Google Earth 4.3

License : Free 

Requirements : Windows 2000/XP 

Limitations : No limitations

Google Earth puts a planet's worth of imagery and other geographic information right on your desktop. View exotic locales like Maui and Paris, as well as points of interest such as local restaurants, hospitals, and schools. Google Earth combines satellite imagery, maps, and the power of Google Search to put the world's geographic information at your fingertips. With Google Earth you can fly from space to your neighborhood--just type in an address and zoom right in, search for schools, parks, restaurants, and hotels. Get driving directions, tilt and rotate the view to see 3D terrain and buildings, save and share your searches and favorites and even add your own annotations.

Version 4.3 adds day and night lighting, Street View, more 3D models, and faster rendering speeds.

Note: Google Earth is a broadband, 3D application that not all computers can run. Windows-based desktop PCs older than four years may not be able to run Google Earth and Windows-based notebook PCs older than two years may not be able to run it.

Editor's review of Google Earth 

The latest version of Google Earth continues to set the mapping paradigm. Accessible enough for casual users, Google has been added features that make it a necessity for those whose topographic desires are more serious.

Most of the interface's real estate displays a rendering of the globe, which slowly zooms in on a satellite image of your destination once you've keyed it in. The control panel has changed again, but the real draw is the addition of Street View, an on-the-ground 360-degree look at the premises that users may recognize from Google Maps. Also gracing the virtual globe is an option to illuminate it in real-time. 

Everything from roads and restaurants to crime statistics can be displayed; subcategories and individual items can be unchecked to show only what you need. Google's driving directions are incorporated, and the user community has produced several nifty mods, including historical maps. There's also integration with Google's 3D rendering program SketchUp, which you can use to place buildings and other ornamentation in a real-life setting.

The only downside to the program is that it can consume a large amount of RAM, so as the developer notes, older machines might experience performance issues. But everyone else is bound to love Google Earth, both as an entertaining novelty and an informational tool.

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WordWeb 5.51

License : Free; Paid upgrade available

Requirements : Windows 98/Me/NT/2000/XP/Vista

Limitations : No limitations

This thesaurus/dictionary can be used to look up words from almost any program. In addition to displaying sense definitions and synonyms, WordWeb can find sets of related words. The database has more than 150,000 root words and 120,000 synonym sets, many proper nouns, pronunciations, and usage tags. WordWeb works off line, but when online you can also quickly view Web references such as the wikipedia encyclopedia. Version 5.51 includes updated databases.

Editor's review of WordWeb

WordWeb is a handy utility that gives you the definition, synonyms, and antonyms of any given word without requiring you to go online, though it can connect to the Internet for expanded functionality should you want it.

The interface feels like an expanded version of any major word processing app's dictionary function, giving users an instant familiarity--even if they've never used WordWeb. After you type a term into the Lookup dialog box, the word's definition will appear in the interface's top pane, along with tabs that link to various wiki functions.

The bottom pane offers tabs for such items as synonyms, antonyms, and related words. The app's most notable feature is its hot key support; you simply use a hot key combo when the cursor is pointed over any word, and WordWeb will pop up onscreen with all pertinent information.

There are tools for changing the database to one of several English variations, altering the text size, and disabling WordWeb from recognizing offensive terms. The depth and functionality of WordWeb would be worth paying for, but thankfully you don't have to redefine your budget to get it--it's free.

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Mozilla Firefox 3.0.1

License : Free 

Requirements : Windows 2000/XP/2003 Server/Vista 

Limitations : No limitations

Mozilla Firefox is a fast, full-featured Web browser. Firefox includes pop-up blocking; tab-browsing; integrated Google search; simplified privacy controls; a streamlined browser window that shows you more of the page than any other browser; and a number of additional features that work with you to help you get the most out of your time online.

Version 3.0.1 is a bug-fixing release and its changes include: several security and stability issues fixed, fixed issue where the phishing and malware database did not update on first launch, updated internal Public Suffix list.

Editor's review of Mozilla Firefox 

No longer a fledgling upstart, Firefox 3 is full-featured, lightning fast, and an able Internet Explorer foe. Previous versions have seen Mozilla's approach to features such as tabbed browsing and extensions become extremely popular. Even though Firefox 3 lacks a killer feature, it offers significant improvements not to be missed.

Version 3 introduces a multitude of safety and usability features. The location bar drop-down menu now includes URLs from both your browsing history and your bookmarks. A new Add-Ons manager includes a built-in plug-in search engine, saving you the previous trip to the Mozilla Web site. Single-click the star icon on the right of the location bar to bookmark the current page, or double-click on it to simultaneously add and edit the bookmark entry. You can tag bookmarks, too. Other impressive new features include password confirmation before adding it to the saved passwords list, the ability to pause and resume downloads, and merged forward and backward history lists.

Firefox 3 now runs faster and, according to Mozilla, is less susceptible to hacks and other vulnerabilities. The browser now warns your system's antivirus program when you download a file, and anti-malware and anti-phishing utilities now throw up a warning page before allowing Firefox to load risky sites. The favicon reveals Web sites' ownership details and displays the security level of your connection to that site.

Developers will appreciate that Firefox 3's new graphics and text rendering code provide rendering improvements in CSS and SVG as well as improved display of fonts and complex scripts. Firefox 3--still open-source, as ever--is a browser that all users should consider making their default Web-surfing tool.

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Adobe Reader 9

License : Free

Requirements : Windows 2000/XP/Vista 

Limitations : No limitations

Adobe Reader allows more securely view, print, search, sign, verify, and collaborate on PDF documents, online as well as offline, from your home or office. Reader has a completely redesigned interface, new tools, and new options for viewing information more efficiently. Access to an online, real-time meeting in seconds.

Reader is integrated with Adobe Connect software, which enables users to instantly communicate and accelerate approvals with virtually anyone, anywhere, at any time. Add more security to your documents, forms, and drawings with digital signatures. Leverage Adobe LiveCycle Policy Server and the new Adobe Online Services Document Center to enforce access rights at the document level.

Version 9 includes compatibility with Acrobat.com for enhanced web-based collaboration and other features, built-in multimedia support, a streamlined interface, support for searching all PDFs on a drive, and more.

Note: The Download Now link will direct you to a form on the developer's site that you must fill out before download.

Editor's review of Adobe Reader

This free software lets you view and print Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) files. As the open standard for worldwide electronic document distribution, Adobe PDF files preserve all the formatting, the graphics and the colors of the original document, so Acrobat users know they're delivering the exact same presentation to everyone.

Adobe Reader offers several display options at different zoom levels depending on the documents need for exacting details. A full-screen mode lets you view documents without distraction. You can also complete and submit PDF forms online, a feature that will become more useful as companies adopt the technology.

The collaborative and search tools in version 9 are exceptional, and another welcome addition is Acrobat Reader's integration with Adobe Connect, which lets users instantly comment and collaborate on projects with online presentations and live online meetings. The integration with FedEx Kinko's for remote printing is nice, if you need that kind of thing, but it's subject to third-party fees. We noticed that Acrobat Reader uses a significant chunk of memory in our processes list, but with the way Acrobat Reader is commonly used, memory issues probably won't be a problem for most users.

Overall, Adobe Reader provides users with the ability to view PDF files efficiently, with an interface and tools to make viewing both simple and painless. Though there are other PDF readers available that may take up less space or work at slightly faster speeds, none offer as much of a toolset as Adobe Reader does nor seamless integration with other useful Adobe tools.

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