When it comes to P2P file sharing, eMule usually wins hands down but UseNeXT is an interesting, slightly more sophisticated offering which has a lot to offer.

For starters, depending on your connection, it can be remarkably quick. You can download at speeds of up to 25 Mbps with DSL/Cable and it¡s pretty constant rather than the fluctuations you often get with such services. The network also prides itself on security over it's rivals such as Limewire and eMule - with ISPs continually cracking down on users, UseNeXT promises users far more anonymity than most.

The Usenet archives are supposedly some of the biggest in the world - more than 300 Terabytes of data available at all times and they claim that around 2,000 Gigabytes of new files are added daily. The problem in the past was that UseNeXT used to be a very complicated affair that only tech geeks can handle. However, nowadays, it's been simplified to such an extent that eMule, Limewire and other P2P users will feel more than comfortable with it.

While it can't possibly hope to compete with the reach and depth of the major P2P networks, UseNeXT offers an impressive selection with some super fast downloads.

Download UseNeXT 4.81 in Softonic

When all you want to do is just burn a CD or DVD, huge suites like Nero are certainly not the most suitable solution. Instead, you should look for a simple recording application such as InfraRecorder.

This easy tool features everything you need to record both CD and DVD. It supports data and audio burning, dual-layer DVD and also disc images. It works with rewritable discs and can burn copies on the fly as well. Results are very satisfying, with just one small complaint: I'd like to have a sound normalizer for song compilations.

But the best thing about InfraRecorder is undoubtedly its simplicity, in every sense. It launches in a few seconds, enables you to drag and drop files, features very intuitive menus and even includes a reduced version (InfraExpress) for last-minute recordings. However, if you want to record MP3 files into audio CDs you'll need to download the decoder by yourself and copy it to the Program files – InfraRecorder – Codecs folder.

InfraRecorder is a simple and efficient tool for quick CD and DVD recording.

Download Infra Recorder 0.45 in Softonic

Software applications are being constantly improved with every new version. Bugs are fixed, designs are polished, new functionalities are added. But sometimes they become too bloated, often losing sight of what they were created for in the first place. So for instance, whenever I need to record a CD or DVD, I no longer turn to Nero but use DeepBurner instead.

This neat program allows you to record CD or DVD in a very simple way: every time you launch it you see a project selection window where you can choose what to do (create a data disk, create an audio CD or burn an ISO image) and you're then guided through a few easy steps in a wizard-like process.

Despite its basic appearance DeepBurner features a large variety of tools and options for your recording needs: support for multisession disks, the ability to erase rewritable media and even a built-in editor to create and print your own custom CD covers and labels. There's also the option to create ISO image files, although you need to follow a small workaround to get to it: run the program and choose "Create data CD/DVD" in the project selection window. Select the files and folders you want to include in your ISO and when you're done click on the "Burn Disk" button. In the next dialog you'll be able to choose "Save ISO" instead of actually burning the data onto a CD.

On the down side, DeepBurner could be criticised for being too simple, especially when compared to big recording suites such as Nero or Roxio. It's perfect if you just need to record a CD from time to time, but if you're looking for something more then you'll miss features like volume normalizing or being able to create copies, to name just a few. In any case, DeepBurner is a perfectly valid option for those who prefer avoiding complicated programs and prefer the simplicity of an app focused on one single ability: recording CD's and DVD's.

Download DeepBurner Free 1.9 in Softonic

Do those no-name CD-Rs really record data at the speed they claim? Check it out with Nero's free tool.

InfoTool specifies the write speeds, supported formats, and other information on every CD or DVD drive in your system. It examines the hardware as well as on the media in your drives.
This version lets you burn Nero image files instead of predefined data.

Download Nero InfoTool 3.01 in Softonic

PC technology has come a long way in the last few years, but the sad fact is that they are still prone to crashes and system failure. Unfortunately, few of us have adequate protection to prevent losing all our valuable data.

That's where Selkie Rescue Data Recovery comes in, allowing you to ensure that if everything goes wrong, your data doesn't go down with the ship. I think many people are often put off of disaster recovery software because they think it's too complicated or that it's not worth the effort because 'it'll never happen to me'. However, anyone who's been in the position where they've lost their university thesis, an important business project, or even their entire web site's files, will tell you that it's vital for you to take these precautions.

Selkie Data Recovery is designed to make the process of protecting your data quick and simple. All you need is a blank CD, a crossover cable, your broken computer (obviously), and a working computer.

You start by creating Selkie rescue disk, and the program includes its own built in burning tool to help you do this without any fuss. It's a hassle-free solution, but you don't get as many writing options as you do with a burning app such as Nero or Roxio. You can still use these programs to create your recovery disk if you like, and Selkie includes instructions on how to do this.

Once you have your magic rescue disk, you're ready for anything. If your operating system crashes you simply reboot your machine and insert the CD into the drive. The interface is coded in DOS and is a far cry from the graphical user environments you'll be used to. Beginners may get a little overwhelmed by this at first, but if you follow the steps on screen, the program will find your files within a few clicks.

Then it's just a case of inserting the CD and copying your files to another computer over a network or via a parallel connection cable. This is a painless enough process, unless your machine is part of a complex LAN, in which case it can take some fiddling around to find the right network directory to copy to.

On the whole though, Selkie Rescue provides a fast and reliable way of recovering your stuff when your computer gives out on you.

Download Selkie Rescue Data Recovery 3.5 in Softonic

Windows Essentials Codec Pack is a collection of video and audio codecs and tools that are required to encode and decode (that is, play) audio and video files. With this pack, according to the developer, you should be able to play 99% of all the movies and music files that you download off the Internet, and stay up to date with the latest codecs through the program's Codec Update Service.

Windows Essentials Codec Pack is free and user-friendly, as you get all the work done with just a couple of clicks. Also, it keeps your computer up to date with the latest codecs and it's 100% spamware / adware / spyware / free.

But more importantly, unlike other codec packs which include several filters and decoders that are capable of decoding the same media format (which usually cause many conflicts and errors) Windows Essentials Codec Pack was especially designed to assign each file type to the most appropriate filter or decoder, which not only reduces the installer size but also eliminates many of the conflicts and errors caused by multiple codecs being used to decode the same file type.

Download Windows Essentials Codec Pack 1.0 in Softonic

DVDx allows you to convert DVD to VCD2.0 or SCVD1.0 or DivX in one step (including multiplexing, splitting). It produces very good quality movies in MPEG1/2 format and you don't need to have 5GB or more free on your hard disk. DVDx has been designed especialy for unexperimented users, it is a simple and intuitive program. You only need Nero to burn your VCD/SVCD. DVDx has evolved in a very powerful program, the fastest DVD backup solution ever and is now adopted by a lot of people including advanced users.

Download DVDx 2.7 in Softonic

IrfanView PlugIns is a collection of enhancements for use with the popular and free, file viewing program, Irfanview. These plugins allow you to view a large number of obscure image file types as well as play most video and audio file types.

Download IrfanView PlugIns 3.99 in Softonic

Nero PhotoShow Deluxe 4 is the ultimate in ease and functionality for photo management, editing, creating and sharing your digital photos:

• Create movie-like PhotoShows with just one click
• Upload to your own FREE website to share your memories with ease
• Locate, manage and organize all your photos and videos
• Touch up or enhance your photos and videos with easy to use tools
• Create PhotoShow DVDs to enjoy in the living room
• Print, archive and much more

To get started with creating an impressive photo album, you can select those that you want to include from your entire library. You may then take advantage of the wide selection of editing tools that are includes; filters, red-eye correction, automatic or manual color adjustments, add text, crop, etc.

Hit "Create" and choose what you would like to do with your album: save it to a DVD / VCD, create a screensaver, a dynamic desktop or simply export them as an executable archive for viewing the presentation on a computer.

Download Nero PhotoShow 4.0 in Softonic

ISO Recorder is a tool for Windows XP, 2003 and now Windows Vista, that allows (depending on the Windows version) to burn CD and DVD images, copy disks, make images of the existing data CDs and DVDs and create ISO images from a content of a disk folder. ISO Recorder was conceived during Windows XP beta program, when Microsoft for the first time started distributing new OS builds as ISO images. Even though the new OS had CD-burning support, it did not have an ability to record an image. ISO Recorder fulfills this need and has been one of the poular Windows downloads ever since.

With an advent of Windows XP SP2 and Windows 2003 version 2 of ISO Recorder has been released, which intorduced some new features including ISO creation and support for non-admin users. Finally, in Windows Vista it became possible to address another long-standing request and provide DVD burning capability.

Since the very beginning ISO Recorder has been a free tool (for personal use). It is recommended by MSDN download site along with Easy CD and Nero and is used by a number of companies around the world.

Download ISO Recorder in Softonic