Software Archive

This is a list of freeware/shareware applications that might be of use in areas where file size and transfer rates are an issue. The point is to provide links to software that is fast, functional and relatively free of the code-bloat typical of most modern apps. Many of these apps are also backward compatible to older computers.Some of these apps are banner-ad supported.

Web Authoring Apps : Internet Browsers and FTP Clients : E-Mail Clients : Communications : Tools & Utilities :
Web Authoring Applications and Tutorials
 
Cool Page: OS: Windows 95/98/NT, 2.7MB, Freeware
Cool Page is a WYSIWYG Web page design tool that allows you to create a page simply by dragging and dropping objects into a layout. By pushing a Publish button, you can automatically upload your site to the Internet. Pages designed with Cool Page are compatible with Netscape, Internet Explorer, and the AOL browser.

1st Page 2000 2.00: OS: Windows 95/98/NT, 5.0MB, Freeware
1st Page 2000 2.0 is a HTML/script authoring tool for professional and blooming Webmasters. This powerful tool comes with an impressive interface and a mixture of all the best features from several top-name HTML editors.

Arachnophilia 4.0 Build 5309: OS: Windows 95/98/NT/2000, 1.6MB, Freeware
Arachnophilia is a successor to WebThing, a popular HTML editor. This robust application can import and automatically convert RTF documents, tables, and outlines from any Windows 95-compliant application to HTML. It also supports up to six Web browsers, CGI, frames, Perl, C++, Java, and JavaScript development.
CoffeeCup Free HTML 5.0: OS: Windows 95/98/NT, 2.2MB, Freeware
CoffeeCup Free HTML, formerly CoffeeCup HTML Express, is a streamlined editor designed to make Web publishing a breeze, even for the novice with little experience. Seven preloaded HTML templates (DHTML, too) are included, with the option to create your own templates.
HTML Kit 1.0 build 290: OS: Windows 95/98/NT/2000, 2.8MB, Freeware
HTML Kit is a full-featured text editor designed to help HTML, XML and script authors to edit, format, validate, preview and publish Web pages. Newcomers to HTML coding can benefit from the program's error-catching abilities.
HTML in Review 1.0: OS: Windows 3.x/95, 751K, Freeware
HTML in Review is a basic guide to HTML programming. It is designed to help Web design novices learn to produce their first Web pages. Also included in this download is the DiDa HTML Editor (shareware version), so you can immediately apply your new HTML knowledge and actually create your own Web pages.
Web Resources' Tutorials 6.4: OS: Windows 95/98/NT, 2.3MB, Freeware
Web Resources' Tutorials includes more than 30 original tutorials covering major aspects of Web design, such as JavaScript, HTML, CGI, and CSS. The tutorials are on advanced subjects but are written in a way that beginners and intermediate students of Web design can understand.
Intro to HTML: OS: Windows 95/98/NT, 1.2MB, Freeware
Intro to HTML is a complete training manual that guides you through the elements required to create Web pages using HTML.
 
Browsers and File Transfer Applications
 
Opera - OS: Windows 95/98/NT/2000. 2.0MB. Freeware.
Opera 5 is a fast, user-friendly, versatile Internet/intranet browser that also includes a newsreader. The keyboard plays an integral role in surfing, which can make moving around the Web easy and fast. You can run multiple windows, even at start-up, and special features are included for users with disabilities. Opera 5 supports CSS, Java (through the Sun Java plug-in--for the Java-bundled version click here), JavaScript SSL (128-bit), TLS (Transaction Layer Security), and more.
GoZilla Free
GoZilla Free is an Internet file management and retrieval system that lets you gather URL links for files you want to download, simply by dragging them from your browser. It also lets you see file sizes instantly, estimate download times, and monitor network connection performance. Add as many download locations for a file as you can find; when GoZilla retrieves the file for you, it will check all available locations and deliver the fastest possible connection. Multiple FTP search engines are included for finding files and mirror sites. GoZilla also lets you schedule files for later downloading, when network traffic dies down. GoZilla features MonsterUpdate, which lets you monitor your favorite programs for updates and announcements; a folder-based, Windows Explorer-style interface in which to manage your categories; download optimization; persistent connections; and customizable user windows. This version features integrated InoculateIT anti-virus checking, from Computer Associates, and more.
WinZip
WinZip is a straightforward, fast, and easy-to-use zipping and unzipping utility that includes built-in support for popular Internet file formats such as TAR, ZIP, UUencode, XXencode, BinHex, MIME, and Unix-compressed files. Older ARC, ARJ, and LZH files are supported via external programs.
SmartFTP 1.0.951: OS: Windows 98/NT/2000, Freeware, 275K
SmartFTP allows you to transfer files across the Internet. It features an Explorer-like interface that is fully customizable and supports drag-and-drop functions. Multiple FTP connections can be opened at the same time, and you can copy files from one remote host to another.
Download Accelerator
Download Accelerator is a file download accelerator/manager (see screenshot) that can increase download speeds by up to 300 percent. It features multi-server connections to provide the best possible performance from your dial-up or broadband connection. Download Accelerator can also recover from lost connections, computer shutdowns, and other errors. This program even searches for mirror sites to maximize your download performance. It integrates fully into Netscape, Internet Explorer, and Opera, supports proxy servers, features automatic hang up after download completion, download scheduling, dial-up configuration, an AlwaysResume feature that will resume broken downloads from servers that do not support resume functions, and more. The newest version includes improved download acceleration and additional features such as Advanced Mirror Servers Search, integration with Netscape 6 and Opera browser versions 4 and 5, improved multi-connection management, improved proximity check of mirror servers, Windows ME support, a new multi-lingual interface (German, Dutch, French, Chinese Traditional, Spanish, Portuguese, Japanese, Italian), and much more. Note: The Language Pack is a standalone file download. You must have Download Accelerator Plus installed prior to installation of the Language Pack.
ICQ 2000b
ICQ 2000b is the latest release of ICQ ("I seek you"), the popular instant-messaging program that lets you communicate with friends and colleagues in real time. To seek out a friend on the ICQ network, simply enter his or her ICQ number, name, nickname, or e-mail address. Once your contact list is set up, you'll be notified when your friends are online so that you can chat; send instant messages, files, and URLs; play games; or just hang out. Other ICQ 2000b features include ICQphone, a new feature that incorporates IP telephony functions into the ICQ program. Users can initiate and participate in PC-to-PC and PC-to-phone calls. In addition, users can now also utilize SMS technology, send wireless-pager messages, view up-to-date information on ICQ channels, integrate ICQ with Outlook, and much more. Included in the latest release of ICQ 2000b is a new design for User Details, in which a new menu on the left side of the dialog replaces the design tabs in previous ICQ versions. An additional Contact option highlights the concise information for the user. A similar design appears for the Alert/Accept Modes. Other updates include additional options in the Message dialog. You now have the option to send your message by e-mail or initiate an ICQphone call.
Enigma Browser
Enigma Browser is a Windows program that does not require any other browser to be concurrently installed. It's a fast, free, small, simple, and secure program, unaffected by Brown Orifice (as Netscape's Communicator is) and ActiveX Rendering Control issues (as Internet Explorer is). It doubles as a full-screen file viewer.
Fast Browser - OS: Windows 95/98/NT/2000. 1.3MB. Freeware
Fast Browser embeds more than 500 search engines with 100 search categories. You can select the category you want and submit your search request to many search engines at the same time. The drop-down check box makes your searching simple. Other features includes translation, which allows you to change the language in which you view the page, a fast browser that allows you to open up to 180 Web pages at once, and more. FastBrowser contains many other features to make your browsing more convenient, including a mini notepad, an Input Text Translate feature, a Voice feature, and much more.
CipherNet
CipherNet is Web broswer, plus much more. It includes an FTP client, an HTML editor, a search engine, a stock quoter, and a media player. It allows you to change screen resolution, get an IP address, and enable/disable pop-ups, images, sounds and animations. CipherNet is also skin enabled.
 
E-Mail Clients
 
QuickSend - OS: Windows 95/NT
QuickSend may not be the most full-featured email client out there; it is small, really small. If waiting for a larger client to load bothers you, QuickSend could be your solution for quick, hassle-free transfer of messages and files.
SplitMail
SplitMail is a cross-platform Java-based shareware application that splits large files and sends them in smaller sections via email attachments. This software, well suited for splitting large multimedia files such as MP3, JPG, AVI, and MPEG, runs on Windows, Linux, Mac, Solaris, and Unix. SplitMail is primarily intended to make the sending of large files over email efficient and painless. This is a fully functional shareware version that shows a registration screen upon startup.
iMail
iMail is possibly the easiest email program made. It allows you to send email anywhere in the world, without being logged into an email account. It includes a small message at the bottom of each email, denoting it was sent with this program, and not your actual account.
FoxMail - OS: Windows 95/98/NT
FoxMail is a small, fast, and free multiple POP3 account email client. All Internet mail standards are supported, as well as HTML message viewing. You can send and receive in the background, manage your remote mailboxes, and quickly view messages. All messages that you reply to are flagged for easy identification. FoxMail also has the ability to import and export messages to and from Outlook and automatically compress mailboxes. A notifier program is included, which sits in your system tray, checks your accounts, and lets you know when you receive mail.
Acorn Email - OS: Windows 95/98/NT
Acorn Email is a standards-based email client. It offers all the basic features of an email client, such as attachments, replies, message forwarding, the ability to create multiple mail folders, the ability to save copies of outgoing mail, and a built-in text editor. With Acorn Email you may also set up multiple profiles, each with its own set of mail folders, email address list, and Internet settings (mail server name, login, password, and so on). You can also view message headers on your server, then selectively download or delete those messages. This version also includes spell-check capabilities, vCard support, message queueing, auto logon/-off, auto mail checking, and more. The unregistered version is fully functional but displays advertisement banners.
 
Communications Tools
 
BuddyPhone 2.06: OS: Windows 95/98/NT, 909K, Freeware
BuddyPhone is an Internet telephony application that features support for ICQ. You can directly call users who are online via ICQ. BuddyPhone supports connection bandwidths from 14.4 kbps to fast LANs with high audio quality. It also has a customizable appearance and includes an answering machine.
dialpad.com: OS: Windows 95/98/NT, 950K, Freeware
dialpad.com is a free Java-based web-to-phone service. With dialpad.com, you can make unlimited free phone calls from any PC to anyone in the U.S. Also provides free phone calls from anywhere to the US via a PC (except Lebanon, Pakistan and Mongolia).
Global Communications Network 1.6: OS: Windows 95/98/NT/2000, 2MB, Freeware
From the developer: "Global Communications Network is a Free Online Communications Service. It will work over any Internet connection. Its features inlcude E-mail, Chat Rooms, Private Messages, a Web Browser, Profiles, Message Boards, an Online List, Voice Chat, Video Conferencing, and more
iConnectHere.com: PC-to-Phone 3.1: OS: Windows 95/98/NT/2000, Freeware, 1.3MB
iConnectHere.com PC-to-Phone allows you to make calls from your PC to any regular telephone. It delivers 1 hour of free PC-to-Phone calling to destinations within the US, free PC-to-PC calling to destinations worldwide and now the ability to link to fax, e-mail, and voicemail services with just one click of the mouse.
HX NoPhone 1.0: OS: Windows (all), Freeware, 39K
HX NoPhone lets you communicate with your own voice over the Internet. Using HX NoPhone plus a microphone enables you to talk to anyone on the Internet for free. Tou will also need Java Runtime Environment v 1.3.0 for Windows
TimeUp 4.5: OS: Windows 95/98/NT, Freeware, 3MB
TimeUp is a free internet online timer that can be used in any country. Tariff files for many countries are available for download or you can make your own tariff files with an easy wizard. TimeUp shows an overview of your connections in a table or graph.
 
Tools & Utilities
 
FirstStop WebSearch 1.03b: OS: Windows 95/98/NT/2000, Freeware, 764K
From the developer: "This award winning, customizable multi-search engine has been described as the FASTEST no nonsense meta search for the net. It runs on any MS Windows desktop and works with as many sources as selected by the user. By utilizing the resources of the desktop, FirstStop WebSearch offers random or sequential viewing of results, sorts by columns, saves as XML or HTML files, and keyword history searches. Most importantly, FirstStop WebSearch eliminates the middleman or server; by directly accessing the search engines."
NSlook 1.0: OS: Windows 95/98/NT/2000, Freeware, 60K
From the developer: "This is a simple command-line utility for internet and network use. nslook makes available to Windows 9x users two of nslookup's most useful functions: it determines an IP address from a DNS name, and a DNS name from an IP address. Useful for identifying and reporting sources of spam and network security violations."
Net Tools 2001 1.0: OS: Windows 95/98/NT/2000, Freeware, 60K
Net Tools 2001 features many network tools, including an Internet/network port scanner, which can scan any class network for any list of open ports. You can also save all lists to a text file. The Windows graphical ping utility allows you to change the size of the packets, the timeout, and the number of packets to ping. The Windows graphical DNS Utility shows you extended information on a given hostname or IP address. There is also a Windows graphical utility for connecting to an open port and testing commands. It works like a Telnet client but you can send one line at a time. Finally, the program contains a Windows graphical whois client, where you can configure the whois server for multiple DNS name types.
iCheckConnection 1.0: OS: Windows 95/98/NT/2000, Freeware, 60K
iCheckConnection helps you to identify the bottlenecks in your Internet connection. It combines several functions: it can ping a server, trace the route to a server, and time the download from a Web site or an FTP site. It also performs a rudimentary check on the status of an Internet connnection by locating and pinging the DHCP server, if present, and making sure that DNS is working and giving correct answers.
Ping Plotter 2.03: OS: Windows 95/98/NT, Shareware, 478K
Ping Plotter is a fast, small, and visual Traceroute utility. It offers substantial performance improvements over standard Traceroute utilities as it uses multiple threads to trace all hops at once. It also creates visual graphs of performance that you can use to pinpoint problems and evaluate ranges of responses and trends.
Genius 3.1: OS: Windows 95/98/NT, Shareware, 1.9MB
Genius is a collection of GUI-based utilities designed to enhance Windows 95/98/NT. It offers utilities including Internet clients such as Telnet, FTP, Finger, Ping, and Whois; file utilities such as Grep and UUEncode; and services that include a mail checker, a finger server, port scan detection, and more.