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mouser:
This section of the forum is for discussing and helping to nominate and test candidate programs for upcoming awards.
In all cases i would like to be able to recommend a freeware/OpenSource alternative if one does not win.

I will try to work out a schedule of awards so we have some idea of the deadlines for comments.

Skipping next week, here is are some categories i'd like to schedule, begining  April 9:

Best backup tools.. imho this really needs to be divided into two sections (maybe 2 reviews one after the other), with
Best backup tool for complete system backup, aka drive imaging (my current award choice is True Image).
Best incremental backup tool for quick incremental versioned backup of personal documents (my current award choice is Retrospect, but i'm open to being swayed to another product).

Best Text Editor (current top candidate = UltraEdit), likely to be contentious award

Best File Explorer (current top candidate = Directory Opus | Powerdesk), sure to be a contentious award

Best email client (current top candidate = thebat), likely to be somewhat contentious

Best free+commercial antiviruses (current top candidate = needs more though), likely to be somewhat contentious
(this award needs a separate winner for free, since recurring charges of the commercial ones make it imp. to be able to present a free winner)

Best clipboard helper
Best Macro tool (macro express)
Best dictionary
Best weather tool
Best launch helper
Best duplicate file finder
Best archive tool
Best disk catalogger (whereisit)
Best search and replace tool
Best small graphics viewer (irfanview)
Best screenshot tool
Best icon tool
Best webcam tool
Best font explorer/tool
Best color helper tool
Best demo maker
Best diagramming tool
Best big graphics tool (photoshop)
Best photoshop plugins
Best dynamic dns tools
Best bookmark tool
Best browser addons
Best ftp client
Best password manager
Best irc program
Best newsgroup programs (newsbin, newsrover)
Best peer-to-peer clients
Best remote administration program
Best site spiders (teleport pro or offline explorer)
Best proxy manager
Best poster/bookley/envelope printer
Best label printer
Best printing helpers (fineprint)
Best PDF tools
Best Scanner tool
Best cd/dvd burning tool (nero)
Best cooking program
best route planning
Best screensaver
Best small game
Best translator tool
Best bibliography tool
Best calculator
Best equation plotter
Best financial software
Best personal database tool
Best presentation tool
Best time tracker
Best file encryption tool
Best screen toys
Best benchmarking tools
Best spyware removal
Best context-menu addons
Best defrragmentation program
best dialogbox replacement helper
best file/registry trackers (ashampoo uninstaller)
best partition management tool
best startup organizer
best undeleter
best virtual desktop tool
best windows setting tweaker
best virtual machine software (vmware)
best alarm/reminder tool
best webllog analysis program
best html editor
best photo gallery maker
best audio player
best file splitter/joiner
best graphic file converter
best icon tool
best mp3 tag tool
best music broadcaster
best voicemail program




In addition we might have some days where we just highlight some unique small programs that don't fit neatly into a single category; nominations for those would be welcome too.

tenseiken:
Well, I guess I'll put my 2 cents in.  I'll try to include a free option when possible.

Text Editor: SciTE (Scintilla Text Editor)
File Explorer: Xplorer2 Pro
Email Client: Thunderbird
Clipboard Helper: CLCL
Archive Tool: WinRAR, 7zip as open source runner-up
Small Graphics Viewer: Irfanview, definitely
Screenshot Tool: FGWndGrab
Big Graphics Tool: The Gimp
Browser Addon: Adblock (Firefox)
FTP Client: SmartFTP
IRC Program: HydraIRC
Newsgroup Program: NewsLeecher
Peer-to-Peer Clients: Azureus
Calculator: Equalizer
Audio Player: Foobar2000
File Splitter/Joiner: HJSplit
Graphic File Converter: Irfanview
MP3 Tag Tool: Abander TagControl, Foobar2000 as open source runner-up

mouser:
this is excellent - i can see that opening up the discussion of awards prior to awarding is going to have been a great idea.
things always get better when they are opened up for contributions from others.

what do you guys think of the following idea.
in a few days i will try to make a schedule of the next 5-10 upcoming reviews, so we know what order they will be done in.

then perhaps start a thread for the next 2.
for example, if the next 2 reviews were clipboard helper and ftp program, then i would start 2 threads here, one for each.
on these threads people can post 1) their views about which is best and why, 2) features they think are important, 3) just urls to such programs even if they haven't tested them, 4) comments on other posts.
in this way, we will have a thread building up prior to the actual review where we can debate the merits and features that should be considered.

then on the day of the review, i will move the thread to the official SoftwareReviews section, where it will become the official starting thread for that award category.  this would be really nice because it would mean when you click to visit the "forum section" associated with an award, on the award page, you would immediately go to this thread where dif. people give dif opinions.

i think it would be, in addition to helping the review/award be better chosen, be a great thing for people to be able to read after the review, to see some of the thinking and debate behind the review.

tenseiken:
If there are enough people contributing their opinions, that's a great idea.  It wouldn't work so well if it was one-sided, though.  I'll be the first to admit that I'm somewhat biased about my favorite programs...

mouser:
well, at the very least it will give the official reviewer (at this point its me but we could start rotating) some feedback about the choice of winner BEFORE the review is published, which can only be a good thing.  That way if program "x" is going to be awarded best of some category, the members here will have a week or so to say why they think that is not the right choice.  even if it doesn't change which program is chosen as the winner, it will help sharpen the review and also build a discussion that people can read on the forum after the review is posted.

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