Most computer users like toys. After all, a computer is nothing less than a big toy for even the most professional webmasters. But sometimes smaller gadgets and widgets make us smile with their useful natures and ease of use. New tools are appearing online constantly that serve one purpose or another and often as soon as we get something downloaded, we being to wonder how we ever lived without it.

Microsoft is not exempt from offering toys of their own through various websites. The goodies offered by Microsoft vary in function and features, but some are truly enjoyable.

Microsoft XP PowerToys
The Microsoft XP website offers more than tutorials and frequently asked questions about the operating system. It also gives XP users some freebies. Programs are available to download through the site which include very functional features that are hard to live without – at least they are once you download and experience them.

Power Calculator
The puny calculator that comes standard with all Microsoft operating systems is easily deleted and even more easily replaced. But don’t settle for a basic calculator when you can have the Power Calculator. Anyone with an engineering or math background can appreciate the Power Calculator. It’s essentially a graphing calculator for the computer. Of course it still does basic arithmetic, but is also plots integers and performs complex functions. Even if you don’t have complex quadratic functions on a daily basis, it still feels good to have the capabilities – just in case. (more…)

If you’re a Mac user, you might already know that the Vista alternative has been released. Leopard has been released and is getting great reviews by industry experts. This is directly the opposite of Microsoft Vista which is still struggling to endear itself in the hearts of most users.

The new Mac operating system is priced affordably as operating systems go. It ranges from $129-199, but for the money there are definitely some perks. As of the time of the release, there are four features that really stand out from the standard components of any Apple operating system.

Web History
If you forgot to bookmark a site and it isn’t easy to find in your history, you now have an extra option. Leopard can help you find recently visited websites. You can just type in a single word or phrase and Leopard starts looking and lists the matches you’ve visited recently. The really advantageous aspect of the search is that Leopard will actually consider more than just the title and tags. It actually will scan the content of the page to match keywords. Now it can find just about anything – even if you can’t remember more than a topic.

Wikipedia and Dictionary
Leopard is simply smarter than other operating systems. Leopard integrates the dictionary and condensed versions of Wikipedia into the actual OS making it simple to find a definition, spelling or background information whether you are actually online or off. All of the information you need to get you started on any topic is already included without going online to search. The Wikipedia summaries are much easier to glance through and locate the basic information you seek than the full online entries which can often be cumbersome. (more…)