Please sign our Guest Book and let us know what you think of this web site.

This page has links to our favorite web sites. The first section deals with software sites. The second, with sites that are of an informative nature, such as tech support and tutorials. We have made notation of the software that we put on systems that we build or maintain.

Software Links

One of the first things that we put on a new system is a zip utility, this enables us to load other software and updates that have been stored in .zip format. A zip file is not only much smaller than the original file but it takes up less space. (wait isn't that the same thing?) By saying that it takes up less space I'm talking clusters, a file no matter how small it is, is assigned at least a full cluster of your hard drive. If your hard drive cluster size is 16k then a 1k file takes up just as much space as a 16k file, and 16 files each 1k in size take up 16 clusters or 256k of space. But when you zip those 16 1k files into a zip file they are now 1 file not 16, so even if you don't gain anything with the compression, the simple fact that they are now one file and not 16 makes them only take up 1 cluster instead of 16 for a saving of 240k. (this was a very simple example)

At Balanced Information Technologies we use Winzip. On each new system that we build a trial version is installed. Then the person who purchased the computer is encouraged to purchase the program. In some cases we purchase the full version in the customers name and install it for them.

Click here to visit WinZip's home page.

Visit Winzip and download the latest version or check out the plug-ins and add-ons for WinZip. You can also check out other software from Winzip. Such as the Winzip Self Extractor that allows you to create self extracting EXE files.

We always install the latest version of Microsoft Internet Explorer®. The tight integration of I.E. and Windows® allows for easy updating  using Windows Update

We always insist that our maintenance customers purchase an anti virus utility. We generally install the trial version of McAfee Virus Scan on new systems. Some customers prefer other programs but at Balanced Information Technologies we have had years of success with McAfee products and recommend them wholeheartedly.

Visit the McAfee website to see the wealth of software offered

If you want to download the evaluation version of McAfee Virus scan or any of their other award winning software use this link

Zone Labs

Zone Labs' Zone Alarm is widely recognized as one of the best firewalls around.  It is available as both a free download and the more full featured pro version. Visit the Zone Labs page to see which version is right for you.

One thing that you need on a computer system is a program to manage your graphic files. Windows comes with an image viewer and an editor. But neither of these are very powerful. We recommend two products for graphic file management and manipulation.

Thumbs Plus from Cerious Software is the best management tool that I have ever found. You can download a trial version from their website.

For working with your graphic files it's hard to beat JascSoftware's Paint Shop Pro. Much like the Powerful Adobe PhotoShop, but much simpler to use.

JascSoftware's web site has dozens of award winning graphic programs.

For simple image editing as well as for web publishing. Check out their offerings at:

If you would like to download a evaluation version of one of their software tittles you can find them at:

On each new system that we build we put several free utilities that are available from the web. Now we all know that there are literally hundreds of free offerings on the web. What makes the ones we have chosen any better than the others? The programs and utilities that we recommend have been extensively tested by companies and publications such as PC World, ZD Net, C-Net, and Lockergnome. When we find something that seems to be an application that we can use, then we download it to several machines and test it for a few months. If, and only if it works out for us, does it make it to customers machines.

These are a few of the best of the free offerings that we have found:

About Time

About time is a network time synchronizer. Intended for local area networks, it  keeps all clocks on all the work stations in a network displaying the exact same time. By checking time from time servers such as the U.S. Naval Observatory and setting the whole network.   It works just fine for keeping accurate time on your stand alone system.

About time can be downloaded here: If you want to check out some of the other free software at the author's page visit

TClockEx

The clock in the system tray area of your computer screen doesn't do much. Microsoft could have added some functionality to it and made something that was useful. TClockEx is what Microsoft could have done, if they'd taken the time :)

A young man named Dale Nurden from South Africa has written several high quality free Windows programs. They are available on his home page: Dale Nurden's Home Page   If you want to download TClockEx it can be found at:TClockEx

Xteq Systems

Xteq Systems is a team of ordinary people dedicated to create, develop, improve, test and promote software, add-ons, tips and fixes, with the main goal of Do More Faster!

Xteq's top of the line software gives you the advantage in working with your computer system. Their products range from the simple to the complex. Weather you are looking for a utility to help you do more faster, or are looking for components for Visual Basic, or something in between.  And the price is right, FREE for most users.

Their line of products include:

X-Setup - the ultimate tool for Black Belt system tuning.

URL Bandit - grab URLs from the clipboard fast and easily.

Explorer LaunchPad  - making using the Explorer comfortable and easy.

X-Find - find what you are looking for fast.

BTW.  I just installed the Explorer LaunchPad on my home system, I don't know how I've gotten by without it.  By far one of the handiest utilities I've ever come across.

Note:

This list of software sites is not by any means complete. I've just tried to give a sample of some of what's available. This list will be added to as time go by. If you have a favorite program, either retail, shareware or free, that you'd like us to review send us E-Mail and we'll check it out.

Net Resources

The following is a list of Internet resources that are available to help you solve problems with your computer software and hardware.

Lockergnome

Lockergnome E-mail newsletter is one of the top electronic publications on the net. Filled with tech tips and software reviews. (Where do you think we find all these neat programs?)

From the husk of the Silicorn Valley (Des Moines Iowa), Chris Pirillo and his gang distribute the world's hottest e-mail newsletters. Lockergnome (pronounced lah-ker-nohm) is Pirillo's brainchild; the information provided on this site will keep you covered.

Customer Satisfaction is one of Pirillo's primary goals, and

Help on the Net

The tech guy on the web. This is a user forum where computer enthusiast help each other by answering  questions about software, hardware and what ever else they think of.  Sign up for the E-Mail list and post your questions, or address other peoples problems. I've been a member of this list for over a year and have come to feel that they are friends and neighbors. I have one friend that I exchange e-mail with, who lives on South Island in New Zealand. It's a great community and has a lot to offer, even if you don't ever post a problem, you can learn a lot from reading other's problems and the solutions offered. This service is now available in a "digest" so that instead of getting a bunch of individual E-Mail, you get one consolidated one at the end of the day.

The Langa List

Make the most of your hardware, software, and
time online with The LangaList--- a free and lively, award winning, twice-a-week e-newsletter from computer author and editor Fred Langa. Each issue is packed with tips, tricks, and other useful and interesting information!

Fred Langa is a freelance computer/web author whose current primary work now reaches an audience of over two million readers per month.

You may know Fred Langa from his previous work as VP/Editorial Director at WINDOWS Magazine, as Editor in Chief of Byte Magazine, or from his work with NetGuide and HomePC magazines, or from various appearances at trade shows and on TV and radio.

The Langa list was named one of the world's top 5 ezines by the eZines database; it's one of the top 10 most-frequently-recommended computer ezines tracked by the Recommend-It service

Gibson Research Corp.

  Use this link to Steve's site to test your system and to check out his top notch software.

Steve Gibson has probably contributed more to internet security and privacy than any other single individual. He has written several programs that address these controversial problems. His OptOut  software effectively stops "SpyWare" in it's tracks. While Leak Test checks your system for vulnerabilities to Trojan programs.

Use these links to visit the OptOut and Leak Test pages and check your system.

You may remember that Steve is the one who broke the "Click of Death" story about a nasty hardware bug in the Iomega Zip drives, his TIP (Trouble in Paradise) program runs diagnostic routines on your zip and jazz drives and disks and alerts you to potential problems. To download TIP click here.

All of Steve's programs that I have mentioned so far are provided free of charge along with several other well made free offerings. Steve also has some commercial software that is some of the best of the best. His "Spin Right" is one of the top hard disk tools around. Working with both hard disks and removable media, Spin Right not only monitors your disk health, warning of problems before they happen, it also is the very best data recovery program that is in existence. The totally unique system that Steve has come up with is recognized world wide as the leader in data recovery.

Check out the SpinRight page and see for yourself what the experts are saying.