Internet Explorer and Outlook Express are Browser and Mail applications that perform a required function.

However there are better options, namely Mozilla Firefox (Browser) and Mozilla Thunderbird (Mail). They are safe, secure and reliable. Once on your computer I doubt if they will be removed. Fix a PC recomends Mozilla.

Technically Thunderbird is on the wrong page. Maybe I will move it later. Thunderbird is a stand alone mail application in direct competition with Outlook Express and others. Mozilla (the parent company) have developed an add-on Calendar application named Lightning. Together these two apps make a formidable team. You will also need the add-on "Provider". Here are the setup instructions in PDF format. They can be synchronized with Google Calendar (A Google account is free), and your cell phone. Any changes made to one will automatically synchronize with the others. Not only that they can be shared with partners or colleagues. The icing on the cake is that the calendar can be accessed from anywhere because it is web based. Take a look at it and maybe give it a try.

Note: Regarding mail backup from Thunderbird. Download MozBackup. Provided that you installed TBird to its default settings, MozBackup will collect and store ALL your important files for later recovery. I store mine in My documents. Thus when I use Files and Settings Transfer when backing up windows I also backup my Thunderbird files. MozBackup will also backup Firefox.

Now that Social Networking has got everyone interested you may have a use for a fairly new product named Flock. Nice little intergrated browser.

Hardly the new kid on the block, but now available in vesion 10 and free to download is Opera. A very nice piece of software.

Also out now is Internet Exploer 8, your current version 6 will be automatically upgraded by Microsoft Update.