Start Menu X is the convenient alternative to the plain Start menu you find in Windows XP and Windows Vista. The program uses your cognitive abilities (visual memory, reflexes,etc.); however, while it is easily understandable for beginners, it is also highly efficient for experienced users. Go ahead and try replacing your Start menu right now! It is safe because Start Menu X does not change your system settings, thus making it easy to install, as well as simple to remove.

Rainmeter is a desktop customization platform. Through Rainmeter, you can enhance your Windows computer at home or work with skins: handy, compact applets which float freely on your desktop, much like Windows Sidebar gadgets, or dashboard widgets for the Mac. Rainmeter skins provide you with useful information at a glance. It's easy to keep an eye on your system resources, like memory and battery power, or your online data streams, including email, RSS feeds, and weather forecasts. Many skins are even functional: they can record your notes and to-do lists, launch your favorite applications, and send your tweets to Twitter - all in a clean, unobtrusive interface that you can rearrange and customize to your liking. With Rainmeter, there are no secrets. Our bundled library of open-source skins covers a wide range of functions, but if you want your desktop to do something new, you don't have to wait for us.

HWiNFO32 are professional hardware information and diagnostic tools supporting latest components, industry technologies and standards. Both tools are designed to collect and present the maximum amount of information possible about computer's hardware which makes them suitable for users searching for driver updates, computer manufacturers, system integrators and technical experts as well. Retrieved information is presented in a logical and easily understandable form and can be exported into various types of reports.

In this series Kevin Hazzard takes you deep into C#’s threading abilities, showing you how to handle things with groovy names like Mutex and Semaphor.
In addition Kevin will dive into toolsets like PLINQ and Reactive Extensions with F#.

The Media Player Codec Pack supports almost every compression and file type used by modern video and audio files.