As a real estate software developer, I spend a lot of time on my computer. As a result, in addition to numerous software applications required to maintain my software and web site, I need a ton of computer utilities to keep my computer optimized and operating in peak performance. Since you're reading this article, it's safe to assume that you do, too; therefore, I thought it needful to share 5 utilities that I found on the web that don't cost a cent. These quality utilities are FREE! Moreover, they work perfectly. Unfortunately, this article directory prevents multiple hyperlinks in the content, so you will have to copy and paste the url in your browser. 1. Secure Zip Express - This free utility by PKW zips and unzips files. There is an upgradeable version that does cost, but this free download works very well. URL: http://www.pkware.com/software-data-security/free 2. Glary Utilities - This is a suite of utilities including customizable cleaning tools for your hard drive, registry, and shortcuts. I found this in "Smart Computing - Oct 2008" and really like it. Just excercise caution whenever you clean your registry. URL: http://www.glaryutilities.com 3. PDF Creator - This free tool creates PDF files from nearly any Windows application. This is a great alternative to other PDF utilities costing hundreds of dollars. URL: http://www.pdfforge.org/products/pdfcreator/ 4. AVG Free Anti-Virus - This free software offers very good protection against viruses and spyware. URL: http://free.avg.com/homepage-appf8 5. Mozilla Firefox - This browser is far better way to browse the web than with Internet Explorer. In addition to many bells and whistles, it's also been said to provide better security than IE. URL: http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/ Please understand even though these utilities have been downloaded by others thousands of time without incident, I cannot be responsible for their performance. Moreover, as stated earlier, my business is real estate investment software; I'm not associated with these companies in any way. It just seemed like a friendly thing to let you know about them. Hopefully you agree. About The Author About the Author James Kobzeff is the developer of ProAPOD - superior real estate investment software since 2000. Create an APOD in minutes! Go to => www.proapod.com Preview a sample APOD at => sample APOD. Follow > APOD.