Completely FREE Software - CFS Weekly Newsletter #492 issued October 17, 2008

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This electronic newsletter is registered – ISSN 1441-6840
Welcome to the CFS Weekly Newsletter.
The programs listed here are completely free for non-commercial use, even though some may be shareware or commercial products. None are time-limited and all are fully functional. If you know any that aren't exactly as specified, please let us know and they will be removed immediately.
If the link below does not work (does not take you directly to the program listing) it is probably because the site has been upgraded and the link is no longer valid. Please use the CFS Site Search facility (above) to locate the program.
COMPLETELY FREE SOFTWARE

Gift Quest: Valentine's Day v1.14 – Win98/ME/XP/Vista
Gift Quest: Valentine's Day is an action puzzle game where you join 3 or more gift boxes of the same color to make them disappear. It features 4 game modes (Adventure Quest, Miracle Quads, Fable Puzzle & Amazing Action), 40 Adventure Quest levels, 100 Fable Puzzle levels, lots of bonuses, timed gameplay, superb animated graphics, addictive gameplay, and more. This is a colorful game, with lots of bling, that is simple to play yet quite addictive. In this game you move gift boxes of the same color together into groups of three or more (horizontally or vertically). Each of the four game modes offers different gameplay, with different levels and bonuses for each mode. Gift Quest: Valentine's Day takes only a few moments to learn and relies on quick reflexes and a good eye for color matching. The early levels are too easy but it does get a little harder as you progress. We enjoyed playing Gift Quest: Valentine's Day. It was a pleasant diversion and a good way to recharge the mental batteries. Worth grabbing! Note: we have been advised that this program is not suitable for Windows 95. Access this 7.49MB download from: Win98 General Games

Dexpot v1.4.1 – Win9x/ME/XP/Vista
Dexpot is a desktop tool that allows the creation of up to 20 virtual desktops (default is 4) where each can have individual wallpaper, resolution & icons. It features hotkey switching, has 5 built-in tools (Desktop Manager, Desktop Preview, Desktop Slideshow, Desktop Windows & Desktop Rules), is highly customizable, minimizes to a tray icon, optionally loads with Windows, multi-lingual interface, and more. This is a fabulous way of expanding your desktop space by creating a number of virtual desktops, each with their own look 'n feel, and each with different open programs. The author says: "Every virtual Desktop is independent from the others and can have individual wallpaper, resolution, and icons. Desktops can be switched via hotkey, trayicon, the special Desktop Manager or an automatic slideshow." He also says: "Dexpot allows you to move and copy windows among the desktops at any time with an easy to use unified interface, that also offers control over numerous extended features like password protection, transparency, window rules, and profiles." There is no doubt that Dexpot is one of the best virtual desktops we have seen. It is extremely easy to use, offers a number of ways of switching between desktops (we prefer the hotkey, with Alt-1 accessing the first desktop, Alt-2 the second, etc) but you can also place the Desktop Manager on the screen (suitably positioned out of the way) so you can just click on the appropriate desktop image to change between desktops. If you wish to expand your desktop, specially to help group similar open programs) then Dexpot is a tool you really should try. Like us, we think you will be most impressed. This program is free only for non-commercial use. Access this 1.89MB download from: Win95 Windows Enhancements

SSuite Office: The Fifth Element v1.2 – Win9x/ME/XP/Vista
SSuite Office: The Fifth Element is an Office-style suite with more than 30 applications. It includes WordGraph, Accel, Netsurfer, My EZMail, PDF Memo Creator, WordFormat 2, SpreadForm One, Instant Lan Messenger, Instant Lan Scan, Instant Lan Chat, VOIP PC Phone, EZDraw, EZDraw Photo Editor, Quick Photo Album Viewer, Wave Player, Wave Recorder, CD Wave Ripper, Trinity, Moving Pictures Player, Search and Find Desktop Search Engine, File Printer, System Information Overview, Envelope Printer, Clipboard Viewer, Address Book, IntroChess, The Sorting Machine, Agnot Security Box, and more. This is an all-encompassing suite of applications designed for most home-based desktops. It includes two word processors (WordGraph & WordFormat 2), a spreadsheet program (Accel), an Internet Explorer based Web browser (Netsurfer), and lots of other great programs. Unfortunately, this suite is not compatible with MS Office and therefore has limited value for an office. The word processors cannot read MS Word docs (just RTF and ASCII text), and the spreadsheet does not read XLS files (just CSV and similar generic files). However, what it does support it supports with gusto and there is an excellent spell checker for the two word processors (why two?), and lots of other fantastic tools and applets. The CD player offers no options to select a CD drive (where there is more than one) and some of the other small programs are likewise hamstrung by offering little or no optimization. In our opinion, however broad-ranging that SSuite Office: The Fifth Element might be, we would have preferred fewer programs with more features – one size rarely fits everybody and most users need to tweak a program to suit their particular requirements. That aside, there is no doubting that SSuite Office: The Fifth Element is an impressive suite that covers everything from word processing to games. Worth a look! Access this 31.5Mb download from: Win95 General Programs

Free CD to MP3 Converter v2.5 – Win9x/ME/XP
Free CD to MP3 Converter is a CD ripper that extracts audio from CDs and converts it to MP3, WAV, OGG or WMA formats. It features CDDB database access, normalizes the output files, supports additional LAME options, records from microphone to MP3, converts audio files, and more. Unfortunately, this program does not recognize SATA CD/DVD drives so we were unable to review this program. The author says: "Free CD to MP3 Converter is an easy-to-use free CD ripper software that allows you to extract audio files from a CD and convert them to MP3, WAV, OGG or WMA format. Support ID3 tag edit. You can use it freely. Free CD to MP3 Converter used AKRip and LAME encoder." Even though this is a free program, every time you open Free CD to MP3 Converter it nags for registration ($14.95) to "finance new development". Note: the author has not stated if this program is suitable for use with Vista – only Win95, Win98, ME and XP. Access this 1.53MB download from: Win95 Multimedia Programs

Aerobiz Supersonic v1.0 – Win9x/ME/XP/Vista
Aerobiz Supersonic is a business simulation (sim) where you are the CEO of a new international airline. It features 1- to 4-players, choice of 4 time periods (1955-1975, 1970-1990, 1985-2005 & 2000-2020), 5 levels of skill for each period, demo mode, choice of 6 worldwide regions for your base, historical/hypothetical events & aeroplanes, VGA graphics, retro gameplay, and more. This is an excellent game which was created in 1994 for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) by Koei, and uses emulation software to run under Windows. The main keys you will use are the Z and the X keys, plus the arrow keys, though you can also use some of the Function (F) keys, plus the Esc key, to access the emulator. Aerobiz Supersonic is a cult game that uses many historical events and aircraft, as well as some hypothetical events and aircraft for the "future" periods (ie, after 1994). The goal of the game is not just creating a profitable airline but also one that is the most dominant in the world. You can compete either against the computer or against human players (or a mix of both). Aerobiz Supersonic is not a quickie game but one that you can continue playing for some time, saving your current game-state and returning to it whenever you like. It is worthwhile spending a few minutes to watch the demo to give you an idea of how it will unfold but, basically, you are on your own to either make a success of your new airline, or go bankrupt. We loved the quirky graphics and the hypotheticals within the game – and some of the hypotheticals have proved to be remarkably accurate! Aerobiz Supersonic is not just for retro buffs but for all lovers of sims. A great way to kill an hour, or ten. Terrific fun! Access this 1.39MB download from: Win95 General Games

Chromium v0.3.155.0 – WinXP/Vista
Chromium is an open source, tabbed Web browser (the engine behind Google Chrome). It features separate processes for each window, it can import bookmarks/passwords/history, has optional phishing & malware protection, an omnibar search address bar, incognito browsing, optional DNS pre-fetching, and more. This is an excellent tabbed Web browser which is suitable for anyone who doesn't want an integrated e-mail client. It offers a simplified interface that is perfect for everyone who just wants to surf the Internet and doesn't want a lot of bells and whistles they may never use. While it does offer phishing and malware (malicious software) protection, it doesn't offer an ad blocker, though this is an early beta and that function may be planned for a later version. There is little to criticize with Chromium, and a lot to commend it. While it is ostensively the same as Google Chrome, it doesn't suffer from Google's Update Utility or Google's imposing EULA. We were extremely impressed with Chromium and hope that it will eventually offer free add-ons (like Firefox) to enhance it use. Worth grabbing! Note: we have been advised that this program is not suitable for Windows 95, 98 or ME. Access this 11.7MB download from: WinXP Internet Related

AO Reminder v2.2 – WinXP/Vista
AO Reminder is an event and appointment reminder that minimizes to the tray. It features sound & alarm options, date & time format, alarm type option, analog clock, you can change calendar fonts, it has a backup & restore data option, use your own alarm sound files (MP3 & WAV), optional "on hour" alarm, track all events & reminders, and more. This is a great little reminder/appointment style utility for anyone who needs to be reminded of birthdays, special events, etc. It allows the user to set a once-only alarm, set regular alarms daily, weekly monthly or annually – even on the same day each week! Cool. The desktop analog clock is a little cumbersome so most people will probably opt not to use it. The annual reminder setting seems to have a glitch – it only gives you the current year and the following year, and even manually adjusting the "end date" does not extend it beyond the following year. That aside, AO Reminder is an excellent little tool and one that most PC users will find invaluable. We liked! Note: we have been advised that this program is not suitable for Windows 95, 98 or ME. Access this 1.45MB download from: WinXP Desktop Utilities

The Trapezohedran of the Darkness v1.01 – WinXP/Vista
The Trapezohedran of the Darkness is a vertically scrolling Japanese shooter. It features lots of Bosses to fight, special weapons, excellent animated graphics, fast pace, and more. Like Silpheed meets Radiant Silvergun, The Trapezohedran of the Darkness is a superb shooter with lots of swirling colors and a frenetic pace that can leave the player exhausted. You can use the default controls of the arrow keys for movement and the Z, X and C keys for weaponry. However, many players will remap the controls so that the Spacebar is the primary shooting control rather than the X key. The Trapezohedran of the Darkness is not straightforward to install because all the information is in Japanese so you just have to click on the right-hand button to progress through the install. However, once installed you should have no trouble running the game if you have a relatively modern computer with at least 64MB of video RAM. We enjoyed playing The Trapezohedran of the Darkness. Its pace is fast, the Bosses hard to kill, and the enemies keep coming at you endlessly. A Tip, save your missiles for the main Bosses. If you are looking for a no brainer to kill a pleasant hour or two then grab a copy of The Trapezohedran of the Darkness. Like us, we think you'll enjoy it! Note: we have been advised that this program is not suitable for Windows 95, 98 or ME. Access this 16.2MB download from: WinXP General Games
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