Carputers News and Computer Tips

Josh Catone writes for Read/WriteWeb:

“These are my choices for the best of breed online word processor, spreadsheet, presentation tool, calendar, email app, groupware, file storage, RSS reader, contact manager, and to do list.”

A similar article from the same site and author is called Rolling Your Own Online Office.  It was written earlier this year and has some good suggestions as well.

This accompanies our recent posts entitled The top 100 Webware sites for 2007 and the list of one hundred free online applications. 

Kyle Monson writes:

So here’s the fun stuff: Our list of the new and/or undiscovered Web sites that have grabbed our attention this year. You’ll see a large collection of Web applications and tech sites, excellent blogs, offbeat social networks, and, as always, a handful of addictive Flash games for those slow days at work.

Some of these sites are completely under the radar and get very little traffic. Others are hugely popular within a specific demographic. But all of them deserve to be in your bookmarks.

You can also download our Top 100 Classic Web Sites list directly to your favorites/bookmarks.

There are some real gems here.  We’re fans of Hard to Find 800 Numbers, Mashable, and Zamzar.  

Forget useless desktop apps and piles of paperwork: there are now thousands of small and medium-sized businesses managing all their affairs with online applications. After an exhaustive hunt, Mashable has rounded up more than 230 of the leading online applications for super-productive companies.

Apple makes it easy to copy music from your PC onto your computer using iTunes.  They’ve never made it easy to move your music OFF of your iPod (in the other direction).  Many iPod owners have lost computer hard drives full of music due to hard drive failure.  The following links will show how to “reclaim” your music off of your iPod should you ever need to.

The Wired Wiki has a good tutorial on this, as do our friends over at Lifehacker.  

Finally, why not use (or at least try) an alternative to iTunes that will make the process of managing your music collection easier?

From the Unofficial Google Operating System blog:

Google Pack, the collection of applications recommended by Google, includes a new software: StarOffice, an office suite developed by Sun. In 2000 Sun released StarOffice’s source code, which became the foundation of OpenOffice.org, an open source project sponsored by Sun.

The posting has full details.  StarOffice normally sells for about $70, but Google is making it available for free.

StarOffice is very similar to OpenOffice.org.  For a list of differences, see the OpenOffice.org FAQ along with the StarOffice FAQ.

As we’ve stated here before, either would be a good choice for 90% of the office suite users out there.

Edit 08/14/2007: 

Ryan over at CyberNet News has a good article on this as well.

Why can’t I see all the available programs on the Google Pack homepage?  If you cannot see StarOffice as one of the choices at http://pack.google.com, go to Add/Remove Programs, uninstall the Google Updater and then visit http://pack.google.com again and follow the directions there to download.

Also, Google has verified that the Google Updater and all of the available Google Pack software may be legitimately used in a business environment. See the response by the Google Pack Guide in this discussion.  We make this important distinction because many freeware licenses stipulate home or non-commercial use only.

In order to install the Google Updater and the programs offered through Google Pack (including StarOffice), please use Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0 or above or Mozilla Firefox 1.0 or above. You must also have Microsoft Windows XP or Windows Vista with administrator privileges on your computer.

David Weiss writes:

“Over the past few years, webware has matured to the point that almost anything you can do with desktop software, can now be done with a free webware alternative.  Webware allows you to access your programs at any time from anywhere in the world, without having to bring your computer along.”

We are in complete agreement with Mr. Weiss’ statement.  The availability of low cost high-speed internet access is certainly a big factor in this as well.  

To accompany our recent post entitled The top 100 Webware sites for 2007, here’s a list of one hundred free online applications.

Some of you still are, for whatever the reason.  If you still are, here are a couple of resources:

Windows 98 + ME *still* alive campaign

98 FE + 98 SE + ME updates + patches + (hot)fixes

Though these operating systems are no longer supported by Microsoft, there remains a group of enthusiasts and volunteers who make free support and patches available for these systems.

As a follow-up to our recent Free Services and Software for Business post, here’s a list from the Bootstrapper blog.  Christina Laun writes:

“Starting and running a business can be a pricey endeavor, but not everything has to be expensive. From printers to a wide variety of great freeware, the internet is chock full of free stuff that can help out the poor entrepreneur. Here’s a list of 100 free products and services that can help you save money as you grow your business.”

We can help your small business get the most “bang for the buck” out of your computer systems as well.  We provide timely service, expert advice (explained in non-geek terms…) and low cost alternatives to pricey equipment and software packages.  Contact us for details!  

From the TEDBlog:

“TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design. It started out (in 1984) as a conference bringing together people from those three worlds. Since then its scope has become ever broader.”

“The Web is constantly turning out new and extraordinary services many of us are unfamiliar with. During TED University at this spring’s TED2007 in Monterey, Julius Wiedemann, editor in charge at Taschen GmbH, offered an ultra-fast-moving ride through sites in many different areas, from art, design and illustration, to daily news, blogs and curiosity. Now, by popular demand, here’s his list of 100 websites you should know and use.”

Categories include Curiosity and Knowledge, Graphics, Music and Arts, E-Commerce Experience, Searching and Finding, Online Resources, and Top Interactive Experience Creators.

From adelader.com:

This two page Google Cheat Sheet lists all Google services and tools as well as background information. The Cheat Sheet offers a great reference to grasp of basic to advanced Google query building concepts and ideas.

Of course, Google has its own official Cheat Sheet, too, along with a great series of Search Guides to help you use Google more efficiently.

In addition to providing easy access to billions of web pages, Google has many special features to help you to find exactly what you’re looking for.

Edit 08/07/2007: 

While we are on the subject of Google, be sure to also check out Marc and Angel’s 7 Clever Google Tricks Worth Knowing, along with our previous post entitled 20 Tips for More Efficient Google Searches.

Edit 08/09/2007:

Here’s another cheat sheet from GoogleGuide.  This one has both online and printable .pdf examples.