Five Best AbandonWare of 2009

Rock-Five Five Best AbandonWare of 2009

From Wikipedia: Abandonware refers to computer software that is no longer sold or supported, or whose copyright ownership may be unclear for various reasons. While the term has been applied largely to older games, other classes of software are sometimes described as such. Definitions of “abandoned” vary; generally, it refers to software no longer available for legal purchase, or of a certain age. Software companies may change their names, go bankrupt, enter into mergers, or cease to exist for a variety of reasons.

Here are is my Rock-Five list of the Five Best Abandonware of 2009. The following are my most recommended software which are no longer supported or updated by their respective authors, or inactive for some reasons, but are generally very competitive or still superior than with other recently released software. As an added bonus, all of them are also freeware.

1. Geoshell

GeoShell is the best replacement shell for the Microsoft Windows operating systems. It replaces the default Explorer interface. It features menu bars – called geoBars – that can be dragged-and-dropped anywhere on the user’s screen. It also has plugins that add stuff like mp3 player, rss readers, weather forecasts, mail checkers, web search bars, virtual desktops and more.  In it’s default installation geoShell also uses less resources than Windows Explorer, and is particularly effective when combined with third-party web browsers and file managers to completely upgrade your basic Windows interface. Easy to customize and readily skinnable. I have never used the default explorer again after stumbling upon Geoshell.

Download: Link
Website: URL
Developer: GeoShell Development Team
Last release: May 27, 2005
Latest Version: R4.11.10
Compatibility: Windows 9x, 2k, XP and Vista (No 64Bit Support)
License: GNU General Public License
Portable: Yes
OpenSource: Yes
Requirements: 20mb memory free and 500mhz CPU
Installation Difficulty: Advanced
Issues: Not compatible with some software like Pitaschio
Ratings: 8/10

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2. Regcleaner

Regcleaner is a simple and minimalistic program that is more than capable to perform registry editing chores. It has start-up customization and software uninstall capabilities. It features a very powerful registry fixer and cleaner which to my opinion is better than other recent retail cleaners. If by mistake you delete an important registry entry, you still have a very handy back-up utility right down the interface. Good program for the elite and newbies alike.

Download: Link
Website: URL
Developer: Jouni Vuoro
Last release: January 1, 2002
Latest Version: 4.3.0.780
Compatibility: Windows 9x, 2k, XP and Vista
License: Freeware
Portable: No
OpenSource: No
Requirements: 6mb memory free and 500mhz CPU
Installation Difficulty: Novice
Issues: None
Ratings: 9.5/10

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3. RKLauncher

RK Launcher is a free application that will allow the user to have a visually pleasing side or dock bar at the side (or anywhere) of the screen that is used to quickly launch shortcuts and executables. With support for themes, PNG’s and ICO’s and with smooth amazing animations, RK Launcher is a versatile and great taskbar replacement. In a sense, it rivals Rocketdock in some aspects and at times bests that great application in areas like memory footprint.

Download: Link
Website: URL
Developer: RaduKing
Last release: October 17, 2005
Latest Version: 0.4 Beta
Compatibility: Windows 2000/XP does not work in 95/98/Me/NT
License: Freeware
Portable: Yes
OpenSource: No
Requirements: 8mb memory free and 500mhz CPU
Installation Difficulty: Novice
Issues: Problems with Start-Up and freezes at times
Ratings: 7/10

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4. CWShredder

CWShredder finds and destroys traces of CoolWebSearch. CoolWebSearch is a name given to a wide range of different browser hijackers. Though the code is very different between variants, they are all used to redirect users to coolwebsearch.com and other sites affiliated with its operators.

Download: Link
Website: URL
Developer: Trend Micro Inc
Last release: November 15, 2005
Latest Version: 2.19
Compatibility: Win 9x, 2k, XP and Vista
License: Freeware
Portable: Yes
OpenSource: No
Requirements: 20mb memory free and 500mhz CPU
Installation Difficulty: Novice
Issues: No recent definitions update
Ratings: 8/10

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5. Evolved

Powerful default Notepad replacement. It offers customizable syntax highlighting, built-in function tips, tag completion, template support and much more. Besides the standard text editing functions, it also includes various convenient features, including browser preview, file insertion, bracket matching, line numbers, word count, export to Rich Text, HTML color picker and more. With color themes and useful for web-developing, programming and scripting. I use this frequently to edit and view the ‘ini’ files in my Red Alert 2 Mod PROJECTALPHA.

Download: Link
Website: URL
Developer: David Gabrielsen
Last release: December 7 2005
Latest Version: 1.12
Compatibility: Win 9x, 2k, XP and Vista
License: Freeware
Portable: Yes
OpenSource: No
Requirements: 9mb memory free and 500mhz CPU
Installation Difficulty: Novice
Issues: Sometimes have trouble opening very large text files, other than that, flawless.
Ratings: 10/10

Special Mention: Abandonware which could have made it to our Top Five.

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sTabLauncher

Very nice app launcher with a tabbed and colorful, customizable design. It can give RKLauncher and RocketDock a run for it’s money and acts clearly almost the same albeit with a tabbed twist. It looks more of a folder organizer and ledger in one. The good thing about it is the plethora of launch options and the relatively tiny memory footprint.

Download: Link
Website: URL
Developer: Sergio Santos
Last release: April 30, 2007
Latest Version: 2.1.0.5
Compatibility: Win 9x, 2k, XP and Vista
License: Freeware
Portable: Yes
OpenSource: No
Requirements: 3mb memory free and 500mhz CPU
Installation Difficulty: Novice
Issues: None so far
Ratings: 8/10

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Orbit

Orbit is a program similar to Apple’s dock and another of the long list of clone windows app launchers. But it’s different in many ways. It is a program that instead of taking up space on screen, it stays hidden and only shows up whenever you call it. Orbit has some very nice effects too when it comes to animating the icons: Spinning, sliding, and zooming are all included in the animation if you choose. And it’s rounded!

Download: Link
Website: URL
Developer: Lucas Mendes Menge
Last release: September 3, 2005
Latest Version: 0.3.5
Compatibility: Win 9x, 2k, XP and Vista
License: Freeware
Portable: Yes
OpenSource: No
Requirements: 6mb memory free and 500mhz CPU
Installation Difficulty: Advanced
Issues: Requires managed DirectX Libraries and Microsoft .Net Framework 2.0. Everything has to be added separately, drag-n-drop isn’t working. All overlays are always drawn behind the icons.
Ratings: 6.5/10