Utilities Poll - The Playoffs! (Part I)

profdlpprofdlp The Holy City Of Westlake, Ohio
edited December 2003 in Science & Tech
Having gone through ten weeks of polling to choose the Short-Media Approved Utilities list, we have compiled a list of the "must have" programs our members rely on to keep their computers running in fine style.

Now it's time to choose the Best Of The Best!

The winners, (and runners-up in close races), will now compete to see which will be chosen as the single indispensable tool in the battle against computer problems. We'll have ten options to chose from this week, then ten more next week. The top three vote-getters each week will then compete to see which will be chosen as the #1 Utility.

Obviously, there are alternatives to all of the utilities in their respective categories. The purpose of this playoff is to determine the one tool for which you would not wish to have use an alternative.

For example: You might prefer to use Norton AntiVirus and Winamp. If you could only choose one of them, and had to use an alternative to cover the other category, (for instance, AVG Antivirus or Windows Media Player), which would you not want to part with? In other words, you wouldn't be without a tool in a category, just not be able to use your favorite.

So, which of these ten would you not want to live without?
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Comments

  • pseudonympseudonym Michigan Icrontian
    edited November 2003
    Woohoo!! I am the first!! Gotta be AdAware.
  • TheSmJTheSmJ
    edited November 2003
    Had to say Ad-Aware. That spyware crap drives me up the wall.
  • GHoosdumGHoosdum Icrontian
    edited November 2003
    Hands down, I'd rather delete the insidious cookies myself than get a virus! GOTTA be NAV in my book!
  • WuGgaRoOWuGgaRoO Not in the shower Icrontian
    edited November 2003
    any type of adaware program isa definate MUST
  • SpinnerSpinner Birmingham, UK
    edited November 2003
    I couldn't be without Norton Antivirus my self, hands down.
  • DragstkDragstk Syracuse, N.Y.
    edited November 2003
    How can you be on the web, and not have good anti virus
    Norton, all the way
  • edcentricedcentric near Milwaukee, Wisconsin Icrontian
    edited November 2003
    Before I can worry about virus, before spyware, before I can play and burn, the box must run.
    The best tool for set-up, burn in, testing and trouble shooting is Sandra.
    I run practicaly everything on the list, but Sandra loads first.
  • mmonninmmonnin Centreville, VA
    edited November 2003
    WTF Ad Aware is not even the best one. Spybot finds more things then ad aware does hands down. Ad aware would not find anything on my home computer once but spybot did.

    NAV
  • profdlpprofdlp The Holy City Of Westlake, Ohio
    edited November 2003
    mmonnin had this to say
    WTF Ad Aware is not even the best one. Spybot finds more things then ad aware does hands down. Ad aware would not find anything on my home computer once but spybot did.

    NAV

    I narrowed down all the options (over 100) from our previous ten weeks of polling to the top 20 vote recipients. Spybot is one of the choices among the ten finalists next week. The top three this week and the top three next week will then meet in the Super Bowl/World Cup/Stanley Cup/World Series final showdown to choose the all-time favorite.

    :kneel:
  • GHoosdumGHoosdum Icrontian
    edited November 2003
    Looks like it's been a week for this one... does that mean NAV gets to the next round by one vote? ;)
  • GnomeWizarddGnomeWizardd Member 4 Life Akron, PA Icrontian
    edited November 2003
    Gotta love Nero!

    pffft @ NAV
  • croc_croc_ New
    edited November 2003
    I hate Norton. It bugs me. I installed it once to see what all the fuss was about and it just caused more problems than fixed.

    I haven't used an anti virus program in over 5 years, and I have yet to get a virus. Just be careful what you run/open and you are fine!

    Not saying its not a fine program tho! I am sure its great, for those who like that sort of thing.

    Note: This does not give you permission to send me infected files via email.
  • GHoosdumGHoosdum Icrontian
    edited November 2003
    My point was more that I'd rather have virus protection before the ability to burn CDs or block popups... it just so happens that NAV was the highest rated AV proggie in the previous poll...

    And Gnome, man... ya had to go and wreck the whole thing! :werr:
  • profdlpprofdlp The Holy City Of Westlake, Ohio
    edited November 2003
    GHoosdum had this to say
    Looks like it's been a week for this one... does that mean NAV gets to the next round by one vote? ;)
    The top three (currently NAV, Nero, and Ad-Aware) will be in the finals. Look for The Playoffs! (Part II) tonight or tomorrow. There will be ten more choices, out of which three winners will make the finals.

    Then the top six (three from Part I & three from Part II) will vie for the title of "Most Indispensable Utility".

    Stay Tuned! :wave:
  • croc_croc_ New
    edited November 2003
    xp key generator ..... i mean .... errr ...... crap.

    For me, util apps that I cannot live without are:

    Windows Defragger (yeah there are faster, more efficient programs, but I hate installing stuff, and I like to defrag right after a clean install)

    WinRAR

    Jriver Media Center 9.1 (/me spits on iTunes)

    Alcohol 120% (daemon tools++++++++)
  • profdlpprofdlp The Holy City Of Westlake, Ohio
    edited November 2003
    GHoosdum had this to say
    My point was more that I'd rather have virus protection before the ability to burn CDs or block popups... it just so happens that NAV was the highest rated AV proggie in the previous poll...

    And Gnome, man... ya had to go and wreck the whole thing! :werr:
    Choosing a single program doesn't mean you can't run a different program in a separate category. If your top choice is Norton, you could still have a cd burning program, just not Nero, and vice-versa. Looking at the categories, most of us probably run some type of program of each type. The idea is to find the one program which is so good that you would rather make-do with a lesser choice in another category than be without it.

    Put another way, if you could only afford to buy a high-performance carburetor or mag wheels for your car and use stock parts for the other, which would you pick?

    My vote this week was for GetRight. I use NAV, WMP, Sandra, and several others. If I could only use one from the list above it would be GetRight, even though I don't consider a download manager nearly as important as anti-virus software. I'd just rather switch to AVG, Winamp, and Aida than give up my GetRight. :)
  • GHoosdumGHoosdum Icrontian
    edited November 2003
    Yeah; I guess NAV still applies for me under those criteria anyway... I wouldn't do with less (and I get it free from work).
  • SimGuySimGuy Ottawa, Canada
    edited November 2003
    Can't live without Nero. I wouldn't be able to burn my legitimate copies of software for archival purposes without it :D

    Ad-Aware? Can't say I've ever run that, but I format so often the Spyware doesn't get a chance to install itself and propogate...
  • croc_croc_ New
    edited November 2003
    SimGuy had this to say
    Can't live without Nero. I wouldn't be able to burn my legitimate copies of software for archival purposes without it :D

    Ad-Aware? Can't say I've ever run that, but I format so often the Spyware doesn't get a chance to install itself and propogate...

    ditto+alcohol 120% and ditto.

    I need a format button on my keyboard.
  • profdlpprofdlp The Holy City Of Westlake, Ohio
    edited November 2003
    croc_ had this to say
    I need a format button on my keyboard.
    Just map a script to this baby - you probably don't use it for anything else... ;D
  • GHoosdumGHoosdum Icrontian
    edited November 2003
    Hmm... I hit that key all the time instead of the left Ctrl to fire in games... really screws the game up when it kicks me back out to the desktop! It would be a LOT worse if it formatted my C: drive every time instead ;)
  • croc_croc_ New
    edited November 2003
    hey! don't dog on the windows key!!! I use it often.

    win+r = run
    win+n = new window
    win+e = explorer

    and the best one of ALL!! win+m/win+d = minimize ALL for when my boss is around.
  • GnomeWizarddGnomeWizardd Member 4 Life Akron, PA Icrontian
    edited November 2003
    I format atleast weekly just to keep myslelf entertained when i get board!
  • croc_croc_ New
    edited November 2003
    usually I play games when I am BORED, but whatever floats your boat :P

    I would say I format once a month, at least.
  • profdlpprofdlp The Holy City Of Westlake, Ohio
    edited November 2003
    Gnomewizardd had this to say
    I format atleast weekly jsut to keep myslelf entertained when i get board!
    Either you typed that in a hurry, or I just came down with adult-onset dyslexia... ;D
  • GnomeWizarddGnomeWizardd Member 4 Life Akron, PA Icrontian
    edited November 2003
    typed in a hurry. I do that often! I never actually take my time to do anything unless its

    1. Computer Hardware related OR
    2. Sex
  • profdlpprofdlp The Holy City Of Westlake, Ohio
    edited November 2003
    Gnomewizardd had this to say
    typed in a hurry. I do that often! I never actually take my time to do anything unless its

    1. Computer Hardware related OR
    2. Sex
    Yeah, if you have that much trouble using your hands when you're in a hurry, I can see where sex would be a problem.
    :D

    Just Kidding!

    Gnome is gonna kill me...:eek3:
  • croc_croc_ New
    edited November 2003
    don't wanna get the wrong hole!
  • GnomeWizarddGnomeWizardd Member 4 Life Akron, PA Icrontian
    edited November 2003
    profdlp had this to say
    Gnomewizardd had this to say
    typed in a hurry. I do that often! I never actually take my time to do anything unless its

    1. Computer Hardware related OR
    2. Sex
    Yeah, if you have that much trouble using your hands when you're in a hurry, I can see where sex would be a problem.
    :D

    Just Kidding!

    Gnome is gonna kill me...:eek3:

    Wow! didnt see that one coming. I would respond with harsh and non nice words but i am on my way to the doctors seeing that i have been sick for 2 weeks and am in dire need of some medicine to get back to normal.


    Sex isnt a problem at all !! Just like savoring the moments together with whomever its with!
  • GnomeWizarddGnomeWizardd Member 4 Life Akron, PA Icrontian
    edited November 2003
    croc_ had this to say
    don't wanna get the wrong hole!

    Some people would respond to that with " what the difference! :vimp: " But Not I!
This discussion has been closed.