Text editors are ten a penny, but finding one that has the perfect blend of speed and functionality can be difficult. This is where AkelPad is a little different. Out of the box, it is a very basic, light-weight and speedy text editor that can be used for everything from coding to taking notes, but support for plugins means that the application can be tailored to suit your needs.

If you have Total Commander installed, AkelPad can be installed as the default editor for use with the program's file manager, but it works equally well as a standalone application. The installation process also give you the option of replacing Windows Notepad with AkelPad - this is something that could be achieved manually, but it is nice to see that the option can also be taken care of automatically.

The application can be used to create and edit all manner of text based files, and its seeming simplicity makes it ideal for coding and HTML work. For some people, the interface and options available in AkelPad may seem a little limited, but this can soon be addressed through the use of plugins.

There are a huge number of plugins that can be accessed through the program's menus, and these can be used to add everything from standard toolbars and features such as a spell checker to advanced search and formatting options. The beauty of the app is that you can choose exactly which options should be enabled so you are not overwhelmed with tools and features that you will never use.

Note that this is the portable version of Akelpad.