NetMechanic - This company has many free services that you should use to check the functionality of your website. They will check your links, check your HTML, and evaluate your server. Their GIFBot does a great job of of reducing the size of your image files.

TrayDay - This nifty utility displays the current day of the month in the system tray. I find this to be very handy. When I am about to write the date on a piece of paper, I merely need to glance at the PC and the date is there. You do not need to reach for the mouse and hover over the time to get the date. Double-clicking on the date in the tray causes the current date to be typed into the application that you are working in. The format is pre-specified by the user. I have found this feature to be useful as well. A calendar is conveniently accessible in two clicks. The cost is $15. You may download a free evaluation version that may be all you will ever need. However, if you keep the program on your PC, please purchase it, they deserve the money and it is well worth it.

Compass - This program is the next step after Bookmark Converter. Compass will synchronize your bookmarks and favorites from three browser programs: Microsoft Internet Explorer, Netscape Navigator, and Opera. There is a light version available for free. The full version costs $25.

FileZilla - This is the file transfer protocol program that I use. It works well and it is freeware. Nice!

SAMenu - This is an Explorer add-in that is available when you right-click a file or files. I use it to rename groups of files and to copy directory listings to the clipboard. This program is free! The company behind the program, Smaller Animals Software, has a variety of nifty free and low-cost programs.

Second Copy - Do you get the feeling that most home PC users are not backed up in the event of a system failure? I do. Alas, a cheap and easy backup solution still seems elusive. A "ghost" backup solution may be ideal. I currently use Second Copy to backup any changed data files on a daily basis. I organize my programs to use a certain data folder on each computer. Each computer's data folder is backed up daily to another computer. Second Copy just copies files without combining or compressing them, but I like it that way.

Atomic Clock - Most of the electronic devices in your home display the time. Do they all agree as to what time it is? The most accurate clocks in the world are atomic clocks and many of them have dial-up connections. Let your PC be the device that you can count on to get the accurate time. This program will get the time for you from one of 122 atomic clocks around the world. It will correct your PC's clock and report the adjustment to you. This atomic clock program is called Dimension 4 and it is available from Thinking Man Software for free.

WinZip - This file compress/decompress program has been a "must have" for years. It may no longer be as needed for some new PC users since many Zip files are now self-extracting. A fully functional evaluation version may be downloaded for free. The purchase price is $29.

MoonPhase - This doodad displays the current phase of the moon in the system tray. Additional information regarding the phase of the moon is just a click away. This program costs $3. (Footnote: This site has background music that you control via a dropdown list - neat feature!)

AOL Instant Messenger - If you have ever felt left out of the fun when people using AOL talk about their Buddy Lists and Instant Messaging, you can now join in. AOL Instant Messenger is now available to anyone with internet access, regardless of their ISP. Another popular program with these functions is ICQ (I Seek You). ICQ has many advanced features. The company behind ICQ was originally independent of the major internet firms, but was bought out by AOL in 1998.