Windows Explorer keeps getting a tiny bit better with each new Windows release. But for some reason Microsoft refuses to offer one thing that many other file managers have had for years: a two-pane window. If you want to copy files from one folder to another, you need to open two separate Explorer windows.

There are a whole slew of free replacements for Windows Explorer. But one of the new kids on the freeware block is AccelMan, a utility that you used to have to pay for, but which was recently set free. Make sure to download and install the registry key from the download page or you'll just get a 30 day free trial.

In addition to a two-pane window, AccelMan has a ton of powerful features, including:

• A built in media player with a playlist manager
  
• A file viewer that will show images, PDF, Office, and other documents
• The image viewer includes basic editing capabilities
• Install TrueType Fonts without using the Control Panel
• Compress and extract files in 15 formats including ZIP, RAR, TAR, ACE, and GZIP
• Built-in file splitter
• Hexadecimal editor

AccelMan is also extraordinarily customizable. There are about a dozen different schemes to choose from, or you can tweak the interface yourself and save a new scheme.