Posts filed under 'Software'
Google released a new tool this week called Google Desktop. I have a co-worker who raved about the previous version, so I decided to give the updated version a try. This totally free application allows you to search the files on your computer instantly.
If you’ve ever tried to use the search feature built into Windows, you know how useless it is. It’s extremely slow and can’t search inside many documents, let alone emails. Google Desktop is Apple’s Spotlight for Windows. It’s lightning fast and includes just about every type of searchable file your computer can store.
I am particularly impressed with the little Outlook plugin that allows me to quickly Google all of my emails. I had to use the help feature to find out how to search by the To, From, and Subject fields, but it’s a skill easily enough mastered. It’s a much better option than using the Outlook find operation.
This new version of Google Desktop comes a sidebar feature which is (I think) a secondary add-on to the search functionality. I don’t even use the sidebar, but my guess is many users will like it. The sidebar is a jack-of-all-trades application; it has email previews, web feeds, photo slide shows, a scratch pad, weather, etc. Basically everything you need to stay distracted and get no actual work done while you’re at your computer.
So, in summary, Google Desktop is a worthy choice because it’s free, fast, and functional. If you spend any significant time looking for old files or emails this tool is a must. If you’re prone to distraction, avoid the sidebar, but you gotta love the search.
August 26th, 2005
Even though computer hardware prices have plummeted, the software needed to run that shiny new computer is still pretty expensive. Microsoft Windows retails for about $200, the MS Office Suite is another couple hundred. Throw in anti-virus, a budgeting program, and some image/video editing software and you could easily spend $1000 on software alone — which is probably more than you spent on the computer itself.
Here are a few suggestions you can use to save money on computer software:
- If you need to upgrade your operating system to something recent, look into getting an OEM version. You will need to purchase hardware to qualify for the OEM version, but buying a cheap piece of hardware can save you at least $100 on your operating system.
- If you’re adventurous you can try one of the many flavors of the Linux operating system — it’s free.
- If you’re buying an office suite, try to qualify for an academic license. If you have kids in school or can even enroll for some night courses at the local community college you can qualify to save a nice chunk off the sticker price of MS Office. Also, there are some very good office suite alternatives available for free (see link below).
Since you’re probably an honest and upright individual, piracy is not an option. Here is a link to some great, totally free software. I have used many of these programs myself and can say that this list is pretty accurate when it says it has the best freeware out there. Many of the programs listed here give the expensive versions a very good run for the money. Some are even better than the paid versions for most uses.
August 21st, 2005
It’s not like me to be so far behind the technology curve. I was finally able to afford his gently used (a few scratches) 20 gig iPod. As a proud new owner, I can now understand and appreciate the iPod phenomenon.
This little piece of equipment is the real deal. The click wheel is an incredibly easy and intuitive interface. The battery life is good and the sound quality is great. The storage space is immense; my iPod contains several audiobooks, a couple podcasts, and neary a thousand songs and I still have 15 gigs left. You could spend your fortune just purchasing add-ons and accessories for the iPod — FM transmitters, skins, headphones, clips, armbands, car adapters, stereo speakers, you name it.
One of the unintended consequences of the iPod is the new phenomenon called podcasting. Unlike a radio broadcast, the podcast is a saved audio program can be replayed at the listener’s discretion. KSL offers podcasts of its shows; I’ve heard rumors that Rush Limbaugh is getting into the game. Steve Jobs (CEO of Apple) called podcasts “Wayne’s World for radio” but the future version of iTunes is going to support podcasting, so it is only going to grow. iPodder is free software that can help you subscribe and manage podcasts until iTunes gets in there. More about podcasting can be found at wikipedia.
If any of you find any podcasts worth listening to, please post them in the comments for this article — I still have plenty of space to fill on my iPod.
May 23rd, 2005
My laptop hard drive recently crashed. Not a fun experience. Anyway, after struggling to make sure I had correctly backed up my files I wondered how I was going to be productive on a computer without a hard drive.
I stumbled upon Knoppix, a Linux bootable CD. I had tried Knoppix several years ago when I was first trying to learn Linux, and was unimpressed. However, I was facing several days without a hard drive, and I still needed to use my laptop, so I decided to give Knoppix a try again to see what it would do.
I got a copy of the CD (it’s a free download), plugged it in, and turned on my laptop. I was interested to see what it would do without a hard drive. To my surprise, it booted right up and started recognizing my hardware. Even though I didn’t have a hard drive, Knoppix didn’t skip a beat. I was soon looking at a nice and clean interface.
Knoppix is full of programs you wouldn’t think would fit on a single CD. It has a great web browser (Mozilla Firefox), a full office suite (OpenOffice) that is compatible with Microsoft Office, and even a high-end graphics editor (GIMP). I was able to use all of these programs (plus literally hundreds of others) with no problems. Knoppix even created a virtual hard drive that I could use to save documents and files. As long as I didn’t turn off my laptop, I could reopen files, edit them and save as though I actually had a hard drive. Pretty slick.
Overall, I was surprised at how far Knoppix had come. I would definitely recommend Knoppix to anyone who wants to mess around with Linux and see what it has to offer as far as programs go. Oh, and by the way, it also works great if you have no hard drive and are waiting to get one back from the manufacturer.
September 7th, 2004
Have you ever wished you could access your home computer from work? Ever needed help troubleshooting a computer problem? Ever wanted to work on more than one computer at a time without switching seats? These are common computing problems all with one answer: remote computing.
Remote computing is surprisingly simple. Because most computers these days are connected to the same Internet, it is possible to control your computer at home from Uganda, Siberia, or even from work.
My favorite tool to use for remote computing is VNC. It’s fast, easy to use, and most importantly, it’s free.
I use VNC to control my Linux server I keep downstairs from my Windows XP laptop. VNC works between the two different operating systems without a hitch. VNC will allow simulaneous connections (unlike the Remote Desktop feature of Windows XP), so one user can see what the remote user is doing, which makes it great for showing Grandpa how to fix his printer settings. However, VNC isn’t perfect (yet). VNC doesn’t allow for file transfer (from the remote computer to the local one, or vice-versa), and you can’t copy and paste between remote and local computers either. A chat feature would also be nice, but I have seen users open Notepad and type notes back and forth — just make sure to play nicely and take turns.
I have heard of an open source project called Ultr@VNC which addresses some of the weaknesses of VNC, so if file transfer, copy and paste, and chat are important to you, it may be a good option for you.
June 15th, 2004
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