No matter how large your hard drive gets or how fast your CPU runs, formatting and copying floppy disks is still one of computing's most annoying and time-consuming tasks. Herne Software have developed a program to overcome this called Maxi-Disk. This small, brilliantly useful piece of software - which runs on Windows 3.x/95/NT - can not only format and copy virtually any disk you can fit in a floppy drive in a single pass (including Mac and 1.7Mb Microsoft DMF disks) but can also save disk image files (so you can make mass copies of disks at will) and - in the latest version - generate Win95/DOS 7.0 boot disks too. Maxi-Disk does a great deal more as well (you can read all about it on site) and is distributed as shareware. A fully registered version is only $US25. Herne Software also have a range of other useful freeware and shareware programs available which will be of particular interest if you're using older equipment. These include FreeForm (which simulates many of Maxi-Disk's features for XT's, AT's and PS/2's - 101K); Utility Belt (a collection of 20 utilities for writing DOS batch files - 67K) and Over_Laz (a collection of 200 overlay files for LaserJets, DeskJets and PostScript printers you can use to generate letterheads, memos etc). Maxi-Disk is such a widely useful utility for so many, many people we simply must make it our Top Pick this update.

Locutuscodeware produce three unusual add-ons for Windows95 and if you have time-critical processes in your office (or a deep interest in the weather or the current phase of the moon) at least one of them may hold strong appeal. The most interesting one is SocketWatch, which works in the background and uses the Internet to interface your computer to the nearest Internet-accessible atomic clock every time you log onto the Internet (eg: to check your email). SocketWatch will automatically reset your computer's clock to match the closest atomic clock, ensuring that you'll always keep perfect time on your system - right down to the nearest second. The other two programs on offer are WetSock (which does the same with weather reports - primarily for large cities in Canada and the US) and MoonWatch, which will display the current phase of the moon on your Win95 taskbar (though when we visited the site this was temporarily unavailable - perhaps the Borg got to it). All three products are distributed as shareware with a $3, $10 or $12 registration fee, and we're grateful to regular visitor Gregory Becroft for tipping us off to this. You can download a tiny file for each utility if you're confident about doing the installation yourself - otherwise you can download a larger file which contains a full installation wizard.

PrimaSoft are a other shareware developer who've produced several interesting and useful Win 3.x/95/NT products and make them available as downloads on their site. Of most interest is their Internet Organiser (2.1Mb to 2.5Mb) which acts as a superior bookmark file for your Navigator, Explorer, AOL or Spry/NCSA Mosaic browser. Internet Organiser can import (or export) your existing bookmark file and allow you to annotate your bookmarks with considerably more details than current browser bookmark files permit; to search them, sort them - even illustrate them with icons or graphics if you wish. PrimaSoft's organiser comes with 300 top Internet sites built in, can be run in either a beginner or an advanced mode, and will even print labels and export data into DBFs! The current release retails for $33 but a new version with even more features is expected in May 1997. PrimaSoft also make a number of variations on the organiser which can be used to catalogue anything from stamp collections to software and hardware, so if you like the format and find it useful you'll probably be back for more. PrimaSoft also make AutoFTP for Win95/NT (1.4Mb to 2.3Mb) which - unlike most FTP programs - will allow you to do unattended FTP uploads or downloads; and a handy little Password Book (for Win 3.x/95/NT - 271K) which provides an easy-to-use place to store all your passwords, PIN numbers, phone numbers and the thousand-and-one other numbers you're expected to remember these days. Well worth a look if you'd like to remove any of these problems from your life.

Finally this update, something really unusual - a delightfully humorous Win 3.x/95/NT game from shareware author Scott Miller. You'll need at least a 486/66 with 8MHz or RAM and 256 colours to play it (a Pentium is better) and an interest in nonsense words and the patience to read the instructions will definitely help your enjoyment levels - but Nelda Nockbladder's Anatomy Lesson is good, clean fun and can easily keep a child amused for several hours on end (and that includes some big kids as well!). Nelda - who is variously assisted or thwarted by assorted friends and enemies - has to work her way through several arcade-like worlds to succeed in her quest to get back home and failure (unlike Doom) doesn't leave her in a pulped mess. Nice one, Scott!