Ed Cyzewski: Freelance Writer » Software

30 Free Programs

Ed C — Sat, 02 Dec 2006 04:08:49 +0000

The Simple Dollar has a great list with 30 great programs to download. All are free and all are immensely useful, pending of course on what you need.

Software Tips

Ed C — Fri, 27 Oct 2006 15:11:03 +0000

With the arrival of Firefox 2.0, I shared some tips on free software options over at the Northshire Non-Profit Network site.

My particular favorite right now is my Google account. Google now offers Gmail, word processing, a calendar, and spreadsheets. You can’t beat free!

More Free Software

Ed C — Mon, 24 Apr 2006 13:58:39 +0000

After five days out of town in West Virginia for a little bit of hiking, we’re back home. In trying to catch up on my favorite blogs, I found a link at Jordon Cooper’s blog to a nice site full of links to open source software and other free downloads. Some of it is junk, some of it is just for fun, but there are some wonderful finds there. By using these products you can put aside, Norton Anti-Virus, Microsoft Office, Adobe pdf Maker, Adobe Photoshop, Dreamweaver, and a bunch of other programs that will run up a bill in the $1,000’s.

Check out econsultant’s list.

Technorati Tags: freeware

Tech Soup

Ed C — Tue, 14 Feb 2006 15:33:59 +0000

Tech Soup is a non-profit techonology service. From their about page:

“Powered by CompuMentor, one of the nation’s oldest and largest nonprofit technology assistance agencies, TechSoup.org offers nonprofits a one-stop resource for technology needs by providing free information, resources, and support. In addition to online information and resources, we offer a product philanthropy service called TechSoup Stock. Here, nonprofits can access donated and discounted technology products, generously provided by corporate and nonprofit technology partners.

We believe that technology can enhance nonprofit work, making us more efficient and better able to serve our communities. We never lose sight of that goal.”

A friend just e-mailed me the following deal from tech soup:

“Happy Valentine’s Day, Nonprofits! This February 14, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. only, GrantStation and TechSoup Stock are sharing the love — by offering eligible nonprofits specially discounted GrantStation PRO memberships for only $90. Each GrantStation PRO membership includes instant access to a searchable database of thousands of pre-screened foundation and corporate grantmakers that are actively accepting proposals from nonprofits. “

Link to the tech soup home page.

PagePlus 1.0 Review

Ed C — Sun, 12 Feb 2006 16:44:20 +0000

After using PagePlus for over a month, I’ve had some time to acquaint myself with its quirks and advantages.

Advantages:

It’s free! You can’t beat a free program that provides the flexibility you need to do all kinds of publishing. There are a number of free templates that you can download online. The layout options, though different than Publisher, are fairly diverse and provide options for brochures, newsletters, etc. The program itself runs very well, never slowing down the computer like Publisher often does. There are tons of fonts to choose from and you basically have all of the text editing tools that you could think of.

Disadvantages:

It did crash when I tried to import a .wmf clipart file I found on the Net and again when I tried to import either a .bmp or .gif (I can’t remember which)…But I have been able to download .jpg files. Make sure you save often! Layering text boxes can be a bit tricky and frustrating. If you figured out Publisher, you should be able to navigate it nonetheless. The templates are a bit limited, but you can customize them if you have the patience.
There is more I could say, but this gives you a glimpse of PagePlus. It’s worth downloading and playing with it. The money you save by not purchasing Publisher makes it worth a slight learning curve.