Mac

Windows

Note: this version displays banner-ads, which will be romoved if you purchase a licence.

There are numerous fixes and enhancements in this updated version, including improved speed and usability, and a fixed security issue with file upload.

This 'Java' version includes the Sun Java plug-in.

Web link: www.opera.com

Simple – kill annoying pop-up windows automatically. This little program is easy to turn on/off by hotkey.

Web link: www.lnc-soft.com

WebSite-Watcher checks your favourite Web sites for updates. The program can automatically monitor over 100 Web sites a minute. When an update is found, it saves the last two versions to your hard disk and highlights all changes in the text for browsing through later. WebSite-Watcher works in the background, integrating with most popular browsers including IE, Netscape and Opera. Filters can be set so the program won't alert you when all that has changed is a banner ad on your favourite Web site. When changes are found WebSite-Watcher can email you or alert you by playing a sound.

Web link: http://aignes.com

This program can save you a lot of time, effort and even money by downloading entire Web sites to your hard drive for you to browse offline. You can specify how 'deep' into a site you want to go and which file types to include and can also schedule site downloads for times convenient to you.

Web link: www.internet-soft.com

Netscape 6.x has various enhancements to offer. The suite includes: Netscape Navigator, Netscape Mail, Netscape InstantMessenger, Netscape Composer, and Netscape Address Book; you also get add-on applications such as Java for running Web applets, Winamp for audio playback, RealPlayer8 for streaming media, and Macromedia Flash Player for high impact Web content.

This latest 'maintenance' release features some bug fixes and enhancements including improved downloading for better management of different file-types, improved autocomplete, better stability and enhanced security.

You are advised to backup any important files such as address books and email folders before updating to this new version. Netscape also recommends that you install into a new directory – installing on top of released product builds may cause problems. Your computer system should have a minimum of a Pentium 233Mhz processor and 64Mb of RAM.

Web link: www.netscape.com

Note: requires MS Internet Explorer 5 or later.

IE Booster is a collection of accessories for Internet Explorer. It extends the context menu and adds a number of handy features that designers and developers will appreciate. By right-clicking on a page you can select from nine functions. There's a browser resizer, which lets you select from most standard screen sizes, a command to open frames in new or current windows, a title tag copier, a links lister and source code viewer.

Most useful of all are the commands that show forms and applets, stylesheets and images. The images feature lists all the current page's images together with source paths, dimensions, file size and overall size of the page itself. Other useful information is displayed with each tool including HTTP headers, cookies, session variables, last modified date and referring page.

Web link: www.paessler.com

HTTrack is an offline browser utility that allows you to download a Web site from the Internet to a local directory, building recursively all directories, getting html, images and other files from the server to your computer. Then simply open a page of the 'mirrored' site in your browser, and you can browse as if viewing online. HTTrack can also update an existing mirrored site and resume interrupted downloads.

This update includes various enhancements and bug fixes.

Web link: www.httrack.com

Free

This version of Microsoft's mighty Web browser includes improved support for DHTML behaviours, as well as additional support for vertical text and existing standards such as Cascading Style Sheets (CSS 1). Also features additional support for the Synchronized Multimedia Integration Language (SMIL). A print preview feature has been added, as well as improvements in printing performance and several Internet enhancements that will be included in the upcoming Windows Millennium Edition. This build introduces new language features in JScript and VBScript, and a frames re-architecture.

Web link: www.microsoft.com

Mac OS

NOTE: The Mac programs are mostly in archived 'HQX' (BinHex) files – they can be extracted with several applications, including Stuffit Expander (which is on the CD...). Clicking on the links below should set the process in motion. You may receive a message that the file cannot be loaded into Simple Text — if so, start Stuffit and then open the HQX file you want from within Stuffit.

Shareware

This program allows you to monitor specified Web sites for changes. Make a list of your favourite sites and NetWatch can check them for changes on a regular schedule, with customisable notifications. Until you register the software only two sites can be can be included in your list and the program quits after five minutes.

'Adware'

Note: this version displays banner-ads, which will be romoved if you purchase a licence. There is an initial 30-day banner-free trial period.

Web link: www.opera.com

Free

Having dropped the 'Communicator' part of its name, the Netscape suite reaches version 6 with a major overhaul. New features include: an email client that lets you check a wide range of accounts, from AOL to Netscape Webmail; handy privacy tools, such as the Cookie Manager and Password Manager; builder tools that almost fully support the standards for HTML 4.0, XML 1.0, CSS1, key parts of CSS2, ECMA-262, and the Level 1 DOM; a customisable interface that offers built-in support for multiple skins or themes. Netscape 6 now incorporates AOL Instant Messenger directly into the interface.

The browser's engine has been fundamentally rebuilt, so version 6 is smaller and you may find it running faster than its predecessors.

You are advised to backup any important files such as address books and email folders before updating to this new version.

Another update to Microsoft's Web browser and Outlook Express. This final release version has a new look and includes various fixes making it more stable.