It's all about the Web.

Use these programs to make your Internet experience better

After just five years of widespread availability, the Internet is already approaching mass media status. Accompanying the Net's tremendous growth has been an attendant frustration with its shortcomings. Most Internet users can cite recurring problems, from slow page downloads to unwieldy search engines. Not to worry. Just as surely as there's money to be made from this medium, programmers and entrepreneurs are vying to solve your Internet headaches with just the right programming pill. While there is no panacea, innovative applications can help make your experiences more productive and enjoyable.

Research is one of the most common utilities of the Internet. Whether you're comparison shopping or writing a thesis, you're likely to find a wealth of resources on the Web. However, compiling, saving and sharing that information is often a more trying experience than the actual search. Sending e-mail with attachments raises issues of compatibility (i.e., which version of Microsoft Word or Excel the recipient is using) and convenience. KeeBoo (www.keeboo.com) hopes to change all that by using a unique booklike interface that lets you copy documents, graphic fries, Websites and more for easy reference and sharing over the Web.

KeeBoo is a free utility that lets you "drag and drop" information and arrange it to your liking. The program automatically creates a table of contents, chapters and a searchable index. You can also highlight text and use "sticky" notes to add comments to certain pages. To share it with friends or colleagues all you need to do is send it via email and they'll be able to open the file in a standard browser (version 4.0 or higher). KeeBoo is a good family, friends and business associates, allowing you to collect and share pictures, favorite Websites, investment information and presentations. It really does make Web communication and collaboration easier.

For more immediate online assistance, perhaps www.ezlogin.com can fit the bill. Ezlogin's main purpose is to alleviate the hassle of registering at several Websites during each surfing session. It also lets you fill out multiple registration profiles that automatically transfer the information to the registration forms at sites where the data is required. At press time, only a beta version of this service was available and the kinks hadn't yet been worked out.

The most intriguing feature of Ezlogin is the Surf Room capability. Surf Rooms allow members to share a surfing experience. For instance, you can provide friends with a guided tour of your favorite site or conduct joint research.

If you're really sick and tired of trying to remember passwords, try Emmasofts's Darn! Passwords! password storage utility. Now you will need to know only one master password to access all your user names and passwords held within Darn! Passwords!'s database. For each Website that requires a password, you simply enter the name of the site, the user name, password and the URL. The same goes for an application located on your PC, but instead of entering a URL, you enter the shortcut to that application.

Type in your master password and then launch your browser or application by clicking a button. Once the Web page or application is loaded, just drag and drop the user name and password assigned to it. If you share your PC with others, Darn! Passwords! can hold more than one account. That way a co-worker or family member can create their own account with their own master password. They will be able to access only their information. Download a trial version of Darn! Passwords! at www.emmasoft.com/darn/darnpw.html or call EmmaSoft Software Co. at 607-533-4685.

As the Net matures, you can be sure that you'll find utilities of every sort to improve your surfing experience.