Link collection

Search engines:

• Google is one of the best search engines. Not that it finds the biggest amount of pages, but it hardly ever lists fake pages or mentions them twice (sick of popup XXX pages? try this one). It's also one of the cleanest engines, loads fast because it has no banners and other pictures.
• Alta Vista is one of the first generation, gives a lot more matches, so if you can't find what you want in a limited list, you can try it.
• Ask Jeeves is an excellent solution if you're not quite sure what you want, or want to try your luck in more than one engine at a time.
• Yahoo is one of the first, but has turned into a general "portal". Still features the search-engine of course.

• GNU/Debian, a Linux distribution which focuses more on security than new versions.
• RedHat is one of the most popular and easy to use distributions, download available.
• SUSE is also one of the most popular and easy to use distributions and contains even more programs than RedHat (which explains why the full version has over 6 cd's).
• Freshmeat, which is not a dirty site, but contains a (Linux) software archive which is daily updated.

• SysInternals contains a lot of background information on Windows (NT/2K mostly). It also features handy utilities that can be used to make life with Windows easier for powerusers.
• NT-FAQ, the name says it all.

• Tucows, The Ultimate Collection Of Windows Software (the one with the cows). Also checkout local mirrors of the site (in The Netherlands Tucows XS4ALL for example).
• CNet also includes "download.com", about the same as Tucows, but undoubtly lists different programs.
• NoNags features ducks, instead of cows. The best thing about NoNags is that they only show freeware.

• Tiler.com has an excellent utility called "FreeMeter" which works nicer than the WindowsNT taskmanager.
• WinAmp not only contains the most often used MP3-player (also plays lots of other music files), but also lists hundreds of plugins.
• VirtuaWin is a freeware program which allows you to use "multiple desktops", something I can no longer live without (after using the principle on Unix systems).

• CERT provides lists of major problems with OS or programs (including dangerous virii/worms).
• SANS keeps track of the spreading of problems (like worms).
• ZoneAlarm is a freeware firewall.
• Kaspersky AntiVirus is one of the best anti-virus programs and my personal favourite.

• Userfriendly the comic strip, a hilarious comic, mostly interesting for people who have at least a little knowledge of computers (geeks and nerds invited). If you like it, it's worth reading the archive...
• Slashdot, news for nerds kinda says it all. News, facts, links to stories, stuff that matters.
• Segfault is the alternative site that contains a lot of news and faked news items. Not for everyday reading, but nice when you're bored.

Don't be surprised if you find links from one of the pages above, to one of the other pages also mentioned above. Most sites kinda support eachother, and if you like one, you are likely to enjoy others as well.