Software 

Shareware and Freeware

• Shareware.com links to other archives.  Includes Mac software. 
• TUCOWS (The Ultimate Collection of Winsock Software) has outgrown its name (winsock = TCP/IP network protocol driver) and now has graphics and other Windows tools.
• Simtel.net is one of the largest collections, including DOS-based and Windows software.

Cute Animated Games and Screen Toys

• Nstorm, makers of "Elf Bowling".
• ScreenMates.  (Programmed by CodeHammer [UK], marketed by AdTools.)
• Prog-Net, makers of Fred.

Windows Sounds and Gimmicks

• Windows Dressing [Netherlands].  Site is in Dutch but you can figure it out.  One of our favorites.
• Rhode Island Soft Systems makes screen savers and related products.

 Hardware 

• Dynamism is a grey-market importer of cool Japanese subnotebook PCs.
• PC World's Here's How to Upgrade Guide archive.
• Hooleon sells custom keyboards/keycaps/labels with braille, dvorak, international, etc. layouts.

 Leave Your Computer Running All the Time? 

• Defrag your hard disk.
• Help distributed.net strengthen encryption.
• Run SETI@home which, if nothing else, makes for a cool-looking screen saver.  You'd think this would be uncontroversial, but check out the "boycott SETI@home" page [ebb] and a FullOn3D rant and a bunch of geeks arguing about it [Slashdot].

 Viruses 

• Anti-virus software vendors: Datafellows, Symantec (SARC), Computer Associates, Command, IBM, IKARUS [Austria], Kaspersky Lab [Russia], Network Associates, Sophos [UK], Trend Micro.
• List of current viruses: IBM
• Hoaxes and Fake Viruses: ICSA, IBM
• ICSA is a computer security consulting outfit which publishes lists of certified anti-virus products but some of their info (e.g., their wildlist) is out of date.