FlashGet 1.3 is designed to improve speed and storage of downloads. By splitting files into parts and downloading them simultaneously, the downloading speed increases from 100 to 500 percent. FlashGet is capable of creating unlimited numbers of categories. Each category has a specified hard drive directory. Files placed in categories will be stored in the specified directory. The powerful and easy-to-use management features help you to organize your files in a way that you had never organized before. This version doesn't include any ad system. It supports skins and is suitable with Windows XP. It also works with all versions of Windows from ‘95 to XP and is free to try.  However it is $29.95 if you want to keep it.  
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Tifny 3.83 will automatically search your favorite Usenet newsgroups, identify the image and music files that interest you, and download them into its easy-to-use database. It opens up to six simultaneous news server connections and has extensive filtering and automation features. Tifny downloads all file types, supports downloading UUencode, Base64, and yEnc formats, and even handles multisegment files. It has an MP3 player with a jukebox, an image viewer with editing functions, and a video player. Tifny's thumbnailer makes it easy to browse your files by directory, newsgroup, and file type. Try it for 60 days and pay $30 if you want to keep it.  It works with all versions of Windows since ‘95.  
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Yahoo Messenger 5.5 (formerly known as Yahoo Pager) is a free service that allows you to see when friends come online and send them instant messages. It can also alert you to new e-mail in your Yahoo Mail or Yahoo Personals account, or when you have upcoming events recorded in Yahoo Calendar. Yahoo Messenger offers firewall support, a standby mode that minimizes the program until an Internet connection is made, the ability to save and print your conversations, and a tabbed interface that provides quick access to your favorite stocks, news, and sports scores. Other features include the ability to create a chat room automatically, stock price alerts, the ability to send messages to friends even if they're not online when you are, a Quick Compact mode that hides the Messenger tools to maximize your viewing area, Messenger Themes, and voice chat, which allows you to talk for free to anybody else on the Internet. Using a Webcam, you can see who you are chatting with, or view the Webcam of any Yahoo member who has granted you access. Version 5.5 introduces Super Webcam, new animated emoticons, and more IMVironments. 
FREE
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Cli-Mate 1.6.2 is an easy, convenient way to receive up-to-date weather information on your desktop. Retrieve weather forecasts from hundreds of cities and towns in all 50 states and from major cities in countries around the world. You also can generate assorted full-color weather maps. Cli-Mate can be configured to update weather information at set intervals, and resides in the system tray. The system tray icon changes to reflect the current weather. This version includes several bug fixes. It is free to try and $15 to keep. 
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Break the browser barrier with MicroSurfer 2.1, a Web productivity software that optimizes and organizes your Web access by allowing you to jump directly between links without waiting for Web pages to display or without backtracking in your browser. Simply drag links from any Web page and drop them into the MicroSurfer window and the links are downloaded to your browser's cache in the background. You can view captured links instantly in any order, and without having to navigate back to the page where you found them.  
FREE
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Trillian 0.74 is a multinetwork chat client that currently supports mIRC, AIM, ICQ, MSN, and Yahoo Messenger. It supports docking, multiline edit boxes, buddy alerts, multiple connections to the same medium, a powerful skinning language, easy importing of your existing contacts, skinnable emoticons, logging, global away/invisible features, and a unified contact list. It has a direct connection for AIM, support for user profiles, complete type formatting, buddy icons, proxy support, emotisounds, encrypted instant messaging to ICQ and AIM, AIM group chats, and shell extensions for file transfers.  It works with Windows (all) 
FREE
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Netscape 7.0 is, according to some, the hands-down winner in the Web browser war.  In addition to high-speed browsing and instant messaging capabilities, Netscape features one-click searching from the address bar; Quick Launch, which reduces the browser start-up time; Click-to-Search, which allows users to select a word within a Web page and conveniently search; improved instant messaging, including support for Buddy Icons, file transfers, and Buddy Alerts; Tabbed Browsing, allowing users to view multiple Web pages in a single browser window; plus much more.  It works will Windows (all)
FREE
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Another browser is Mozilla (32-bit) 1.1.  Mozilla's interface employs the standard browsing paradigm with back, forward, and refresh buttons. It is skinnable, meaning you can download new looks for it. It features the ability to disable unrequested pop-up windows on Web sites. Mozilla also lets you open multiple browser windows and display multiple Web pages in a single tabbed window at the same time. Works with Windows (all). 
FREE
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A shareware program that caught my eye is iAnnotate-it 2.1 which enables you to mark up Web pages and send them to your friends and colleagues. You can collaborate on research or Web development quickly and easily. Choose from differing pen widths, pen colors, digital stickers, highlighter, digital sticky notes, and animations to communicate your thoughts and feelings about a Web page. When you are finished with your annotations, simply e-mail the file to whomever you wish. This is one of three components of the NetKnowledge Tools suite. Version 2.1 includes form support, Flash support, and minor bug fixes.  It’s free to try, but $19.95 if you want it for keeps.
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NetCaptor 7.0.1 allows you to browse multiple Web sites at the same time. Utilizing Microsoft Internet Explorer, it opens each site in a separate tab, allowing you to switch between them easily. The number of sites that can be opened is limited only by system memory. In addition to browsing multiple Web sites at the same time, NetCaptor allows you to customize toolbars; open groups of sites (CaptorGroups) with a single click; drag and drop URLs onto other browser tabs; automatically close pop-up windows; turn the loading of images, sounds, videos, and animations on and off; and limit the displayed title length. Other features include a configurable Search button that supports multiple search engines, automatic HTML form completion based on information you specify, and keyboard shortcuts. NetCaptor also includes a wildcard character in PopupCaptor. Now, wildcard characters can be used in lists of sites to screen out specific unwanted pop-up windows. When a new window is about to be opened, it is checked against the listed sites. If a match is found, the pop-up window is automatically closed by NetCaptor. Version 7.0.1 fixes a rare error code 2 on startup, an automation interface and ROT issue, and a toolbar collapse issue.  It works with all versions of Windows and is free to try.  If it is a keeper it will cost you $29.95. 
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