As far as free PDF converters go, doPDF is one of the best out there saving you tons of cash on Adobe's patented version and whatsmore, doing it in half the time.

The program is remarkably simple to use. Just open a document in Microsoft Word, WordPad, NotePad or practically any other text editing software, choose Print and select doPDF. The program asks you where to save the PDF file and when finished, the PDF file will be automatically opened in your default PDF viewer. This process takes less than a minute and you'll be amazed at how accurate the PDF is. Occasionally, it can suffer with unusually formatted text and images and so they won't come-out exactly as you want but this can be remedied.

Unfortunately, there's also no option to print large web pages (such as long news articles or forum pages) without dividing it into separate pages so you'll end up with lines dividing the article up throughout your PDF documents. The other slight downside is that it seems the PDF files it creates can be rather large although if you ZIP them up, this is not much of an issue.

An excellent PDF converter that's fast, easy to use and serves as more than an adequate replacement for Adobe's software.

Download doPDF 6.1.271 in Softonic

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

There's an increasing demand for alternatives to Adobe's resource hogging, RAM sapping, not least expensive PDF creator and PrimoPDF weighs in as an excellent alternative.

The fact that this program is free makes it all the more appealing. One of the problems with these PDF programs is that invariably, they change the formatting of your text, once you've converted your Word, Publisher etc. document to PDF. PrimoPDF largely avoids this however converting to PDF as faithfully as the original. It's also remarkably fast and the installation is equally speedy.

Once installed, the program appears as a virtual printer in your Printer Driver preferences too. The main downside, of which there are few, is that you are regularly prompted to register although this is a small price to pay for an excellent program. It's also a bit unreliable when converting images. Text is fine but images can sometimes be in the wrong position or formatted incorrectly when converting from Office documents. It also doesn't use Windows standard way of saving documents - it has it's own format which doesn't suggest a file name but it's a small drawback.

A really excellent PDF creator that will have Adobe critics laughing all the way to their virtual printers.

Download PrimoPDF 4.1.0.9 in Softonic

Finally you can convert your PowerPoint presentation into Flash file so to have the benefits of both formats. Microsoft's popular slideshow tool makes it quick and easy to to create attractive, animated presentations; whereas Flash offers all the benefits of a universal format which can be viewed on any computer and any browser as well as a potentially much smaller file size.

Firstly, you do need to register before you can convert any presentations, but the process will take just a minute. The program integrates perfectly with Microsoft PowerPoint. Put simply, when you have created the PPT presentation, press the 'Quick Publish' or the 'Publish' button, where you can select some options, and that's all you have to do. iSpring also includes a feature which allows you to insert Flash movies into PowerPoint presentations. It's a pity that there is not an option to set the compression rates for specific elements (certain images, sounds, etc.) - as that would make it possible to decide exactly where you want to compromise on quality.

It is also interesting that you can publish your Flash file online, allowing you to access all your presentations wherever you are. After pressing the 'Publish' button, select 'SlideBoom' as destination of your file and type the account details. You can sign up for a free account from the menu as well, and the process is fairly easy and quick.

iSpring lets you easily create your PPT presentations and convert them into a Flash file to share with your co-workers and friends. You can also publish and store them online thanks to a free hosting service.

Download iSpring Free 3.5.1.2363 in Softonic

Desktop sharing is not just the expert field of tech professionals anymore. Whether you want to show how an application works or simply to explain things on someone else's PC, you'll need to find a way to share desktops easily.

TeamViewer offers a simple way of creating desktop sharing sessions with other users whether on a distant PC, local connection or over the internet. Both users will each have an ID and password with which to connect to their session.

Taking control of another PC is a great way to solve issues from a distance and demonstrate things on a desktop without actually being there physically. TeamViewer also allows file transfer and includes a chat function to communicate with your contact.

You can also record sessions and play them back afterward. These can then be used as tutorials or to go back on what you've done in previous sessions.

If you dig in the details you'll be able to choose not only whether to optimize quality or speed, but also configure the amount of access you want to give to your desktop.

The free version of TeamViewer has a number of limitations, and lacks a number of modules like the TeamViewer manager or customer module. If you want more features you'll have to be ready to pay at least €159 for higher end versions.

TeamViewer is a good program to quickly share desktops with another user. The free version will let you create secure sessions and control what you show to your contact over the internet.

Download TeamViewer 3.6.4606 in Softonic

Large files are always difficult to share online. Free file sharing sites are a pain, not everybody has an FTP server to share stuff and sharing them by email can take ages – if your email server can handle a 10MB email attachment at all.

Fortunately now there's another way to share big-sized files using email: Podmailing. Of course it doesn't work the usual way (message plus attached file) but more like as a P2P client or maybe I should say P2M client, which is the right way to name this file sharing protocol. The idea is not new (see Pando) but Podmailing has launched to add more choice to the P2M market.

The program is really easy to use. Simply click on the "New" button, select the files or folders you want to share, enter the email addresses and add a message. That's pretty much everything, although bear in mind that you must leave the program open (and your Internet connection on) in order to send the file.

The addressees of your podmail will receive a message in their inboxes with a link to download the file, which they'll be able to do very comfortably from their own web browser without the need for any third-party apps. Anyway, there's also the possibility to download the file via Podmailing or using the BitTorrent protocol (which also works with Podmailing, as this program is also a torrent client).

The main drawback I found is that you have to wait until the file is completely uploaded before starting to download it directly from the browser, so if your friend wants to share a 9GB file you'd better be patient. At least you can always start downloading it right away by using the Podmailing app or any BitTorrent client, which don't require the file to be finished uploading. Also, uploaded files are saved for 30 days on the Podmailing's servers.

Podmailing is a new client for the P2M protocol with which you can easily share large-sized files on the Internet. It may not be the fastest method but it's reliable and above all, very easy to use.

Download Podmailing 0.10.0 in Softonic

The productivity suite market is generally dominated by two main options: you either use the proprietary Microsoft Office suite or its open source alternative, Open Office. But if you don't like any of them, I'm glad to inform you there's a third choice.

Kingsoft Office is a fully featured, completely free office suite you can use for your daily work tasks. It includes three main applications: Writer, Presentation and Spreadsheets, to create DOC, PPT and XLS files respectively. The three of them are installed and launched separately – unlike Lotus Symphony, which uses a common interface. There are no apps for databases, email, or web publications.

I must admit these three apps are almost identical to their Microsoft Office equivalents, so identical in fact I'm beginning to wonder if it's just a copy. Whatever the Kingsoft developers thought about when creating the suite, I'm happy to be able to use a complete suite without having to pay for it. Also, the fact that it's so similar to other suites you may have been using up to know makes the learning curve practically non-existent.

Kingsoft includes interesting options such as the ability to export any document to PDF format and support for document encryption. On the downside, the suite felt a bit unstable during our tests: the Spreadsheets app, for example, crashed on one of our machines but worked perfectly well on a different one.

In any case, Kingsoft Office 2007 is a great free alternative for productivity suite users who don’t want to tie themselves to the same old choices.

Download Kingsoft Office 2007 6.3.0.1371 in Softonic

Let’s say you need to make a presentation which includes associated text and photos, and you would like a more homely design than the professional, at-times flat PowerPoint slideshow. eXPress Collage Suite might help, as it allows you to create simple presentations as e-books, collage albums, or even calendars.

The outcome will appear rather amateur, but depending on its purposes, can be what you are looking for home-made feeling presentation. The way you carry on your project is also a bit rudimentary and icons look a bit messy. The general rule to follow is that you can import images, text and audio file simply by clicking the import button on the left menu. Change the layout with the menu below and apply changes to see a preview of your document. The GUI can be a bit confusing and there’s plenty of room for usability improvements.

Althought eXpress Collage wouldn’t be suitable for professional purposes, it can be interesting for amateur photo albums, calendasr, eBooks and collages as it lets you create for free virtual books, to present texts and images in a different way.

Download eXpress Collage Suite 5.0 in Softonic

When it comes to saving documents to the web, Adobe's PDF format rules the roost. However, users have traditionally grumbled about the fact that you need to shell out lots of cash in order to get Acrobat, the program used to create PDF files. Thankfully, FreePDF offers a free alternative that does a pretty good job of making PDF files complete with password protection. As a result, you can use the program to save files from a number of formats into printable format, including Word documents, pictures or Web pages.

The program is a doddle to use, installing itself on your machine and adding an option for you to 'Print to PDF' in your printer dialog. From here you can choose from a wide variety of options for output, such as the dimensions or the resoltution. Despite the fact that you're limited to the number of PDF files you can generate, FreePDF XP performs very well and is a viable alternative to Acrobat.

Download FreePDF XP 3.24 in Softonic

Powerbullet Presenter enables you to create impressive, multipage and animated Flash/HTMLpresentations and even includes a few nice little extras you won't get in Powerpoint. In particular, Powerbullet comes with preset animation effects which you can use to animate any object, apply fade-ins, fade-outs, and more. You can also include sounds and voice recordings and it accepts most major graphics file formats.

One especially useful feature is a wizard that helps you create animated bullet lists which gives your presentations an extra touch of class. On the downside, the interface is a bit limited and looks a bit "cheap" compared to Powerpoint but there's no denying that if you're initimidated by the latter, this will have you producing professional looking presentations in minutes.

Download Powerbullet Presenter Free 1.35 in Softonic

PPTminimizer reduces PowerPoint presentations in seconds by up to 96% of their initial size. The program achieves this by optimizing the graphics and imbedded objects found in the original PowerPoint file. PPTminimizer is a very important tool for every PowerPoint user as not only are mail boxes, mail servers and networks relieved of unnecessary data, but also the loading of the optimized files is accelerated considerably.

Whether you're a business person who wants to avoid delays due to long loading time and displaying slides in presentations, a sales manager who needs to distribute his presentations efficiently to sales offices or an educator who wants to manage PowerPoint-based curriculums and assignments efficiently, PPTminimizer is the tool you need:

• Create PowerPoint presentations quickly as the pictures and graphics you wish to add into the PPT file do not have to be dealt with manually.
• The optimized PowerPoint files take less time to load.
• Communication systems such as networks can now enjoy the benefit of being relieved of unnecessary data.
• Emails with PowerPoint presentations can be sent and received quickly.

5 good reasons for choosing PPTminimizer:

• Free your hard disk of unnecessary data: Reduce the file size of your PowerPoint presentations by up to 96%.
• Saving of a lot of time: There is no need to work on pictures and graphics in your PowerPoint presentation separately as PPTminimizer takes care of everything.
• By using the new search function the user is able to search various computer drives for the PowerPoint presentations which they require!
• The PowerPoint presentations which have been optimized are saved as a different file, leaving the original file in its initial state.
• Outlook-Add-In: PPTminimizer optimizes and configures PowerPoint presentations before they are dispatched by email.

Download PPTminimizer 3.0 in Softonic

Need to edit a contract? Look at the latest sales report? Show a prospect that presentation? If it’s on your PC, and your PC is connected to the Internet, simply log onto Avvenu from your mobile device or from another computer, select the computer you want to browse, and navigate to the file you need. Then choose whether to share it with a colleague or download it to your mobile device to read or to edit.

With Avvenu, your mobile device gives you secure access to any document or image on your computer, whatever its size or file type. Avvenu automatically formats images to match the device you are using, so you get fast response time and convenient viewing. Since you’re linking directly to your computer, there’s no waiting for e-mail transfers or uploads. And, because there are no file-size restrictions, you can share that 50MB Powerpoint file, or even a whole folder of them.

Download Avvenu 2.4 in Softonic

Office Key recovers all types of passwords for MS Office files: Access, Excel, Outlook, Word, PowerPoint and Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) modules. Dictionary, Brute-force and Brute-force with Xieve Optimization attacks are used to recover File-Open passwords; other types of passwords are recovered or reset instantly. Word and Excel File-Open passwords can be instantly removed in Online Mode. Download and try a free demo version.

Download Office Key Professional 7.9 in Softonic

With PDFill 4.0, you can create, fill, delete and submit PDF form fields; insert new formatted text, check, image, hyperlink, whiteout and highlight anywhere in the document; save, print or email the filled and password-protected PDF; save and resume your filling anytime.

Main features:

• Insert new formatted Text, Check, Image, Hyperlink, Whiteout and Highlight accurately anywhere even if there is no interactive form inside.
• Support International languages.
• PDF Form Filler for the Fill-in PDF forms. Export/Import Form Data
• PDF Form Maker to create, fill, edit, delete or submit form fields (Text Field, Check Box, Radio Button, Combo Box, List Box or Push Button)
• Create or insert Blank PDF Page and then insert new text, check, image or form fields inside.
• Save the filled PDF locally with options to add information, password and view preferences.
• Spell Checker for the filled text.
• Align Tool and Smart Positioning to precisely align Left, Horizontal Middle, Right, Top, Vertical Center, Bottom, Space Evenly Across/Down, Make Same Width or Height
• FREE PDF Writer to create PDF from ANY printable windows application including Microsoft® Word, PowerPoint, Excel, AutoCad, and More.
• Free PDF Tools to Merge, Split and Reorder, Encrypt and Decrypt, Rotate and Crop, Reformat, Header and Footer, Watermark by text, Watermark by image, Convert images to pdf, Convert PDF to image, Flatten/Delete/List PDF Form Fields, and Convert Postscript into PDF.

Download PDFill Form Filler 4.0 in Softonic