ELM Bulletin - October 31, 2008
Favourite Software
Reviewing past ELM Bulletins, we noticed that it's been some time since we updated our list of useful software. With this month's ELM Bulletin we issue an updated list of software that we have found useful over the past year. Every utility in this list has been tested on our own systems and is free for both corporate and personal use. Please check with your IT staff before installing them on your business systems.
1 - PDF Creation: Bullzip PDF Printer - Replacing CutePDF as our favourite PDF utility, the free Bullzip PDF Printer enables you to save anything that can be displayed on your computer as a PDF file that can be read in the Adobe Acrobat Reader. Once installed, Bullzip will appear as an entry in your Start Menu and as an icon in your Printers folder. From each of these entry points you can access Bullzip PDF Printer to adjust it to produce PDF files to your liking. Bullzip PDF Printer is available here.
2 - File Compression/Extraction: 7-Zip File Manager - Shortly after our previous list of useful software was released we found that 7-Zip was a superior to the Zip Genius software that appeared on that list. 7-Zip integrates smoothly with any current version of Windows and offers enhanced management of files compressed in the ZIP format as well as a multitude of other formats. Combining ease of use with blazing speed, 7-Zip is the best compression utility we have encountered. 7-Zip is available here.
3 - Calculator: Excalibur 32 Bit - So far as it goes, the calculator that comes with Windows is a useful tool. But it sometimes doesn't go very far. Enter Excalibur 32 Bit, a high quality, RPN calculator with features that would make a physicist weep for joy. With many scientific, statistical and business calculations and a useful interface, Excalibur 32 Bit is a top flight and highly recommended calculator. Excalibur 32 Bit is available here.
4 - Desktop Enhancement: Switcher - Available only for Windows Vista, Switcher is a nice little program that does one thing very well. No matter how many programs are open, pressing a simple key combination will show on one screen a thumbnail of every one of them at its current state. The beauty of Switcher is that it eliminates ALT-TABbing through countless open programs to find the one you want by displaying all open programs at once and enabling you to click the mouse on the one you want. Switcher is available here.
5 - Desktop Enhancement: Any Wallpaper - Although not quite as useful as Switcher, Any Wallpaper is a wonderful little program that regularly changes your desktop background. Simply point Any Wallpaper to the folder containing the backgrounds you want to use, set the interval, and let it do its thing - giving you a new background every so often to liven up your computer. Any Wallpaper is available here.
6 - Image Processing: GIMP - With the abundance of high quality and low cost digital cameras now on the market, any one of us may be tempted to be the next Ansel Adams. One thing that can help in that regard is a quality image editor. Most of us have heard of Adobe Photoshop but not all are aware of a free alternative named The GIMP. Contrary to its name, The GIMP is a powerful image editor with similar capability to Photoshop. Regular updates and a large online community mean that any bugs and/or questions will find a speedy resolution. The GIMP is available here.
7 - Image Processing: Paint.NET - Sometimes smaller is better, sometimes not. For those times when you only have minor image retouching to do Paint.NET will fill the bill. Paint.NET is not as powerful or full-featured as The GIMP but it is far more capable than the tiny Paint program that has been bundled with Windows since its earliest versions. Paint.NET requires Microsoft's .NET Framework. Paint.NET is available here.
8 - World Information: CIA World Factbook - While it is technically not a utility, the CIA World Factbook contains a wealth of information on any country on earth. From population demographics to geographical features to trade treaties to maps, the Factbook provides more the information than anyone could want about any country, known and unknown. The CIA World Factbook is available here.
As always, please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions about this or any other issue.
Past issues of the ELM Bulletin are available from our website, feel free to forward them to anyone you wish.
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