14 DAY TRIAL // People are tired of low quality products, especially when it comes to computers, and we all want to keep them in perfect shape for as long as it is possible.
Taking care of a computer can be a little tricky at the beginning, but once you sense your computer is slowing down, hurry up and see what can be done to speed it up.
Ashampoo comes with a complete collection of softwares designed to improve the performance of your machine and not only that; they also offer defragmenting tools, firewalls, optimizers, etc. Looking at their applications, I noticed Ahampoo WinOptimizer Platinum 3. The Internet is crawling with this type of softwares and your only concern is choosing the one that has the options that you need.
WinOptimizer Platinum 3 is pretty strong from this point of view. The majority of the similar applications have prices between $20 and $50. This one comes for the maximum amount of $49.99. Let's see if this Platinum is worth the price.
I think we all know what Optimizers are good for and those that don't I am sure that will get the picture from this review.
Installing the software is easy and simple. The only stops you have to make are to choose the Task Planner and the Popup Blocker functions. After installing the application you will notice that there are two choices in the right lower part of the main window: Easy Mode and Expert Mode. The difference between them is that the latter will add a new option for each of the main menus.
The interface of Ashampoo WinOptimizer Platinum 3 can be considered a trend setter among Windows optimizers and tweakers. The colors, the arrangement of the options and the icons are simply astonishing. Everything is perfectly clear from the very beginning. There are no shadows or imperfections. But a software's functionality does not reside in its aesthetics and the features it is endowed with are more important.
The main window of the application reveals only five options, but each of them comes with its submenus that spice up the program. In the right corner there are the Options, Internet and Help menus that allow you to configure the application.
The Options menu contains settings like changing the language and the skin (if you have other than the default available). You can configure the Results Window, so as to hide the empty categories (to display only the essential) or to maximize it (full screen), but this latter option is available only for the Drive, Registry and Internet Cleaners.
If you have children in the house and do not want them to mess with your settings, you can apply a password to prevent unauthorized access. The drawback of the feature is that the password remains active even after reinstalling the software, so it is permanent.
The Additional Settings tab offers you the chance to reset all the settings if you suspect you made a mistake. The News Channels section gives the user a direct link with the developer and new releases of softwares, updates/upgrades.
The five categories I mentioned above are the tools for Cleaning, Tuning, Files and Tweaking and the 1-Click Optimization. We'll go only through some of them as the program (like any other optimizer) has a myriad options. I will begin with the last option, because it is very easy to use and does not give you headaches.
Choose this option if you want to optimize your OS with a single mouse click. It will automatically start the Drive, Registry and Internet Cleaners. Thus, in just a few seconds your computer will get rid of the unnecessary files, irrelevant registry entries and no longer used Internet files.
In the Cleaning tools, the user has the option of optimizing the drive (Drive Cleaner) by searching unnecessary files. The Registry Cleaner will detect and delete redundant or out of date registry entries. The Internet Cleaner option locates files created on your computer during your surfing of the Web and it will allow you to delete the Internet history. DLL Cleaner in this menu is enabled only in the Expert mode and it is used to get rid of those DLL files that are stored on the PC.
All the submenus in this module have the option of configuring the options.
The Tuning Tools category contains the Startup Tuner that allows you to edit the autostart entries (from Start menu and Registry), view and disable useless Windows services, edit the list of installed software, or restore/delete backups of the module.
IP spam blocker can be stopped or enabled according to your needs. The next option is actually a shortcut to some of the Windows Tools like Scandisk, Disk Defragmenter or System Restore. Internet Tuner is again an Expert Mode option and its purpose is to optimize the Internet connection if you are connected through a modem or equivalent dial-up adapter using the TCP/IP protocol. You can edit the protocol manually, test the connection by downloading a file from Ashampoo server, edit the IE plugins or restore/delete backup files for the module.
File Tools displays the following modules, which I am sure all of us understand: DiskSpace Explorer (learn how the space on your hard drive is used), File Wiper (permanently deletes files and folders), File Splitter and Joiner (split and reassemble large files), and the Expert Mode module, File encrypter and Decrypter (lock your files with a password).
The Tweaking Tools comprise the System Information (collects and displays comprehensive information on the hardware and software on your computer: CPU, Motherboard, Display, Logical Drives, Windows, Software, Network, IDE HDD, USB, Memory, Processes and Drivers), Tweaking (modify Windows system settings), Defrag (Ashampoo's own defragmenting "engine") and expert Mode's File Associator.
The Good
The program gives you lots of options for the user to maintain a clean, maintained computer. The interface of any Ashampoo software is special and nicely drawn and there is no exception to it.
The Bad
I was expecting an uninstaller in this suite, but I had to settle for the StartUp Tuner's editing of installed software. There is a stand alone Uninstaller from Ashampoo, though.
In the Cleaning Tools, all the module's options were in German, so I could not perceive the complete depth of the software. I guess even the best make mistakes.
I looked for the Task Planer, but I did not bump into it, so I guess this feature is for the paid version (although I have tested a full version).
The Truth
I think the software is a bit overrated compared to the price. And considering the quality of Ashampoo's other softwares this is a surprise to me.
Here are some snapshots of the application in action:
