Picks: novaPDF, Ozum, Acronis Disk Director Suite, Boxer Text Editor, Quintura Search, Parallels Compressor Workstation

• novaPDF
• Version: 2.5
• System Requirements: Windows 2000/2003/XP
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• Download novaPDF Lite NOW!
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novaPDF Lite, by Softlandis a program I found when I had a need and it was so good I decided to review it. The program has an intuitive interface and it's also very easy-to-use and that makes it perfect for both new and experienced users. You get lots of neat options and you can convert Word, Excel, and Powerpoint documents in PDF file. Quick and easy.

novaPDF has a very cool feature called user profiles.Using these you can set things up to use different criteria and parameters. So, for example, you could set up one profile for work, one for family, one for Scouts, and so on. You can search the PDF files you create with novaPDF and that's very handy. On top of that you can password protect PDF files, compress them, print them, and more. Unlike many similar products, novaPDF helps you to take advantage of the power of PDF files. If you've been looking for a product to help you create PDF files, you have to take a look at this one. Very nicely done -- I recommend it.

• Ozum
• Version: 4.00
• System Requirements: Windows 95/98/ME/NT/2000/XP
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• Download Ozum NOW!
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Ozum, by OzInsight Pty Ltd is a cool newsgroup reader that has lots of nice features. In face, Ozum does so many things that I can't possibly talk about all of them. You'll have to look at it yourself, but I'll try tohit the high points for you. For one, it handles graphics, audio, and video with ease. For many similar products that would be a problem, but not here. So, it's newsreader with some power under-the-hood.

Ozum is an extremely powerful program for dealing with newsgroups. I've evaluated just about every newsgroup reader out there and none of them have the multi-media functions I found in Ozum.One unbelievable feature is the ability to actually preview just a part of any multiple part audio or video clips. The program can handle a huge range of file formats including, MP3, MPG, MPEG, AVI, ASF, WAV, and more. What's possibly more impressive is that it automaticallypulls in the files and decompresses them regardless of format. It can even unpack RAR format files and allows you to "look" inside them.That's slick!

Ozum is extremely easy-to-use and intuitive. I think it's perfect for both new and experienced users. In my opinion if you want to frequent the binary Usenet groups, Ozum is a must have!It's one of those programs that have a lot of power "under the hood."Ozum is loaded with cool features that aren't found in other newsgroup readers. You can even have it check newsgroups for you on a schedule that you set up. Have it go out and search newsgroups once a day or 6 times a day, it's up to you. Ozum is a program that you have to try for yourself to really appreciate all it can do. It's loaded with things that make it unique among newsreaders in my opinion. Check it out. Truly one of my "Favorites of 2006!"

• Acronis Disk Director Suite
• Version: 10.0
• System Requirements: Windows 95/98/ME/NT/2000/XP
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• Download Acronis Disk Director Suite NOW!
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Acronis Disk Director Suite, by Acronisis a powerful program for working with and revising hard disks. The program can be used to partition your hard drive and manage the contents. It's really more of a suite because it comes with a number of specialized tools for working on your hard drive. With thePartition Expert you can actually move, resize, split, and even merge partitions. And what's really cool is that you will notlose data in the process. Slick!

Acronis Disk Director Suite even makes it easy to run more than one operating system from your hard drive. This is what you'll sometimes hear called a "dual boot system. The Recovery Expert is a module you can use if you accidentally delete a partition. The entire program has an intuitive user interface and is very easy-to-use. To me that makes it perfect for users with all levels of experience. Give it a try. I think Acronis Disk Director Suite is a powerful program that's really easy-to-use. The program does everything you'd ever want or need to do with a hard disk while keeping your data safe! Check this one out for yourself, I recommend it!

• Boxer Text Editor
• Version: 11.01
• System Requirements: Windows 95/98/ME/NT/2000/XP
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• Download Boxer Text Editor NOW!
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Boxer Text Editor, by Boxer Softwareis a text editor that I first started using when it came out in 1991.Back then it was a DOS-based text editor and I really liked it and was the first to review it. The Boxer Text Editor of today continues this fine tradition and it's an excellent product. It's full-featured,powerful, and has a lot of power under the hood. I'm writing this article in it.

The Boxer Text Editor is an excellent product for writing HTML code. The color syntax highlighting makes it easy to create things in VBScript, HTML, Perl, and more. It has all the "standard"features you'd expect in any good text editor, but it goes the extra mile and gives you lots of nice extras. There are lots of configurable option and I always like that. For example, the program comes with support for the keyboard layouts of other text editors or you can create your own. It has a great spell-check that will skip over HTML codes, the ability to click on URLs right in your text, and lots more.

The Boxer Text Editor has all the features anyone could need and a lot of features that most people don't expect. A macro language, easy macro recording, an HTML color chart, the ability to edit files up to 2gigabytes in size, column blocks, a calculator, a calendar, ANSI chart, the ability to edit files via FTP, and many, many, more. Heck, it even has support for dual monitors. The Boxer Text Editor is an impressive piece of programming and a wonderful program to use. It was one of my favorites in 1991 and it's also one of my "Favorites of 2006!"

• Quintura Search
• Version: 1.5
• System Requirements: Windows 98/ME/NT/2000/XP
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• Download Quintura Search NOW!
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Quintura Search, by Quinturais a cool program that gives you a look at search results from a different perspective. The program gives a visual cloud of tags to look at. In testing it out with Google I was amazed at the way it displayed results. The net result, in my opinion, is that you get the results you want faster and more easily. The program is really easy-to-use and has an intuitive user interface. It's perfect for both new and experienced users.

Quintura Search provides a different approach to Internet searches and the results you get. The "cloud" of tags really simplifies the search process and makes it easier to find what you're looking for.By providing you with results in a "visual map" you can more easily see what you're looking for. I also like the fact that you can save your results and share them. This was the program that most impressed me for innovation in 2006 and I'm still using it. Give it a try and see what I mean.

• Parallels Compressor Workstation
• Version: 2.2
• System Requirements: Windows 2000/XP/2003
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• DownloadParallels Compressor Workstation NOW!

Parallels Compressor Workstation is an amazing tool that can actually compress any virtual machine that was designed to grow or expand. The program works with virtual machines created by Parallels Workstation for Windows and Linux as well as with virtual machines created with VMware and Microsoft.

Parallels Compressor Workstation goes through and cleans our file clutter. It then defragments the virtual hard drives. Lastly, it physically compresses the entire virtual machine. In testing out Parallels Compressor Workstation I used it on virtual machines that had been created with Parallels software and VMware. I found that I averaged a reduction of between 8 and 10%! If you can reduce a 60 gigabyte machines by 10% you've saved 6 gigabytes. Very impressive. I also noted a slight performance improvement on virtual machines that had been compressed. You can use it from inside or outside a virtual machine. If you're into virtualization, check it out!

Ahhhh, that was fun, but it's also all we have time for, at least for this week. Take a look at these programs and try them out for yourself.I think you'll like them as much as I do.