In Depth: 5 best programs to speed up your PC Easily

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; line-height: 24px;"></span><br /> <div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 12px; font: normal normal normal 13px/19px Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; max-width: 640px; padding-bottom: 0.6em; padding-left: 0.6em; padding-right: 0.6em; padding-top: 0.6em;"> <div mce_style="text-align: center;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px; text-align: center;"> <img alt="In Depth: 5 best programs to speed up your PC" class="aligncenter" height="212" mce_src="http://cdn.mos.techradar.com//Review%20images/PC%20Format/PCF%20257/PCF257.w_roundup.pc_art-470-75.jpg" src="http://cdn.mos.techradar.com//Review%20images/PC%20Format/PCF%20257/PCF257.w_roundup.pc_art-470-75.jpg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; clear: both; color: #444444; display: block; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px; max-width: 640px;" width="282" /></div> <h3 style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 1.4em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"> 5 best programs to speed up your PC</h3> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> The way Windows handles software is far from perfect. Every time you install a program, bits of it are scattered all over your system, and the end result is a slower PC.</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> You've probably encountered this; old computers tend to feel clogged up and sluggish. The parts inside haven't degraded - they're still as capable as the day you bought the PC - it's your programs that are to blame. This even applies to programs you've already uninstalled, which leave traces of themselves behind like litter after a particularly fine picnic.</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> It's not surprising, then, that the primary method of speeding up a system is to clean it thoroughly. Remove the artefacts of past programs and you remove the dilly-dallying of Windows looking for things it will never find.</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> But there's more to a fast system than a tidy hard drive. There are many subtle tweaks that can be made to Windows itself that lead to a slicker experience.</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> In this test, we're looking at a selection of programs that do both. We're judging our subjects based on some real-world tests, such as system boot time and the time taken to load Internet Explorer 8, although these are subjective - your results may vary from ours depending on the content of your system.</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> Each time we test an application, we're starting from the same point: a worn-in Windows 7 installation with apps such as RealPlayer, AVG Antivirus, OpenOffice and Apple iTunes installed - a selection of the most treacle-like applications you can install on your PC. We're also looking at how easy these programs are to use.</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> It doesn't matter how effective software is if it looks as though it's written in Sanskrit, because you're unlikely to understand exactly what you're doing to your computer. A good system speed-up is one done without much prodding from you; you wouldn't take your car to a mechanic and expect to be referred back to a Haynes manual, would you?</div> <h4 style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"> Avanquest Fix It Utilities 11 Pro</h4> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Price:</span> £31<br /> <span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Web:</span> www.avanquest.com/uk</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <img alt="Avanquest" mce_src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/Review%20images/PC%20Format/PCF%20257/PCF257.w_roundup.fixit1-420-90.jpg" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/Review%20images/PC%20Format/PCF%20257/PCF257.w_roundup.fixit1-420-90.jpg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; max-width: 640px;" width="420" /></div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> Fix It Utilities, obsessed with doing everything it possibly can, digs its claws in deep to your computer. It leaves a little program running in your taskbar at the bottom-right of the screen that doesn't seem to go away even if you ask it to, and pushes the option to use its built-in antivirus facilities even if you've already got your own antivirus software installed. It's not the best of starts, frankly.</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> The language used within the app is also a bit weaselly - it lists scans not yet run as problems with your system, for example - but we can't fault it for simplicity. There's a single button marked 'One click fix all' which seems to do just that, running through its battery of tests and fixes to make sure your computer is in tip-top condition with little input from you.</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> It's not entirely concerned with system speed-ups, but that's definitely a large amount of Fix-It Utilities' remit. There's an internet optimiser, a section dedicated to Windows speed-ups, and a scan that promises to shuffle your computer's memory into a fast order.</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> Go deeper than the one-click option, though, and you might start getting a bit baffled; the presentation of deeper sections such as the Startup Commander are tough going to say the least, full of check boxes and changes that don't immediately shout about what they might do to your computer.</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> Leave them to run on their own, though, and you're unlikely to be disappointed - Fix-It Utilities did a good job at making our system feel quicker, and its active protection facility (which monitors your computer regularly for issues so it doesn't get sluggish again) is an excellent touch.</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> You shouldn't have to go in and run programs like this - they should look after you.</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Verdict</span></div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Pros:</span></div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> Ostensibly simple interface<br /> Great hands-free tweaking</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Cons:</span></div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> Too pushy<br /> Can be surprisingly complex</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> Does a lot of things well, but it's too simple in some places, too complex in others.</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Score: 79%</span></div> <h4 style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"> Iolo System Mechanic 10</h4> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Price:</span> £28<br /> <span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Web:</span> www.iolo.com</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <img alt="System mechanic 10" mce_src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/Review%20images/PC%20Format/PCF%20257/PCF257.w_roundup.systemmech1-420-90.jpg" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/Review%20images/PC%20Format/PCF%20257/PCF257.w_roundup.systemmech1-420-90.jpg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; max-width: 640px;" width="420" /></div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> Where other apps might over-simplify things, System Mechanic makes a good stab at saying exactly what it's doing with the clearest language possible. You won't be mystified as to what any of its functions do, but be prepared to read for a while; everything is described in excruciating detail.</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> Compared to, say, Fix-it Utilities, System Mechanic seems a bit more honest; when it says "problems", it means problems with your computer rather than problems with the way you've used the software.</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> You're given complete control over the way you go about fixing issues, too. You can certainly whack the Repair All button and let the program do all the work for you, or you can methodically go through System Mechanic's repair sections and fix your issues one by one.</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> System Mechanic also has what it calls a tool box, containing a bunch of mini programs sorted by category, so you don't need to know that you want a registry compactor, for example - if you know you want to improve your computer's performance, you just go to the appropriate section.</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> OK, System Mechanic isn't for everyone. If you're completely averse to any kind of technical language, you'll probably turn away in horror, even though it does a competent job at explaining things clearly. But if you want a piece of software that's going to speed up your PC and make sure it's in tip-top shape, this is definitely it.</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> Iolo's ActiveCare technology sensibly keeps an eye on things when you're not using your computer, which means it doesn't slow down when you're in the middle of something, and with a year of updates included and a three-PC licence we'd even go as far as to say this was a bit of a bargain.</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Verdict</span></div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Pros:</span></div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> Best speed improvement here<br /> Clear explanations throughout<br /> Great interface</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Cons:</span></div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> Can be overly wordy</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> Easy to use, well laid out: this is an app with speed at its very core, and we love it.</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Score: 90%</span></div> <h4 style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"> IObit Advanced System Care Free 3</h4> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Price:</span> Free<br /> <span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Web:</span> www.iobit.com</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <img alt="IOBit" mce_src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/Review%20images/PC%20Format/PCF%20257/PCF257.w_roundup.asc1-420-90.jpg" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/Review%20images/PC%20Format/PCF%20257/PCF257.w_roundup.asc1-420-90.jpg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; max-width: 640px;" width="420" /></div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> There's a lot to be said for clarity. IOBit's AdvancedSystemCare Free 3 needs a little digging before you can work out what each of its sections do, and the language used in its tutorials isn't really very friendly.</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> Run a scan and you'll probably be told your Windows system has an amazing number of problems - ours had about 10,000. But those problems were a lack of individual 'immunisations' from the program's security section, something we'd have lumped in to a single issue. Scare tactics.</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> ASC has its advantages, though. The Turbo Boost option scales up your processor and helps you switch off everything unecessary for when you need a litle more performance. The one-click Care button runs through its litany of tests and solutions (without explicitly bothering you with any details of what it's actually doing) and it certainly offers a wide range of potential refinements to be made to your PC.</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> Its focus is on increasing your computer's speed and safety by cleaning it up rather than using any specific tweaks, however. Strangely, IOBit has chosen to spin many of the tweaks that would work well in ASC - features that many other apps include by default - off to separate packages. Want better games performance? Get Game Booster. Faster web connection? You need to download Internet Booster.</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> This isn't exactly efficient, and the way IOBit goes about encouraging you to download these apps - including a confusingly labelled tick box in the installer and a whole page of seemingly useful options in the main app acting as Trojan horses - is just cheeky. There's no box. There's an installer, and a sneaky one at that; not only does it suggest installing a browser toolbar, but IObit tries to get further software on your system at the same time.</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Verdict</span></div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Pros:</span></div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> Single-click</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Cons:</span></div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> Tries installing rubbish on installation<br /> Uses scare tactics<br /> Doesn't actually do that much</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> Does a decent job in the tasks it covers, but that doesn't cover too much ground.</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Score: 42%</span></div> <h4 style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"> CCleaner</h4> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Price:</span> Free<br /> <span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Web:</span> <a href="http://www.piriform.com/" mce_href="http://www.piriform.com/" style="color: #0066cc; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; line-height: 1.5;">www.piriform.com</a></div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <img alt="CCleaner" mce_src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/Review%20images/PC%20Format/PCF%20257/PCF257.w_roundup.ccleaner-420-90.jpg" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/Review%20images/PC%20Format/PCF%20257/PCF257.w_roundup.ccleaner-420-90.jpg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; max-width: 640px;" width="420" /></div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> You may think it's a bit of a strange move, including CCleaner in this test. We'll admit it; we've thrown in a bit of a curveball.</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> This is not explicitly a speed-up tool. The name is a dead giveaway - it's all about cleaning up your PC. But you really won't find a better representation of why cleaning up is the best way to make your system run faster than CCleaner, one of the most widely respected and widely used free applications on the web.</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> It's the industry standard for a reason: the results speak for themselves. Of course, we're not suggesting that it's perfect. CCleaner is not exactly friendly if you don't know what you're doing with your computer. Nothing is sugar-coated, and there's a lot in there that won't be obvious to novices.</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> But that's only on the surface; look carefully: there are two buttons. One says Analyze, the other says Run Cleaner. You don't actually have to know anything beyond how to click a mouse to get the most out of CCleaner, so don't be too intimidated.</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> Click the Registry button on the left and you're similarly equipped - two buttons get the job done. Doesn't matter if you know what's going on or not. And while other applications do more to spruce up your computer, or do it in a flashier way, they're either paid-for apps or they're slathered in sneaky add-ons. Glary Utilities tries to install the Ask toolbar into your web browser. AdvancedSystemCare makes a stab at installing its own Yahoo-based toolbar, and tries to get you installing a host of extra apps, too.</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> CCleaner is, appropriately, clean of sneaky installers, and we applaud publisher Piriform for making it that way. Nothing. No box, no tricksy installers, just an honest computer cleaner that does its job perfectly.</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> Piriform's other applications cover alternative aspects of PC efficiency, so check the website.</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Verdict</span></div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Pros:</span></div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> Does the job well<br /> Simple interface</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Cons:</span></div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> Can be a little intimidating<br /> Won't boot your machine quicker</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> Intensive system cleaning that will lead to a much faster PC in the end.</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Score: 84%</span></div> <h4 style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"> Glary Utilities</h4> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Price:</span> Free<br /> <span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Web:</span> www.glaryutilities.com</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <img alt="Glary" mce_src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/Review%20images/PC%20Format/PCF%20257/PCF257.w_roundup.glary1-420-90.jpg" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/Review%20images/PC%20Format/PCF%20257/PCF257.w_roundup.glary1-420-90.jpg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; max-width: 640px;" width="420" /></div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> Free for non-business use, this has one of the widest ranges of tweaks, speed-ups and cleaning tools we've seen in an application. Particularly a free one.</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> GU's one-click section focuses on cleaning potentially threatening files and tightening up the areas of your PC that get a little loose with time, but that's only the tip of the iceberg. There is a whole host of additional modules that do way more than straight cleaning.</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> There's a memory optimiser, a start-up manager and a registry defragmenter; jargon-filled sections which, we assure you, all help to shave microseconds off that vital boot time.</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> That jargon, unfortunately, runs all the way through. So while you might get on well with the one-click section, if you're not an experienced user, you probably won't have much luck with the rest of the program because the complexity of its modules increases along with the complexity of its language. And its AutoCare section, which should schedule automatic cleaning and fixing, isn't available in the free edition.</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> The commerical version, which also adds a 24/7 technical support system, will set you back $40, or around £30 - for that money, we'd gravitate towards System Mechanic any day. That said, we'd rather endure free Glary's direct use of jargon than AdvancedSystemCare's rather confusing interface, and there's a lot here worth using.</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Verdict</span></div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Pros:</span></div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> Good selection of utilities<br /> Works well to improve performance</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Cons:</span></div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> Can feel overly compelx<br /> Free version doesn't have scheduler</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> Probably the best system cleaner and speed up app you'll ever find for free.</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Verdict: 80%</span></div> <h4 style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"> And the winner is... Iolo System Mechanic 10</h4> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <img alt="system mechanic 10" mce_src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/Review%20images/PC%20Format/PCF%20257/PCF257.w_roundup.systemmech2-420-90.jpg" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/Review%20images/PC%20Format/PCF%20257/PCF257.w_roundup.systemmech2-420-90.jpg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; max-width: 640px;" width="420" /></div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> Are you willing to pay money? Then go straight to System Mechanic and do not pass Go. It's got all the features you need for a fast, clean computer, and a team working on it that's completely dedicated not just to cleanliness but to firing up your PC's turbocharger.</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> That's not to say that Fix-It Utilities is in any way poor; if you're not up to speed with computer lingo, it's well worth a shot.</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> On the free side, as long as you're careful to avoid the tag-on toolbars offered in the installation packages of Glary Utilities and AdvancedSystemCleaner, you can't really go wrong installing all three; it's certainly not going to hurt.</div> <div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;"> CCleaner does the neatest job of tidying things up, and Glary Utilities' more advanced tweaking modules really are top notch if you're looking to add that final extra lick of speed.</div> </div> </div>

In Depth: 5 best programs to speed up your PC Easily

5 best programs to speed up your PC The way Windows handles software is far from perfect. Every time you install a program, bits of...

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Trimit reads, simplifies, and condenses web content for social networks

<!--CONTENT START--><br/><p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" class="aligncenter" height="68" src="http://img7.imageshack.us/img7/9128/screenshot20110628at906.jpg" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 8px;" width="178" /></p><br/>Trimit is a new app that promises to automatically summarize text. The idea is this: You enter a URL, trimit ingests the web page you pointed to, and then it spits back a condensed version at the length you specify.<br/><br/>TUAW had a chance to take an early peek at this app, which is due to launch soon on the App Store. So how did it measure up? All in all, I was impressed by its looks, but not by its functionality.<br/><br/>Trimit is visually lovely. But that loveliness has not been designed around a solid user experience. I did eventually get the hang of using the application, but given the number of steps it took to make things happen, I felt that the app would benefit from hiring a usability designer.<br/><br/>Here are the steps you need to take for the most common use case:<br/><ol><br/> <li> In Safari, find a URL you want to work with and copy it to the system clipboard. The application does not offer a built-in web browser.</li><br/> <li> Tap the link button (it's in the center of the screen, one icon over from the left, looks like a two-link chain).</li><br/> <li> Paste the URL into the "import text source from url:" field.</li><br/> <li> Tap Go and wait. Trimit extracts the content text from the page.</li><br/> <li> Tap on settings. This is the leftmost icon in the middle of the screen. Once tapped, it becomes a keyboard icon. You'll need to use this after picking your destination.</li><br/> <li> Select a destination, like Twitter (which is the top-left of the options). A teeny tiny checkmark appears next to the choice. I could figure out Twitter at a glance, and "f" is probably facebook, but the other options may leave you guessing.<br/><div><img alt="" class="aligncenter" height="419" src="http://img12.imageshack.us/img12/4442/img07191309290704.png" style="width: 220px; height: 328px; margin-top: 8px; margin-bottom: 8px; border-width: 1px; border-style: solid;" width="279" /></div></li><br/> <li> After tapping on the destination, once again tap on it, but this time tap and hold until the iPhone vibrates. A pop-up appears. Choose whether you want to compress vowels and/or add abbreviations.</li><br/> <li> Tap anywhere but on the destination again. (It took me forever to realize you could not dismiss the pop-up by re-tapping.)</li><br/> <li> Tap on the keyboard icon to leave the destination settings mode.</li><br/> <li> Shake the iPhone <em>strongly</em>. A gentle shake will not do. And *only* shake in the right mode, which seems to be compose mode or something like that, after destination picking. You'll be shaking your arms off otherwise. Honestly, I'm not entirely sure why some massive shakes would work sometimes and others wouldn't.</li><br/> <li> Wait for trimit to compress your message.</li><br/> <li> If needed, further edit the message by hand (so you can add a bit.ly'd source to the summary, for instance).</li><br/> <li> Tap the send button at the top-right corner of the screen. It does not look like a button, just like an arrow, but it <em>is</em> a button. (Other on-screen buttons have shadow effects to show they are tappable buttons that invite interaction.)</li><br/> <li> Select how you want to send the message, e.g., "Twitter it" or "Facebook it" (their phrasing). While these items <em>do</em> explain what each icon means, those same explanations should have been on the destination chooser and should follow the same order. They aren't and they don't.<br/><div><img alt="" class="aligncenter" height="419" src="http://img146.imageshack.us/img146/8476/img0721.png" style="width: 220px; height: 329px; margin-top: 8px; margin-bottom: 8px; border-width: 1px; border-style: solid;" width="279" /></div></li><br/> <li> Enter credentials, authorize the application, and send.</li><br/> <li> Tap the keyboard to re-enable the link button.</li><br/> <li> Pull down to clear the previous text (otherwise the app will append new material, not replace it) and confirm your deletion.</li><br/></ol><br/>I love the idea of trimit, but the app itself is a big ol' mess. With this high degree of summarizing, not being able to include a source link is incomprehensible. What's more, people seem to do a much better job of summarizing the cool web pages they just read, whether using a basic tweet test or allowing more lax summaries.<br/><br/>For example, consider this Auntie TUAW post. Most people would tweet it like this: "iOS devices are no replacement for Wacom tablets http://aol.it/jx5AvB" 70 characters or so. How does trimit summarize the same material?<br/><br/><em>I am looking for an iPad app that allows it 2 function as a graphics tablet, similar 2 something like a Wacom tablet.</em><br/><br/>No source link, and very little context. Here's another go. Website io9 seemed to like Sunday's <em>True Blood </em>season premiere. What does trimit have to say about their write-up?<br/><br/><em>Con: Sookie is pized that Jason had the audacity 2 sell her (her grandmother's) house, after she's been mizing for over a year.</em><br/><br/>Honestly, do you really want to tweet that out? As if you had written it?<br/><br/>I found trimit more concept than execution. I didn't like the "shake to summarize" -- don't build your apps around shake gestures, people -- I wasn't impressed by the summaries, and I found the user interaction crippling.<br/><br/>Trimit is an app that should have soared. It is a great concept, but the app doesn't deliver on execution. Trimit will be available on App Store for US$0.99 (introductory price), moving to $4.99 once the initial sale concludes.

Trimit reads, simplifies, and condenses web content for social networks

Trimit is a new app that promises to automatically summarize text. The idea is this: You enter a URL, trimit ingests the web page you pointe...

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