Mac

Windows

Powermarks is a feature-rich bookmark application that integrates with your browser and lets you organise, search and categorise your bookmark collection. The installation process finds bookmarks from all main browsers (Netscape, IE, Opera, NetCaptor, Mozilla) on your system and integrates them into the program. IE 4+ users get a new menu bar which allows quick access to the program's features.

The three-paned interface provides a search field, dictionary and URL listing. Powermarks uses keywords to locate links. As you enter characters into the search field, the list of bookmarks narrows down to only the ones that contain the letters or words that you have entered. You can also use the dictionary to do this. When adding URLs, you can choose between a quick add feature and allow Powermarks to create a keyword set from the page's title, or add a link with your own comments and keywords. The program also checks URL status and reports whether the bookmark has changed or moved since last checking.

Web link: www.kaylon.com/power.html

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

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

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

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.

Latest version – 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.

'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