OpenOffice.org -- Win9x, WinNTx, Win2K, Linux, Solaris (Intel & SPARC)
OpenOffice is an off-shoot of the Star productivity suite project. StarDivision, the original author of the StarOffice suite of software, was founded in Germany in the mid-1980s. It was acquired by Sun Microsystems during the summer of 1999 and StarOffice 5.2 was released in June of 2000. Future versions of StarOffice software, beginning with 6.0, will be built using the OpenOffice.org source, APIs, file formats, and reference implementation. Unfortunately, Sun Microsystems began to charge for StarOffice in early 2002. However, OpenOffice, an open-source project, is available at no charge. OpenOffice is available for download in many languages for many operating systems. My experience with it has been positive. In fact, at present, it's a better product than StarOffice v5.2.
(Last updated: 10/03/03)

602 Pro PC Suite v2002 -- Win9x, WinME, WinNTx, Win2K, WinXP
When I first heard about a free (and freely distributable) office suite, I honestly didn't think there would be much to look at. I mean, how good could it be? For free? I paid a pile of money for Office 2000 and it's a great suite, and that's the yardstick by which I would measure any suites, free or otherwise. Well, slap my butt and call me Sally if 602 Pro PC Suite isn't the best free office suite I've ever clapped peepers on. Not only is it complete and full featured just like Microsoft's Office, it reads, saves and edits files in the defacto MS Office standards: DOC, XLS and all the rest. This suite is good enough to be considered as a viable replacement for MS Office at home and at work.

Update 12/7/02: The new version includes a whole slew of changes and improvements. This is definitely worth checking out.
(Last updated: 12/7/02)

Adobe Acrobat PDF Reader -- Win3.1, Win9x, WinNT4, Win2K, Mac, Linux, SunOS, Solaris, OS/2-Warp
PDF files have become a standard sophisticated text viewer on the web and off. Most government documents available to the public (such as tax forms and informational brochures) are deployed in PDF format. Windows (any version) doesn't come with a default viewer for PDF files so you must load one in order to view these files. Fortunately Adobe makes the viewer available as freeware. Mind you, the viewer will not edit PDF files, but it will read them, and that's all most people need.
(Last updated: 9/9/02)

ieSpell -- IE5+ in Win9x, WinME, WinNTx, Win2K, WinXP
ieSpell is a free Internet Explorer extension that spell checks text input boxes. This is an excellent replacement for or adjunct to Steve Yandl's IE Speller script. This is an indispensable tool for people who post to Internet forums. Read more...
(Last updated: 9/9/02)

Spell Checker for Edit Boxes -- Win3.x, Win95, Win98FE
Freeware spell checkers are as rare as an honest politician. Over the years, while I've tried many, I always go back to only one utility for this purpose in Win9x. Brian Quinion's Spell Checker for Edit Boxes checks the spelling of any text in almost any application under Win3.1 and Win9x. It runs in the background, with hot-key support. System requirements are extremely modest yet the pay off is a superbly useful utility -- the best spell checker I've ever used. Check it out.
(Last updated: 4/13/02)

NoteTab Light v4.86 -- Win9x, WinNTx, Win2K
NoteTab Light is a dandy plain text editor and works well when you need something more than that offered by Windows' Notepad. If you'd like to increase the functionality of your text editor, check out NoteTab Light. While I used several different utilities to set up this website initially, virtually all of the day to day maintenance is done with my favorite versatile plain-text editor, NoteTab Light. NoteTab Light recently recieved the World Famous Coveted Five Clicks of Merit Award by yours truly.
(Last updated: 9/23/01)

EditPad Classic -- Win9x, WinNTx, Win2K
I constantly use text editors. All the HTML you see here was hammered out using several editors. One of my favorite editors is EditPad. Used in conjunction with one or two other editors you see listed in this section, it should satisfy all your writing needs except for all out word processing. EditPad is postcardware and well worth it. The latest version is v3.5.3.
(Last updated: 12/8/00)

NotepadEx -- Windows (all), Mac, Unix
I have an affinity for good text editors. My contributions to PC911 are coded with both Editpad and Notetab. However, neither is really a suitable replacement for Windows Notepad; they're just too porky for that. NotepadEx is a superb alternative to Notepad though. It's "light" so it loads with Notepad's lightning quickness, yet it offers some useful additional features and you can barely tell them apart. Check it out.
(Last updated: 9/3/00)

Metapad 3.0 -- Win9x, WinNTx, Win2K
Metapad is a small, fast and completely free text editor for Win9x and WinNT with similar features to Microsoft Notepad but with many extra useful features. It was designed to completely replace Notepad since it includes all of Notepad's features and much much more.
(Last updated: 6/21/01)

AllChars v3.6.2 -- Win9x, WinME, WinNTx, Win2K, WinXP
AllChars provides a quick, easy to remember way of creating accents like é Ü ç î æ and special characters like ƒ ² ‰ © £ ± ß ° ½ ¿ « » ™ „ in most Windows programs. Props to my buddy Jim for pulling my coat. Read more...
(Last updated: 11/21/01)

ArsClip -- Win9x, WinME, WinNTx, Win2K, WinXP
ArsClip is a free utility for the windows clipboard. ArsClip monitors the clipboard and keeps track of the entries. Press a configurable hotkey and select an item to quickly paste into a program. Read more...
(Last updated: 12/7/02)

Program File Editor -- Win3.x, Win9x, WinNTx, Win2K
My good buddy and all around swell guy Chris recommended a very capable text editor for your consideration. PFE (Programmer's File Editor) is designed for programmers as well as regular folks like you and me. While the author has stopped development, PFE is still available and is definitely one very accomplished program worth checking it out.
(Last updated: 9/7/01)

PhraseExpress (formerly QuickPhrase) -- Win9x, WinME, WinNT4, Win2K, WinXP
On the subject of typing text, I stumbled across a great tip on yet another util for inserting text into virtually any text field, easily and quickly. PhraseExpress SE is a free utility with which you can add phrases and addresses, greetings, signatures and so on, to any Windows program in a snap. Phrases can be added with keyboard shortcuts or with the phrase menu located in the taskbar.
(Last updated: 8/27/02)

TypeItIn -- Win9x
Do you find yourself typing the same text regularly? Those of you that post to forums on the net regularly, or just use word processors often and find yourself typing your name, address, web page address, e-mail address, phone number or whatever repeatedly, could probably use TypeItIn. This little freeware proggy will insert your specified text at the push of a button.
(Last updated: 2/15/00)

CapsLockOff -- Win9x
Does the caps lock key drive you bONKERZ! Ever considered reaching for the needle nose pliars so you could just rip the caps lock key off the keyboard and be done with it? Easy there lil' buddy. CapsLockOff is just what you need. So take your Valium and read all about it.
(Last updated: 2/15/00)

WordWeb -- Win9x, Win2K
You don't come across a freeware thesaurus every day. WordWeb is a free thesaurus and dictionary. Excellent util for the pedantic person in the family. And for the serious writer, it integrates with Word 2K very well too. Version 1.63 now available.
(Last updated: 3/27/01)

Dutch Dictionary Project -- Win9x, WinNT4, Win2K
Are you bi? Bi-lingual that is, silly. The Dutch Dictionary Project is likely the most comprehensive multilingual dictionary software repository on the Internet. Check it out.
(Last updated: 8/28/02)

PrintFolder 1.1a -- Win9x, Win2K
Ever wish you could just right click a directory in Windows Explorer and print out the contents? There are some hacks for doing this, but if you aren't up for a hacking session you could download PrintFolder 1.1a, a nice, simple little freeware util that will do exactly what you need.
(Last updated: 3/14/00)

Keep-It v3.0 -- Win9x, Win2K
If you compose and manipulate documents regularly and find that occasionally you wish you could revert to a previous version, you'll be interested in Keep-It. Keep-It is like a real-world archive; it allows you to keep previous revisions of files (like DOCs or XLS' or any other application file) without cluttering up your system or consuming valuable disk space. The revisions are stored in the archive forever; they can’t be changed, but they can be browsed and restored. Keep-It have provided this demonstration so you can see how easy it is to use (just double click the self-executing movie file). Keep-It is like a cross between Winzip on steroids, and a revision control system that doesn't require check-in/check-outs, and it's free. Download Keep-It.
(Last updated: 3/21/00)

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