recording ideas and notes throughout your day. The Gold version is available with file encryption and multiple-user access. Free from www.alphalink.com.au/~sergeb/E-Diary.htm.

EditPad 4.50 is a more powerful replacement for Notepad that lets you open multiple files, lets you use the find/replace function, and isn't limited to a 45KB file size like its simple-minded brother. Free from www.jgsoft.com/ or from www.editpadpro.com/editpadlite.html The Pro version is $40.

EditPlus 2.11 SR-1 is an Internet-ready, 32-bit text, HTML and programmer's editor for Windows. Good replacement for Notepad and also has helpful features for Web page authors and programmers. $30 from www.editplus.com/.

Electronic Notes 1.0 is a tool which allows you to manage electronic reading materials (documents) and take notes. It features the facility to group papers according to reading status, listing papers with full titles, searching by keywords, opening documents directly using the default word processor, writing and browsing notes within the program, and more. Free from www.csis.hku.hk/~h0395020/.

ePublisher 2001 lets you create "e-books" quickly and professionally, with plenty of templates and multimedia content options. $50 from www.hypermethod.com/epub.html.

eRocket 1.1.0 is a free book-viewing utility from www.rocket-ebook.com/. It gives you access to freely provided RocketBooks, available from the same site, but not the purchasable books -- for those, you have to buy both viewer and book.

ExNotes 1.1 is another "virtual sticky note" program, this one a $14.50 goodie from www.ldasoft.com/.

Everest Dictionary 3.10 contains 37 languages in its dictionary files. Lots of nice features. Free from www.free-soft.ro/.

Files2Text works very simply; when a disk or folder icon is dragged over the Files2Text icon, the script opens a new document in Notepad and puts folder and file information (such as name, size, attributes, creation date, and last modified date) into the document. Uses the VB6 runtime files. Free from home.hiwaay.net/~rcfinch/progspc.html.

FinePrint 2000 augments Windows' usual printer facilities, allowing you to print multiple pages on a single sheet along with many other functions. $40 to keep from www.fineprint.com/.

FineReader Professional 4.0, from www.topsoft.com.au/, is a $79 program that simplifies working with scanned (OCR) text. It spell-checks, works with graphics, and reads text directly into apps.

Free Easy PDF 2.0 allows you to create PDF documents using a Word-style interface. You can apply all standard word processing options like text formatting, tables, images (BMP format), and more, and then convert it to PDF format in a single click. More features and import options are available in commercial versions. Find out more from www.visagesoft.com/.

FreeSpell is an universal spell checker that works from in all Windows applications. Free from hcidesign.com/windows/.

Free Translator 1.0c is a free utility that translates between English, Spanish, German, French, Portuguese, and Italian. No guarantees that the translation is perfect, but it should do well enough to give you the gist of what's being said. Chequez it out at lightning.prohosting.com/~sysvga/tra/.

FreePDF 0.95 Beta lets you create .PDF files without having to invest in expensive Adobe Acrobat software. Free from www.over.to/freepdf/.

FreeSpell 2.1 is a command line interface spell checker that uses the open source Aspell engine to check any selected text for spelling. Free from hcidesign.com/.

Gadwin Print Screen 2.15 is a nicely functional print-screen utility. Free from www.gadwin.com/download/.

Glassbook Reader 1.1 is a free book-viewing utility (requires MSIE) from www.glassbook.com. Compatible with .PDF and other formats.

Go2PDF 3.00 converts all kinds of documents into .PDF files. Free from www.go2pdf.com/product.html.

gobeProductive 3.0 is a full-featured office suite from the former makers of ClarisWorks, and it works quite nicely as an alternative to MS Office. Its biggest feature is a smoothly integrated set of drawing tools. $80 from www.gobe.com/.

GreenPrint 32 is a print utility that squeezes up to 8 pages of text onto one sheet of paper. Easy on the trees, hard on your eyes. $15 to keep from www-personal.usyd.edu.au/~rjohnson/winapps/winapps.shtml.

Gymnast 3.5.149 converts text files to Adobe .PDF files while preserving the "clickability" of any links within the document. Free from www.oakworth.demon.co.uk/gymnast.htm.

Hot Paper is a Web site that stores common document templates online. Just choose what kind of document you need, fill in the blanks, and print. Free to use at www.hotpaper.com.

Idea Magic 5.1.5 finds synonyms using a database of 30,000 words, and works not only in Word, but in Notepad, WordPad, and even Excel. Far more powerful and inclusive than the Office Thesaurus, and only $15 from www.alcodasoftware.com/.

Karteset 1.0 is a small card index-style database which stores searchable information in cards using RTF (rich text format) text. Unfortunately, it is an advertiser-supported program (using Cydoor) which places a link to advertiser's applet in the Windows Registry. I'd feel better about listing this program if they got rid of the Cydoor spyware. If this doesn't bother you, download this freebie from www.metalgrass.com/index_karteset.html.

Keynote 1.6.1 Keynote is a flexible, multi-featured tabbed notebook, which offers a combination of simple and tree-type notes, rich text editor, ability to mix notes of different types in a single file and optional secure encryption using the Blowfish or Idea algorithms. Free from www.tranglos.com/free/.

KiwiWord 2000 1.1 is a free word processor that has many of the functions and features of the big boys. Check it out at www.sandbrooksoftware.com/Edu/index.shtml.

Jarte 1.04 is a small but excellent word processor. Free from www.jarte.com/.

LayoutFix 1.3 quickly fixes typing errors with minimal effort on your part. Free from www.softcomplete.com/.

MakePDF for Word 3.1 is a functional, but somewhat limited, conversion utility that converts documents into .PDF files from inside Word. $30 from www.docauto.com/MakePDF.htm.

mdiNotepad 2.4a is a Windows Notepad replacement which offers a multiple document interface (MDI). Free from koti.mbnet.fi/~fidgety/index.html.

Merriam-Webster Dictionary Lookup Button is a browser add-in that gives you quick access to the M-W database. Handy and free from www.m-w.com/promos/button/button.htm.

Metapad 1.42 is a free Notepad replacement that runs a little quicker than the original and has a few more features, such as search and replace. Find it at welcome.to/metapad/.

Microsoft Office Viewers gives you the ability to use the various Office files without needing Office on your PC. Download the various free Office app viewers that let you view, print, and/or play files created by PowerPoint (95 to 2002), Word (97 to 2000), Excel (2 to 2000), and Access (97 and 2000 report snapshots). You'll see all the fonts, colors, charts, and even animations. Free from www.microsoft.com/office/000/viewers.htm.

Microsoft Office XP Service Pack 2 updates the applications in the Office XP suite, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, Outlook, Publisher, and FrontPage. Among the fixes are repairs to the Office XP speller, a modification to the handling of picture orientation in Word documents, and support for the trademark symbol. Free from office.microsoft.com/ProductUpdates/default.aspx.

Microsoft Reader 2.0 is a free download from www.microsoft.com/reader/ that allows you to read any Microsoft Reader eBooks; the new version sports a voice feature.

Multi Clipboard m9.50.01 is useful if you are involved in passing along information from a helpdesk or tech-support group. There are 33 text fields per page or project, and you can have as many pages as you want. Any one of these fields can be easily copied into the Windows clipboard and, once copied, the text can be pasted into any Windows application. $19 from www.electrasoft.com/mcb.htm.

MultiReplace 1.2 is a tool which searches and replaces all nominated text within nominated file types (ie HTML, TXT, etc) within a folder and, optionally, subfolders. It features autobackup of changed files, define default folders for search and backup files, and more. While suitable only for working with genuine text files, MultiReplace is a super-fast replacement tool for ASCII text strings -- single words, sentences, paragraphs. Free from www.alphynsoftware.com/.

My Personal Diary 6.5 is just what it says it is. You can also attach files and password-protect it to keep stinky little brothers from reading your most secret thoughts. Also good for more professional-type journals and information recording. It's $25 to keep from www.camdevelopment.com/mpd-main.htm.

NATATA eBook Compiler 1.0 enables you to pack and compress multiple files including HTML, WAV, TXT, GIF, and JPG formats, and convert them into a single compact executable file, which contains a small viewer that launches the selected starting document in an e-book like interface. You can use it to compile e-books, offline Web pages, HTML photo albums, presentations, and more. Free from natata.hn3.net/.

NetNote 3 is a $35 goodie that acts as Internet-capable "sticky notes." Get it from www.netnote.pair.com/html/netnote.html.

NoteKeeper 0.9.2 is a multi-functional hierarchical information manager, free from www.tolon.co.uk/notekeeper/.

NoteMagic 5.0 is described as "Notepad on steroids." Lots and lots of features; $30 from www.jsoftconsulting.com/.

NoteManager II 1.0 is a $30 information management utility; not flashy, but useful. Try it from www.epsilon-software.com/.

Notepad And 1/2 1.3.0 is a small Windows text editor, like Notepad, but including many more features. It includes: RTF text formatting; no filesize limit; Most Recently Used (MRU) files list; find and replace text; covert case; character/word/line counts; and more. Free from www.designvortex.com/notehalf/.

Notepad+ 1.11 is a free replacement for Windows' Notepad that adds the ability to open large text files, and supports fonts and colored text. The author, RogSoft, has a dysfunctional Web site, so you can download this from www.pcworld.com/fileworld/file_description/
0,1458,3953,00.html or another download site.

NotepadEx 1.7.3.5 is another souped-up replacement for Notepad that adds search " replace, recent files list, optional status bar with cursor position and file size, always on top function and html/xml preview, while keeping the look and feel of the original Notepad. Free from www.student.tue.nl/u/t.a.v.roermund/notepadex/.

NotePadXP 1.5.0.133 is a stylish NotePad replacement and RTF (Rich Text Format) editor with lots of extra features. Free from www.acsoftware.org/.

Notes Area 1.5 is a note taker utility which resides in the system tray. Donationware ($5) from belong.ods.org/notesarea/.

NotesImp Lite 1.4.0 is a skinnable note keeper, offering a tree-like hierarchical structure of notes, which lives in the desktray as an icon. It features additional skins, auto-detected and clickable URLs, shortcut keys, and more. Free from www.notesimp.com/.

NoteTab Pro 4.85 comes in two versions, the free "lite" and the $20 "Pro." It earns its keep as a plain-text and HTML editor that works with Windows, DOS, Unix, and Macintosh formats. Surprisingly strong and multi-featured. Go to www.notetab.com/snt.htm.

NoteWhen 1.0 is another "sticky note" utility used to post virtual notes to yourself on your monitor; includes a calendar with an audio alert feature. Free from www.pcmag.com/utilities/.

PackWord 1.0 compresses MS Word documents into auto-extracting compressed files. Useful for saving space on cramped laptop drives, floppy disks, or in e-mail attachments. Free from www.packword.com/.

PagePlus 8.0 is a professional-quality, commercial desktop publishing (DTP) program which can create anything from simple pamphlets to complex magazines. Now supports .PDF creation. $129 from www.serif.com/.

Paste'm Notes is, essentially, electronic Post-It notes. Not the first program of its kind, but it works and only costs $10 to keep from www.pastemnotes.com/.

The Paster 2.0.92 copies blocks of data to the Clipboard, including form information. $10 to keep from www.techlogic.ca/r4/index.mv.

PCBook2 allows you to print up to 8 pages of text on a single sheet (4 per side) or in booklet form. Saves trees and works with most word processors or text editors. Free from www.pcmag.com/download/.

PDF Explorer v1.4 Beta organizes and manages your PDF documents. Free from planeta.clix.pt/rtt/.

PDF-Security 1.0 lets you protect your PDF files against unauthorized access and encrypt them. $19 from www.cadkas.com/.

PDF2HTMLgui 1.2 converts PDFs to HTML files. The "gui" version gives a nice interface on the basic utility, but you'll need to download both versions for the GUI to work. Free from guiguy.wminds.com/downloads/pdf2htmlgui/down.html.

Pdf995 5.01 creates PDF documents by selecting the 'Print' command from any application, creating documents which can be viewed with a PDF viewer (Acrobat Reader). There is also an optional editor, PdfEdit995, to modify files created with this program (an additional download). An excellent and easy way to convert any file into a PDF file. It requires that you pre-install the Apple LaserWriter II NT driver from the Add Printer section of the Control Panel (you don't need to actually have the printer, just the driver needs to be installed from your Windows CD). Free from www.pdf995.com/.

PDF Creator 0.943 is for those folks who need to occasionally create .PDF files, but not often enough to warrant buying Adobe Acrobat. Not the easiest program to use, but it'll do the trick. Free from www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Peaks/6789/pdfindex.html.

PDF Plain Text Extractor 2.3 extracts plain text from PDF files without the help of PDF SDK. It deals with the raw file directly and focuses on text extracting. $15 from pdf.retsinasoftware.com/.

Pdf995 6.09 turns any document into a basic .PDF file. Free from www.pdf995.com/.

PDFproducer 1.1 converts .TXT files to .PDF files. Few ameneties, but this program does what it says it does with little muss nor fuss. Free from naramcheez.netfirms.com/free.html.

PDF-XChange 2.5 creates PDF files from within virtually any Windows software. The software creates small files from your hefty spreadsheets and word-processing projects. $40 from www.docu-track.com/.

Pilot PDF Creator 1.00 is an ActiveX programming library that lets you generate .PDF files without using any special tools, like Adobe Acrobat. $299 from www.colorpilot.com/pdflibrary.html.

Office 97 Pro users know they have a full-fledged thesaurus somewhere on the CD, but they also know how difficult it is for them to access the damned thing. ZDNet has come to your rescue with a freebie called Popup Thesaurus Menu, at www.zdnet.com/downloads/. To use it, download THESMENU.EXE from their site, insert your Office CD into your drive, and double-click on the file to install it. Then, while you're in Office, right-click on a word and choose Thesaurus from the menu that appears. Easy.

PDF Editor 1.0 lets you edit PDF files. You can write annotations, change the text (correct spelling errors) or delete words completely. You also can change the order of pages or delete them and more. $39 from www.cadkas.com/.

PDF-Creator 2.0 lets you create PDF files from any application capable of producing a printer output. $29 from www.cadkas.de/.

PDF2TXT 2.75 extracts text from .PDF files without Adobe Acrobat software so you can convert .PDF documents to text. $38 from www.verypdf.com/.

Populist 2.1a Beta is a enhanced version of the standard Clipboard utility; it shows the last 15 entries that were copied to the clipboard, with no size limit whatsoever. Drag " Drop is supported, even. Free from krapplets.cream.org/populist.shtml.

Post-@ 1.5 is sort of a combination IM and ThirdVoice client; when you surf to sites that other Post-@ users are browsing, you'll see a list of users and have the opportunity to chat. Business and home users are putting this to use as meetingware; "meet me at 10 am on Yahoo" or some such. Quite flexible, and free from www.zdnet.com/downloads/stories/info/0,,0015BJ,.html (the maker, Jay Town, isn't easily located on the Web).

Post-it Software Notes Lite is a free goodie that lets you put digital versions of those little yellow stickies on just about any document or stored Web site you like. Hunt it down at www.mmm.com or www.3m.com/market/office/postit/com_prod/psnotes/download_lite.html.

PrestoNotes 3.0.6 creates virtual notes which can be hidden/recalled whenever needed, with built-in alarm functions and e-mail notification. A bit of a resource hog, but a freebie available from users.chello.be/cr41007/PagePrestoNotesAnglais.htm.

Print Censor Free comes with features that can be used to optimize work of printers: job queue management and one-click default printer setup; one-click job priority setting; any standard printer command can be executed directly from the program. In addition, the program can be used for remote control by any printer of a network. Free from usefulsoft.com/.

Print! 1.6 is a screen-printing utility that works a lot more efficiently than Windows' own roundabout methodology. $40 from www.robsoftware.com/.

PrintMaster Express 1.0 lets you spruce up your greetings, your newsletters, your cards, your invitations, your announcements, and anything else that's bright, colorful and printable. The interface is easy, and there are lots of graphics to choose from. Free from www.expressit.com/120_Project_Center/printmasterse.asp, and don't let the annoying registration process put you off.

Publish-It 1.6 assists you in making brochures, bulletins, and other multipage publications. $22 from www.postersw.com/.

PureText 2.0 strips all formatting from HTML and other formatted text in the Clipboard so it can be pasted into another document in "pure text" form. Free from www.stevemiller.net/PureText/.

PushPin is a freebie from rosa.simplenet.com/software/pushpin/index.html that posts Post-It like notes on your desktop.

Qdictionary allows Windows Internet Explorer users to highlight words and get their definitions or look them up in the Thesaurus using the selection's right-click context menu. Free from www.irondust.com/.

QDocs 1.0.58 is a document manager that annotates and tracks documents; integrates well with MSOffice. Free from www.docs-gr.com/qdocs/.

QuicKeys 2.0 does a large number of tasks, from finding all the files that were modified in a specified period of time, to allowing you to spell check, affix ">" to text, or reformat it, to making macros with a very easy to use macro editor. Defintely much more than a simple spellchecker. $50 from www.cesoft.com/products/quickeys.html.

Quick Spell Check 1.3.0 gives you a powerful spellchecking utility that goes over and above the ones included with MS Word or other commercial word processors. Free from www.hexacom.cc/qsc/.

Quick Speller 3.0 is a standalone spellchecker for utilities without their own. Free from www.pseudoware.com/products/quickspeller/.

Quicknote 4.1 is a small, virtual scrapbook to write down an occasional thought, a plan for the day, or an Internet URL. When not in use, the program hides as a tiny bar on top of your desktop, and when you hold your mouse over it, the interface will appear. Neat, and free from www.metz-furniere.de/jens/jcmb/quicknen.html.

QuickPhrase 1.7 makes it easy to paste boilerplate text over and over again with a few clicks. Much more usable than the cumbersome Clipboard, and free from www.typingmaster.com.

Qwik Reader 1.0 is a text reader for large documents that scrolls automatically, at preset speeds, through the document, saving you the annoyance of constant mouse-clicking or key pushing. Free from www.qwikreader.com/.

The Right Resume 4.0 helps you create a resume in several ways -- targeted, functional, or chronological. Stores employer information and doubles as a WYSIWYG word processor. $30 from www.wwtech.com/trr.html.

RightOn 1.0 is a simple text editor/picture viewer. The difference between this utility and, say, Notepad, is eye candy -- instead of typing your text on a dull white background, your text appears over a background of a Monet painting, a deep-space shot from the Hubble, or Elle MacPherson's yummy little tummy. You provide the background in .JPG, .BMP, or .GIF form and the program does the rest. Free from www.geocities.com/readerspal/RightOn.html.

Rough Draft 2.0 is not only a word processor, but a useful editing tool that includes immediate access to several online reference tools (dictionary, thesaurus, encyclopedia, etc.), four clipboards, an option to use special characters, and a "mode" function that allows you to choose between writing screenplays, poetry, whatever. Free from www.rsalsbury.co.uk/roughdraft/.

SayPad reads .TXT files aloud and records them as .WAV or .MP3 files. Not compatible with Win 95. Free from inspiredcode.net/4VisImp.htm.

SBookbuilder 2 is a quick, free, easy-to-use eBook maker. If you need a simple viewer/eBook creator, check it out at www.jansfreeware.com/jftools.htm#sbookbuilder.

SecurityPad 3.0 is a specialized text editor intended for the creation and editing of important documents. It features 4 algorithms of encoding (XOR, RC4, DES, and Blowfish), supports 5 file formats (.RTF, .TXT, .INI, .CFG, and .PTF), RTF text formatting, multiple undo/redo, autotext, inserts date and image (.BMP, .GIF, .JPG, or .TIFF), offers a Russian/English interface and text conversion (using Russian/English fonts), and more. A bit of a resource hog, but free from www.agfreesoft.ru/page3_us.html.

SenLab 1.0.5.0 is a label creation and printing utility. Not even MSWord prints labels without a great deal of hassle; this program does it without a fuss. Free from www.sente.co.uk/senlab01page.htm.

Serif PagePlus 7.01 is a powerful and flexible desktop publisher; not limited to documents only. $50 from www.serif.com.

SkimEdit 1.02 is a very small and very fast text editor, intended as a substitute for the much less powerful Notepad. $15 from skimsoft.com/skimedit.htm.

SlimList 1.0 is a word list manager that can maintain a number of word lists, accessible through its tabbed MDI interface. Free from www.flashpeak.com/slimlist/slimlist.htm.

SmartBoardXP is a utility that captures everything you copy, stores all your frequently used data, and lets you paste back into any document you may be working on, with as little as one click or two keystrokes. Runs invisibly, and works with most versions of Windows. $22 from www.smartboardxp.com/.

Spell Checker For Edit Boxes checks the spelling of any edit control in almost any application under Windows 3.1/95/98. Master dictionaries in several languages are available. Free from www.quinion.com/mqa/spell.htm.

SpellCheck is an online utility that checks the spelling of a single word or up to 20,000 characters of text. It can make your text into all-caps, all lowercase, or proper case, and automatically reports the total character count and word count. Free to use at www.spellcheck.net/.

Spelling Buddy 2.2 is a $20 utility from www.yourbud.com/spelling/ that works with the user to improve spelling skills. Optimized to work in both school and private-user settings.

SpellOnline is an online resource for correcting the spelling in your documents. Free to use at www.spellonline.com/.

StarOffice 6 Personal Edition is a steal of a deal. Star (now the property of Sun Microsystems) released an office suite a few years back that more than held its own against such packages as Claris Works or Microsoft Works for absolutely nada. It runs under Win 3.x, 9x, NT, OS/2, Linux, and Solaris, and contains a word processor, a spreadsheet, and a multimedia program. The Windows version is an 80MB to 109MB download, still big but much smaller than the bloatware office suites from Microsoft and Corel. Sun now markets an upgraded version for $76, and makes it available at www.sun.com/staroffice/. If you like it, check Sun's site for the new StarPortal, which will allow you to run the Star apps from any Web browser. If you end up giving StarOffice a spin, check out ZDNet's dated but still useful How-To guide at www.zdnet.com/zdhelp/stories/main/0,5594,2462054,00.html. There's also a free open source version, OpenOffice 1.1, available at www.openoffice.org/.

Stickies 4.0a is a virtual post-it notes program that allows you to place sticky notes on your desktop. Lots of features, and free from www.btinternet.com/~tom.revell/.

StoryMaster 0.1 Beta streamlines your ASCII work by helping you do away with annoyances like overly long lines, codes, and all that other textual nonsense. You can set spacing, tabs, number of characters per line, take out double spaces, and more. Free from home.inu.net/branded/.

Stringy Notes 3.0.1 is a free note-keeping utility that lets you edit notes with different colors, fonts, text styles, bullets, etc., along with letting you import .TXT and .RTF files. Take note of it at www.pico.demon.nl/stringynotes/index.html.

Subject Search Summarizer 1.01 creates brief summaries of virtually any document or Web page. $15 from www.kryltech.com/summarizer.htm.

SuperNotes 1.0 is another "sticky note" utility, this one allowing OLE and BMP objects to be included. $24 to keep from www.integsoft.com/index.htm.

Super NoteTab gives you a happy medium between the limitations of Notepad and the overkill of Word or WordPerfect, when you just want to edit .TXT, .INI, ASCII, or other small files. It's even an HTML editor. Tab over to www.unige.ch/sciences/terre/geologie/fookes for this one.

t2h 1.0.9 converts ASCII text documents into HTML documents for viewing through a Web browser. Free from www.sundaysw.com/.

TexNotes is a simple note-taking utility that gives you a lot more flexibility and organizational power than you might expect. $15 to keep from www.gemx.com/texnotes.php.

Text Extract 2.0.1 lets you pull up corrupted text files and extract whatever text strings it finds into a clean, uncorrupted file. Also useful for conducting text searches within files, as well as taking a look at .EXE and .DLL files to get an idea of what they are. Requires the VB6 runtime files, which are also available on the Web site. Free from www.ultima-thule.co.uk.

Text Tally 1.1 is a freebie from hhsoft.csoft.net/ttally.html that counts the number of words you type into a text document. You'll know if this is useful to you or not.

Text2Web Pro 2.3.0 converts text documents to HTML format. It incorporates integrated clipboard support, which provides seamless operation for Web authors who want to include snippets of text (formatted or unformatted) in their Web pages. $30 from virdi-software.com/txt2web/.

TextIt 1.0.11 is a small, modest, but highly functional text editor that one-ups Notepad in usability without losing the small footprint and ease of use. Free from www.sventore.com/index.php.

TextPad 4.5 is a modestly named but powerful text editor that can be used for writing anything from love notes to program code. Fast, stable, and easily configurable. A demo version is available from www.textpad.com; you'll need to pony up $27 to keep it.

TextReader 1.1 is a free utility from www.brandt-innovations.com/ that allows you to auto-scroll through large text and rich text files. It even allows you to search for words and phrases, set bookmarks and adjust the scroll rate.

TexNotes lets you organize files and documents in different "notebooks," which are saved to your hard drive and listed in an Explorer-style browser along the right side of the screen for easy retrieval. An Office-style toolbar lets you format your notes with different fonts, styles, and backgrounds. Also includes an appointment calendar with reminder alarms. $15 from www.gemx.com/texnotes.php.

ThinkFree Office is a free hybrid of Web-based office apps, including a word processor, spreadsheet, and presentation app, and a downloadable component that lets you work offline. Once the lengthy downloads and ticky installations are performed, you have a free, powerful, MSOffice-compatible set of utilities. StarOffice has some serious competition. Find out more from www.thinkfree.com.

tinySpell 1.3 is a small spell-checking program that automatically spell-checks a selected word that is copied to the clipboard. You can also check your spelling on the fly while you are typing. The program runs in the system tray and suggests correct spellings via the right-click menu. Free from www.megspace.com/computers/tinyspell/.

TomeRaider 1.1 is a text-reading utility that lets you turn large bodies of printed text, like War and Peace, into electronic files that can be viewed on your PC. Lots of TomeRaider files are also available. $30 to keep from www.tomeraider.com.

Top Dictionary 2003 1.5 2003 includes three programs: Top Dictionary, a personalized dictionary that looks up any word or phrase of up to 50 characters; Table Editor, which adds, deletes or edits words, phrases or definitions; and Translator, which translates words or phrases in both directions from your native language to/from another foreign language. $69 from topdictionary.hit.bg/.

TrayPad 1.1 is a text editor application which hides in the desktray, and designed for use as a memo pad. It includes all major RTF editing functions (colored text, bold, italics, font size/style, etc) and more. Free from www.westeast.org/traypad.html.

TreeDBNotes 1.0 is a tree-structured word processor with PIM (personal information manager) functions in a database format. It features search/replace, insert (file, link, image, time, date, symbols, table, HTML table), import (.TXT, .WRI, .RTF, Excel, Word, HTML, etc), export (.TXT, HTML, .WRI, .DOC, etc), encryption, unlimited notes size, Wordpad-like text-formatting functions (font and paragraph styles), and more. Free from www.softviewer.com/treedbnotes/.

TurboNote 3.2 is a free "sticky note" utility that takes the place of the ubiquitous yellow stickies we love to stick to our screens. Unobtrusive, easy on system resources, and nicely featured for a freebie. Check it out at www.aeip.com/turbonote.html and while you're there, poke around the Association for Ethical Internet Professionals website. You might learn something!

TxE 8.0 is a fast, flexible word processor that leaves off some of the rarely used frills of a MSWord or WordPerfect, but adds an e-mail client. Free (!) from www.duh.tmfweb.nl/.

txt2pdf 5.2 converts text files to .PDF formats. $99 from www.sanface.com/txt2pdf.html.

Type Pilot 2.00 is a database that holds more than 100,000 messages, standard phrases, signatures, e-mail addresses, frequently used sentences, URLs, phone numbers, hieroglyphs, etc. Information is called from the database by typing a keyword. $20 from www.colorpilot.com/type.html.

TypeItIn 2.1 is a utility designed to make it easy to add boilerplate text blocks into documents; much easier than using Clipboard. The Pro version has a few extras and costs $17; the regular version is free. Both can be had from www.wavget.com.

TypingMaster 6.1 is a $30 utility from www.typingmaster.com that works to help you improve your typing skills. Full-featured teaching program.

VistaWrite 2.0 is a $40 writing utility that works well as a diary, journal, or for any kind of personal or business writing that needs organization. Look it over at www.digitalwriting.com.

WinJottr 2.0 is another note-taking utility; $15 from www.openwindow.com/pages/winjottr.htm.

WinSpeech 3.01N converts text into speech. $40 to keep from www.pcww.com/web_mat/wspeech.html.

WnGutenbook 2000.7.19 is a free text reader for Project Gutenberg online texts. Go to gutenberg.net for texts to download and read, and to llornkcor.com/software.htm for the reader itself.

Woody's Office Power Pack XP and 2000 is a whole raft of utilities for MS Word. The bundle is $30, and the individual tools are $15 apiece, all from www.wopr.com/.

You can convert your MSWord 97 files to older versions of Word by using the Word 6.0/95 Binary Converter from www.microsoft.com/word/enhancements/wrd6ex32.asp. If you're running an older version of Word, you can convert files with WRD97CNV.EXE from the Office 97 ValuPack folder on the Office 97 CD-ROM.

WordDog 1.0 checks your grammar and syntax, finds worn-out cliches and badly turned phrases, and suggests spiffier alternatives. $25 from www.worddog.com/.

WordRecovery 2.0 is a $150 utility that allows you to recover corrupted Word documents. A demo is available from officerecovery.com/word/index.html, but the demo version is quite limited.

Wordware 2002 is a set of add-ons for MSWord that pumps up that already full-featured (and enormous) program. Includes new features for file management, personal information manager functions, and publishing. You can create business cards, disk labels, CD jewel-case inserts, and custom faxes. It even includes a CD player and tic-tac-toe game. Yowsah, not bad for $40; see www.amfsoftware.com/ for info. Some of the individual add-ons are available separately.

WordWeb Thesaurus and Dictionary 1.63 is a quick, powerful thesaurus and dictionary for the English language. Works with most word processors. Free from www.wordweb.co.uk/. A more powerful Pro version sells for $18.

WriteMe 3.0 creates 'Read Me' and 'EULA' file templates. Write Me handles the work; you only have to follow the onscreen directions to enter information, and the files are created in the format of your choosing. Free from server.tabletopfolder.com/k/software/writeme/index.html.

Xanadu 1.00.07 translates words, terms and texts right from your desktop and from/into over 60 languages, finds professional translators and specialised glossaries, reads regularly updated language news, and more. Free from www.foreignword.com/software/default.htm.

yBook 1.1.36 is a free e-book reader that keeps it simple, making it as close to a real book as possible. The pages are split up just like a real paperback novel, and when you're ready to turn the page, just click. You can even change the font and size to suit your eyes. Free from members.iinet.net.au/~simonh/spacejock/.

Yeah Write 1.6 for Windows is a small, nimble, easy-to-use shareware word processor that won't bust your budget or your hard drive like the hogs from Microsoft and Corel. If you need a word processor but don't need the bells and whistles, and definitely don't need the expenditure, try it from www.yeahwrite.com. It will cost you a measly $29 to keep the full version; the "lite" version, with about half the features, is free. Its only drawback is that it isn't WYSIWYG, and some users won't like the tabbed screens.

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Print System Info Create Startup Disks Backing Up Your System BIOS ERU Backing Up Your Hard Drive Backing Up Your Configuration and Initialization Files Organizing Backups for Data Files Backing Up the Whole Enchilada Restoring the Computer and Reinstalling Windows Computer Fall Down, Go Boom What the...? Tips for New PCs Shareware and Freeware Utilities Specifications Form

Accessories and Miscellaneous AntiVirus, Security Programs, and Password Managers Audio and Video Utilities Browser Add-ons and Bookmark Handlers Calculators and Mathematical Utilities Calendars, Clocks, and Time Management Utilities Chat, Phone, and IM Clients and Utilities Desktop Themes, Font Handlers, and Interface Modifiers Disk, Maintenance, Hardware, and Diagnostic Utilities E-Mail Clients and Add-ons File and OS Utilities FTP Clients and Download Managers Graphics Utilities HTML Editors and Web Page Creation Utilities ISP and Network Connection Management Utilities Macros Online Services Operating Systems Spreadsheet, Financial, and Data Management Programs Word Processor, Document Handler, and Text Editor Programs