Discussing Technology for Teachers and the Classroom
If you need to use the FTP protocol to upload and download files from a file server, check out Filezilla.
There are two primary methods of transferring files over the internet: HTTP and FTP.
Do you need a WYSIWYG web page editor? Check out Kompozer, an Open Source option for web page creation and editing.
OK, do you need to create a logo, touch up a photo, create a collage? Most people think of Adobe Photoshop for these tasks. In fact, Photoshop is often used as a verb when working with graphics.
Just let me photoshop it to remove the spots from that picture.
If you already have Adobe Photoshop and have knowledge on how to use it, then great. You have an extremely powerful tool at your disposal. However, for the rest of us who do not have $500 + to spend on a software program for the previous mentioned tasks, let me recommend GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program).
GIMP is yet another high quality Open Source application. GIMP’s features rival most commercial graphic editing package’s. Some of GIMP’s features include …
So, how to you check your email?
If you have Yahoo, Gmail, Hotmail, AOL Mail, etc, you are probably using a web browser to check your email. If so, this post probably will not concern you (unless you use Gmail).
Most other types of email will have what is called POP3 access. If so, you might be using a webmail interface or using an email client.
The most popular email client in use by PC users is Outlook Express (OE). OE comes standard with Windows. It is a decent email client, but often susceptible to attacks (due to its popularity and how it handles emails and attachments). Others use Microsoft Outlook (as part of the MS Office Suites). Outlook is a useful program with a lot of features. Unfortunately, Outlook also has similar vulnerabilities as OE. Also, some corporate mail systems require Outlook. Therefore many corporate mail users must use Outlook for their email systems.
For those PC users who want a safer email reader for their POP3 email, the best alternative is Mozilla’s Thunderbird. Thunderbird is an Open Source email client from the same development team who brought us Mozilla Firefox.
Thunderbird has several advantages over OE. First, it is somewhat safer in how it handles email and attachments. Second, it includes a RSS Feed Reader (more on this later), Third, it can be run as a Portable Application (more on this later). Finally, its data files are easier to locate and backup than OE’s.
By the way, if you are a Gmail user, you can setup your Gmail account in Thunderbird to use POP3 email readers.
So, what do you use as your primary browser? For better or worse, you have several choices for web browsing.
Most PC users are still using Internet Explorer. However, over the past year I have noticed more and more mainstream PC users begin to use Firefox. Firefox is my current default browser. However, it is not my only browser. I also use Internet Explorer and Opera (depending on my task).
Why do I prefer Firefox? Its not because I am anti-Microsoft. In fact, I like a lot of Microsoft products. I like Firefox 3’s performance and optional plugins to enhance my web browsing. Thanks to the support of the Open Source Community, there are hundreds of additional plugins for Firefox that add functionality to basic browsing.
If you need to record and edit audio on a PC, you have plenty of choices. Some are good; some are junk. Some are fairly inexpensive; others are extremely cost prohibitive to anyone without the last name of Jobs or Trump.
My main audio editor of choice is Audacity. It is an Open Source (FREE!!!) audio editor for Windows, Linux, and Mac.
You can use Audacity to:
- Record live audio.
- Convert tapes and records into digital recordings or CDs.
- Edit Ogg Vorbis, MP3, WAV or AIFF sound files.
- Cut, copy, splice or mix sounds together.
- Change the speed or pitch of a recording.
- And more! See the complete list of features.
By now, most people have heard of Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Access). MS Office can be found on most business computers (hopefully legally). In addition, most schools require students to use Office for many of their assignments. However, not all computers come with a fully functional copy of MS Office. By fully functional, I am not referring to Microsoft’s trialware version of Office which allows people to use the software for a specific # of days. I have lost count of the # of people who thought that the computer they purchased last year came with MS Office for free, then did not understand why MS Office stopped working after the trialware expired.
If you really want MS Office, then you can pay the $100 + to upgrade your trialware version or pay $200 to $400 for a full version (depending on the exact Office package you purchase). Or you can go to www.openoffice.org to download a free version of an Office Productivity Suite that is compatible with the common MS Office applications.
Advantages of using Open Office:
Is Open Office for you? That depends on your needs and wants. Most people who have Microsoft Office do not come close to fully utilizing the program’s capabilities. In many cases, Open Office will more than enough cover individual needs in an office productivity package. If you want a program that has all of the same eye candy and bells and whistles of Microsoft Office 2007, then Open Office 2.x will not fit that bill. You should go ahead and purchase MS Office 2007. On my personal laptops, I still use Microsoft Office 2003 for most of my office productivity work. However, I also use Open Office as well. On computers that I do not already have a Microsoft Office license to install, then Open Office is an excellent and very cost effective alternative.
Ok, how many times do you read about or see something on TV or the Internet about Free Stuff? Now, how many of those “free deals” do you think are actually free? While it is true that “free”, is usually equated with “too good to be true”, this is not always the case with computer software. Below I will detail some differences among common types of “free” software.
Sharware is a common category of software available for downloading via the internet. Shareware is software that is distributed by the honor system. Most shareware delivered free of charge, but the author may require payment in order to continue to use the software. In some cases, payment may be required in order to unlock extra features. Like freeware, the source code is not made available. Some shareware programs also include Spyware and Adware. Therefore, when you use shareware applications, you do not know exactly what might be happening behind the scenes. If you decide to try out Shareware programs… 1.) be sure to keep your anti-virus software up to date, and 2.) Download and Use Shareware sparingly. The more software you download and install in Windows, the slower your system will become (more on this in a later post).
Freeware is software given away for free by the author. The source code for the software is not made available. Like Shareware, Freeware might also contain Spyware and Adware. Therefore, when you use freeware applications, you do not know exactly what might be happening behind the scenes.
Illegally shared software is another option. I will not go into much detail on this. However, I like to use this analogy…
You have just played an intense game of basketball outside in 95 degrees. You see a refreshing bottle of a sports drink on a park table. A local radio station was giving away sports drinks about an hour ago. This bottle has the radio station’s sticker on it, so you know this is one of their free drinks. No one is around and you are really thirsty. Since the drinks were free and the people sitting at the table have left, you don’t feel bad about using that drink to refresh yourself. When you pick up the drink, you notice the cap is loose and the safety seal on the cap has been broken. You examine the level of liquid and cannot tell if any one has taken a drink or not.
Now, would you take a drink from the bottle? Hopefully your answer is a definite “NO”. If I ask why not, most responses might be something like …
I don’t know who was drinking from it.
I don’t know if the drink has backwash in it.
If so, then why would you download software from someone you do not know. Who knows what type of Spyware, Adware, Trojan Horse, Worm, Virus, or other Malware might be attached to that program.
Open Source is free by definition. If the author puts software out as open source, but then says you can use it for 10 days and then must pay $25, this is not open source. In addition, software authors must make the source code of the program available to the public. While most of us will look at the source code and not know what it means, the developer community will usually pick apart any malicious open source software. Word will get out about bad code in the program. Therefore, open source applications tend to be safer to use. With this said, this does not mean that some bad software might slip through the cracks. So, be sure to keep your anti-virus software up to date. Also, just because it is open source, does not mean the program is free from bugs or will not be incompatible with your other applications. As with all software, be careful what you install and how often. Your computer will tend to slow down the more you install software on it.
Some Freeware is good, some is bad.
Some Shareware is good, some is bad.
Some Open Source Software is good, some is bad. However, I feel a lot safer using Open Source than they other two types.
Have you ever wanted to perform a specific task on your computer, but found that the cost of most of the professional software out there was your biggest roadblock? If so, the Open Source community can probably provide you with a very cost effective solution.
The Open Source community consists of software developers who work together to provide a wide variety free software applications. Some of the open source software you come across might seem buggy and amateurish, but a lot of open source software is well written and of professional quality. The quality will vary depending on the project’s popularity. Popular projects such as Linux and OpenOffice get a lot of attention; therefore also get a lot of development time. Current versions of Linux (Operating System) and OpenOffice (Productivity Suite) rival the quality of Microsoft Windows and Microsoft Office.
By definition, Open Source Software is free. So if you need software to fulfill a need, try searching on your topic and including “open source” in the search string. For example, if I am looking for Graphic Editing Software on Google, I will get links to several programs from Adobe and Corel*. However, if I alter my Google search for Graphic Editing Open Source Software, the first result if GIMP, an open source graphic editing package.
* Search Engine Results are likely to change by the team you read this post, but you should get the general idea.
Do you use instant messengers? Do all of your relatives, friends, and colleagues use the same messenger service?
If you are like me, you have some contacts using AIM, some using MSN, some using Yahoo, etc.
One solution is to download and install the messaging app for each. This can be a pain to keep up with. This also means that each messaging client must be running to get messages, thus eating up your system’s resources.
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bk’s TimeToast Timelines