Fix-It Utilities® 99 is the first and only problem-solving tool designed from the very start to work with all of today's Windows operating systems -- Windows 95, 98, even NT workstations and servers. Plus, Fix-It includes PowerDesk Utilities 98! Fix-It Utilities - designed to be different
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![]() Take the Hassle out of Zip Files! Nowadays you can't turn on your computer without running into a compressed ".ZIP" file. And no wonder - Zip files take up less space and speed up Internet file transfers. But using them can be a real hassle. Merely finding out what's in the Zip file you just received means launching a separate utility and "extracting", often to a "temporary directory". Wouldn't it be nice if you could wave a magic wand and make zip hassles disappear forever? Now you can with ZipMagic 98. Use Zip Files Without Unzipping Them First! The real sorcery behind ZipMagic® is our patented ZipFolders technology. It makes your compressed Zip files look and act just like regular Windows folders! So instead of launching a separate utility to see what's inside a Zip file, you can just open it like any other Windows folder. You can open, modify, launch and save your compressed files and applications as if they were never zipped. ZipMagic Outzips the Competition!
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A review by Frank Sereno
NetSonic Pro is a software accelerator for your Web browser. Your performance will vary depending on the size of the cache you set and the types of Web sites you visit. I suggest that you try the freeware version of the program before purchasing the retail version. NetSonic Pro has two main features to speed up your Web surfing experience. First, it has an MTU Optimizer to fine-tune your network packet settings for highest performance. The user has five options: 33.6k, 56k, ISDN and T1 or you can use the automatic tab to let the program decide what is best if you dont know your hardware. Once the MTU Optimizer has updated the registry, the computer will need to be rebooted for the changes to take effect. I use a 56k modem. NetSonic Pro reported that my system did not have the optimal settings for that modem. After I clicked on the tab for 56k and followed all of the programs prompts, I did not see any appreciable difference in the speed of file transfers. Perhaps the effect of improper MTU settings is more pronounced with higher speed access such as ISDN, DSL or cable. With a regular dial-up connection, transfer speed is much more dependent on the bandwidth of both the file source and your ISP, as well as conditions on your phone line/connection than on packet sizes. The caching feature has many options. Each user determines the size of his cache. With a larger cache, more sites can be stored. If you have a monster hard drive, you can get the maximum effect. If you visit a page that often changes, you can have NetSonic Pro exclude it from being accelerated. The program adds a new command to the right mouse button on your browser for this purpose. Three types of caching are available. Maximum displays information instantly for any cached pages. The page will then be downloaded in the background to check for changes. If changes have been made, the user will be prompted to hit the reload button to see the new page. Maximum with Auto-Refresh is similar to the first method, but a page that has been changed will be displayed automatically. In Smart mode, the browser displays nothing on a page until NetSonic Pro can determine if the data is new or not. A fourth button allows you to disable caching completely. Another feature is SonicFetch. This option will download other linked pages while you view the current one. This works very nicely on pages with only a handful of links. If you are using on a site with dozens of links, it is really more of a hindrance than an aid. Available options include downloading all linked pages or only visited links, preloading links from offsite and whether to download graphics. Again, the usefulness of this feature will depend on the layout of the Web pages you visit. NetSonic Pro is a well-designed program with a very easy to use interface. It really does speed up how fast your browser seems to work under the right conditions. Unfortunately there is no standard for Web design in regards to the sizes of images on a page, the number of links and so forth. Every user will get different results based on the Web sites he visits and how NetSonic Pro is set up. My advice is to try the freeware version, NetSonic (available for download at http//www.web3000.com). If you find this version improves your Web surfing experience, then consider purchasing NetSonic Pro for its added features. NetSonic Pro by Web 3000, Inc., retail price $39.95. Program requires approximately 2 MB hard drive space for the program files, space for cache to be determined by user.
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