Tuesday, October 2nd, 2007

Down to Basics - Part II: Top 5 Applications for the Average Professional

There is often a software/web application produced for every useful feasible thing you can wish for - e.g. to rip off that youtube video for your presentation (google for it!), or a 3rd party to enable wonderful effects you see in Mac keynotes for your MS Powerpoint. Such is the power of Internet, where individuals all around the world share ideas and constantly innovate being aware of a potential huge global market.

It thus amazes me how poorly equipped is the average professional down the streets is when it comes to their machine. To most of them, a notebook is probably simply a tool to use MS Word, PPT. Hopefully, this post would be useful to professionals like yourself in determining the must-have applications you should have in your laptop in order to facilitate your projects and lifestyle. (DISCLAIMER: This post assumes users use Windows OS, and I am in no way affiliated to any of the following products or companies).

Note, on top of this list #0 would definitely be Mozilla for me - It is too good, too sacred to be even ranked on this list, and of course, deserves no mention since its akin to telling you water is necessary for you.

#1 - DriveImage XML : This software ranks number 1 in my list for very good reasons; It is free, easy to use, and saves lives (by preventing heart attacks and suicide attempts). Data Backup, at least on a fortnightly basis is good practice but few professionals religiously do it because they complain they have no time. This is a clear fallacy - you only need to leave your machine overnight after spending last than 30 seconds starting it. You should also use an external HDD to store your image in, so when your HDD crashes, your backup still survives on a separate element.

#2 - ScreenPrint : One of my favorite utilities on my laptop. This software is also free, and allow me to put together a presentation or report quickly by bypassing cropping, editing, resizing optimally any print screens. It is number 2 on my list, also because of its user friendliness and minimal resource requirement.

# 3 - AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition : Again, a freeware that is hugely popular. I do not have to elaborate how critical Anti-Virus softwares are: They are simply a necessity in modern systems. AVG is my alternative on machines that do no have bundled anti-virus solutions. The only downside is the occasional advertisements that that does not bother me. For added security, I recommend upgrades or Trendmicro’s online web scan - HouseCall

# 4 - CCleaner : This is one utility I use every week - to clean up the hundreds of megabytes that clog my temp folder after I unzip files or uninstall any obsolete applications, or the pile of chunks that resides in my Mozilla or IE repository. I also use CCleaner just before I do my defragmenting, just to save more time and to avoid processing negligible files.

# 5 - Microsoft Outlook : Not the most perfect application, but definitely the best in the trade for me. The fact that it supports Exchange, which is commonly used in many Organisation, alone justifies its no. 5 spot. I have minimal complaints about its Calendar, Notes and Task functions too - except that it should support a 7 days view in a way similar to 5 days view especially for wide-screen users (there may be 3rd party solutions, or is implemented in Outlook 2007). I frequently ‘abuse’ the spell check, the easy of attaching files via copy & paste, and the compatibility when sync-ing with many modern Smart Phones using Windows Mobile OS. There is also a handful of 3rd party software supporting syncing with Palm OS as well (I personally use Tungsten and is currently evaluating such solutions like Beyond Contacts and Keysuite - work like a charm!)

There you go, my interim top 5 applications for the average professionals - subject to changes. If you have anymore suggestions, or objections, share it right here!