USEFUL (FREE) DOWNLOADS: Post Yours Here

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Author Topic:   USEFUL (FREE) DOWNLOADS: Post Yours Here

yin26 posted 08-11-99 12:57 AM ET
I know. It sounds like spam. But give it a read.
If you are like I am, you like to download lots of use(ful)(less) files and try stuff out. Games, utilities, system tweaks, Imran propaganda, etc. Well, I just came across THE BEST way to do all that (sorry if this is old news):
www.gozilla.com
Download their free program. It has, of course, resume download (a life saver, especially for 50+ MB game demos), FTP Leech (it will find and suck all the files off a given location: A handy way to click, walk away, and come back to tons of downloaded stuff), and it does all this by automatically searching all available FTP sites and choosing the fastest one. If the site slows or loses its connection, it automatically continues on the next fastest site available. Free. The only thing they do is post an ad banner on the main program, which can easily work in the background anyway. (Well, the program also has a "channels" button that you can check out for other sometimes cool downloads). There's more to this great program, but you should check it out (1.7MB download). It will make your downloading much easier and nearly hassle free.
The other program is a forum favorite: MemTurbo. I don't have the site address with me now, but just type MemTurbo into Yahoo and it'll pop up.
What is MemTurbo and why is it popular here? As we all know, Windows sucks. It, amond other evil things, "leaks" memory--stuff that should be cleared from memory often isn't, slowly but gradually slowing down your system until only a reboot gets you back to speed. Some people call that the "Fresh Boot Feeling," but anybody who combines computer talk with feminine hygiene ads should be ignored--even if they are right. SMAC is part of this ugly equation, perhaps adding its own confusion to the Windows mess, (often) resulting in a slow game after a few hours of play. (Jeff, of course, will deny this and say that I'm merely making it up to satisfy my bug-thirst, since I have no life w/o bugs. I'm sure he thinks the memory leaking in SMAC is a design feature that gives you more time to think about your next bug post on the forums...).
MemTurbo is free (at least it was when I got it), but it may be on a 30 trial thing now. Check it out. I actually ended up paying for the registered version. That's how much I like it. Oh, I forgot to tell you what it does: It clears out the memory at a level defined by you, ensuring that your computer always have enough memory available. Tip: Set the minimum and desired levels to the same number. This is much faster on the system.
Anyway, do you guys have any cool downloads like that? I figure if we aren't doing any productive discussion of SMAC, we might as well help each other prepare our computers for games we actually will talk about?
Please post your recommendations here. Let's see who has been hiding that killer download from his friends and family...First prize will go to the biggest bastard--the man or woman who knowingly has been letting us all suffer needlessly.
(I hope I'm in the running.)
MikeH II posted 08-11-99 04:28 AM ET
Well the two I use most often are Gamespy and WS_FTP. Most people have probably got these but anyway. Gamespy is a shareware then register if you want thing and is essential for on-line gaming finding servers, people, specific games blah blah.
WS_FTP gave a free licence to it's primitive UI version for private and academic users when I downloaded it although you can pay for a Windows type interface if Bill Gates has converted you fully to the Dark Side. I don't know if they still do that but at work we have the full version but I still use the traditional WS_FTP interface.
DrPhibes posted 08-11-99 10:21 AM ET
MemTurbo is on a 30 day trial now.
One i use which is useful sometimes is SiSoft Sandra. A great benchmarking, system tweaking, troubleshooting, fixit gizmo. Shareware unless u want the full kit.
Of course the MP3 gear is great if you're into music, especially free music -- but be warned, free music can take a long time to find and download for often dodgy results.
Now they've got the MP3spy going, u can get internet radio of just about any type of music u can imagine 24/7 -- although again, unless you're on a T1 the results are suss.
You'll need the WinAmp to get MP3 -- available at their site.
Thre's another gizmo called the powerstrip which u can use on your graphics card to improve performance, tweak settings, etc, though i suspect it's redundant on the newer ones (me still grumbling along on the i740 stegasaurus).
Darkstar posted 08-11-99 12:57 PM ET
For NT Users, it would have to be Diskeeper (URL http://www.execsoft.com/ ). Its the first NTFS Defragger I know of. They have a freeware/Personal version (Which MS picked up for inclusion in NT 5 aka 2000), and registered/professional versions. I liked the boost so much, I bought a copy for my employer provided NT workstation. Makes a heck of a performance increase. The Registered version is more efficenent at defragging than the freeware (which is an older version), can defrag page files and MFB areas as well as directories (which makes NT bootup incredibly quick compared to scattered directories. Take you boot up time and half it, if the system is 6 months+ old). It can be scheduled to automatically defrag, and can be remotely administered. Pretty good package, overall.
And I find I don't have memory non-compacted slow-downs. One of my favorite Tools seems to make sure the global memory is in good shape. I believe at this time that its "The Brain" (URL: http://www.thebrain.com/ ), a truly incredible GUI interface replacement and file/document/bookmark organizer. It allows you to make Parent/Child/Sibling/outside references and relationships between items, internal and external. This means you can effectively chunk the Heirachial relationship model forced on you by the Windows Desktop model. Its a shareware application. I find it incredibly useful for my project management in which I need to relate common toolsets with projects and necessary project support files (readmes, SQL scripts for the DB side, SQL Plus, MS VC Project files, MS VB Project Files, Web URLS of related source material, Help Source Files, Help Compilers, yadda yadda blah). Other people have found their own incredible uses for it. You should try it out. It might just be a tool you shouldn't be without. Check out the site. That interest item at the top is a Java version of The Brain used as a Site Map/Guide.
-Darkstar
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Author	Topic: USEFUL (FREE) DOWNLOADS: Post Yours Here
yin26	posted 08-11-99 12:57 AM ET I know. It sounds like spam. But give it a read. If you are like I am, you like to download lots of use(ful)(less) files and try stuff out. Games, utilities, system tweaks, Imran propaganda, etc. Well, I just came across THE BEST way to do all that (sorry if this is old news): www.gozilla.com Download their free program. It has, of course, resume download (a life saver, especially for 50+ MB game demos), FTP Leech (it will find and suck all the files off a given location: A handy way to click, walk away, and come back to tons of downloaded stuff), and it does all this by automatically searching all available FTP sites and choosing the fastest one. If the site slows or loses its connection, it automatically continues on the next fastest site available. Free. The only thing they do is post an ad banner on the main program, which can easily work in the background anyway. (Well, the program also has a "channels" button that you can check out for other sometimes cool downloads). There's more to this great program, but you should check it out (1.7MB download). It will make your downloading much easier and nearly hassle free. The other program is a forum favorite: MemTurbo. I don't have the site address with me now, but just type MemTurbo into Yahoo and it'll pop up. What is MemTurbo and why is it popular here? As we all know, Windows sucks. It, amond other evil things, "leaks" memory--stuff that should be cleared from memory often isn't, slowly but gradually slowing down your system until only a reboot gets you back to speed. Some people call that the "Fresh Boot Feeling," but anybody who combines computer talk with feminine hygiene ads should be ignored--even if they are right. SMAC is part of this ugly equation, perhaps adding its own confusion to the Windows mess, (often) resulting in a slow game after a few hours of play. (Jeff, of course, will deny this and say that I'm merely making it up to satisfy my bug-thirst, since I have no life w/o bugs. I'm sure he thinks the memory leaking in SMAC is a design feature that gives you more time to think about your next bug post on the forums...). MemTurbo is free (at least it was when I got it), but it may be on a 30 trial thing now. Check it out. I actually ended up paying for the registered version. That's how much I like it. Oh, I forgot to tell you what it does: It clears out the memory at a level defined by you, ensuring that your computer always have enough memory available. Tip: Set the minimum and desired levels to the same number. This is much faster on the system. Anyway, do you guys have any cool downloads like that? I figure if we aren't doing any productive discussion of SMAC, we might as well help each other prepare our computers for games we actually will talk about? Please post your recommendations here. Let's see who has been hiding that killer download from his friends and family...First prize will go to the biggest bastard--the man or woman who knowingly has been letting us all suffer needlessly. (I hope I'm in the running.)
MikeH II	posted 08-11-99 04:28 AM ET Well the two I use most often are Gamespy and WS_FTP. Most people have probably got these but anyway. Gamespy is a shareware then register if you want thing and is essential for on-line gaming finding servers, people, specific games blah blah. WS_FTP gave a free licence to it's primitive UI version for private and academic users when I downloaded it although you can pay for a Windows type interface if Bill Gates has converted you fully to the Dark Side. I don't know if they still do that but at work we have the full version but I still use the traditional WS_FTP interface.
DrPhibes	posted 08-11-99 10:21 AM ET MemTurbo is on a 30 day trial now. One i use which is useful sometimes is SiSoft Sandra. A great benchmarking, system tweaking, troubleshooting, fixit gizmo. Shareware unless u want the full kit. Of course the MP3 gear is great if you're into music, especially free music -- but be warned, free music can take a long time to find and download for often dodgy results. Now they've got the MP3spy going, u can get internet radio of just about any type of music u can imagine 24/7 -- although again, unless you're on a T1 the results are suss. You'll need the WinAmp to get MP3 -- available at their site. Thre's another gizmo called the powerstrip which u can use on your graphics card to improve performance, tweak settings, etc, though i suspect it's redundant on the newer ones (me still grumbling along on the i740 stegasaurus).
Darkstar	posted 08-11-99 12:57 PM ET For NT Users, it would have to be Diskeeper (URL http://www.execsoft.com/ ). Its the first NTFS Defragger I know of. They have a freeware/Personal version (Which MS picked up for inclusion in NT 5 aka 2000), and registered/professional versions. I liked the boost so much, I bought a copy for my employer provided NT workstation. Makes a heck of a performance increase. The Registered version is more efficenent at defragging than the freeware (which is an older version), can defrag page files and MFB areas as well as directories (which makes NT bootup incredibly quick compared to scattered directories. Take you boot up time and half it, if the system is 6 months+ old). It can be scheduled to automatically defrag, and can be remotely administered. Pretty good package, overall. And I find I don't have memory non-compacted slow-downs. One of my favorite Tools seems to make sure the global memory is in good shape. I believe at this time that its "The Brain" (URL: http://www.thebrain.com/ ), a truly incredible GUI interface replacement and file/document/bookmark organizer. It allows you to make Parent/Child/Sibling/outside references and relationships between items, internal and external. This means you can effectively chunk the Heirachial relationship model forced on you by the Windows Desktop model. Its a shareware application. I find it incredibly useful for my project management in which I need to relate common toolsets with projects and necessary project support files (readmes, SQL scripts for the DB side, SQL Plus, MS VC Project files, MS VB Project Files, Web URLS of related source material, Help Source Files, Help Compilers, yadda yadda blah). Other people have found their own incredible uses for it. You should try it out. It might just be a tool you shouldn't be without. Check out the site. That interest item at the top is a Java version of The Brain used as a Site Map/Guide. -Darkstar