More Good Stuff

Wrapping up the year just past - where did it all go ? - here's a some more stuff which I use regularly and reliably.
FIREFOX - the best web browser for me. I do use IE 7.0 and like its facilities, but the Fox is faster and easier to use, especially if using the "Vista-Aero" IE7 clone theme.
COBIAN BACKUP - I've mentioned Cobian Backup previously and use it on all my Windows PCs. The new Vista PC (aka BigBox) now backups to internal and external drives, and if I can get it sorted out will have a wireless NAS in the New Year, yet more rescued kit pressed into service.
AVG7.5 Free - I fix loads of nasty infected PCs but never seem to be hit by viruses or spyware/malware. Thanks in part to AVG 7.5 Free edition, which now auto updates on at least a daily basis, which indicates that there are a whole load of nasties out there.
AVAST! Anti-Virus - and this is the other protection tool. Auto updates and verbally tells you that it has done so. Good marketing trick, audible reassurance that you are protected. Also gives one years free protection when you register on the site with your email address.
SPYBOT - yet another extremely useful free utility - removes Spyware/Malware etc, used in conjunction with
ADAWARE - which does the same as Spybot, but always throws up a wee bit more. These two are essential & should be used to scan your PC every month or so.
BLOGGER - yeah! this is it! - wish I had more time to update it more often but I do have a life to live.......... B-)
KOMPOZER - this is a free website design tool which is the "fix" for NVU which I have used previously to create & maintain my website. Which is another thing that I don't get a lot of time to do.........
POWERPOINT - I use this quite a lot at my "day job" and although I did not like using it to begin with, I've grown accustomed to it. I won't even admit to being an expert, but I have produced some good enterprise dashboards with it, one set actually being called "funky" !!
CX NOW! - a free application from Business Objects, which I use to add interest to the graphs I produce.
The promo sez: "CX Now is the free, fun and easy software that transforms your everyday Excel spreadsheets into persuasive presentations and dynamic business dashboards, and then share them easily via Microsoft PowerPoint, Word, or the Web. Download CX Now In 5 minutes you will transform a dull spreadsheet into an interactive and persuasive PowerPoint presentation. Move a slider, and watch your column chart change. Push a button, and see your projected sales for the next three years. It's that easy. Don't bore another audience with the same old static presentations."
OK Dokey - the reality is that CX Now! makes a boring or poor graph into an interesting & interactive graphic. End of Story. To do the rest requires investment in the other Business Objects applications, and also a lot of time investment as well. However the results I have produced so far do the job for the client. Good Enuff 4 me!
VISTA - yep, MicroSoft VISTA - I have it on two PCs and its pretty good, either that or I have got used to looking at it. It freezes often, especially on the iDeq PC, and it still won't do simple things like copy CDs easily, or write DVDs, and it requires tweaking to work with some older applications, but for the large part it is a useful and usable operating system. Mind you, I do have it customised a fair bit with sidebar apps which I would use regularly, and which with just a wee bit of effort could easily be replicated in Windows XP. Furthermore, I am convinced that the reason that Vista runs so smoothly most of the time is the amount of RAM which is installed - 2Gb on both PCs.
TOSHIBA LAPTOP - I resurrected a damaged Toshiba L20 a while back, basically a complete rebuild with new components. Apart from the mousepad & buttons not working everything else is just dandy. Yet again, the 2Gb of installed RAM helps, and its realistically too slow for Vista, but runs Win XP with ease. And doesn't fall over losing all the data. The Tosh has relaced my Fuji laptop as my "work" PC, because it runs XP and Office XP & so is compatible with the day job platform. My next NEW LAPTOP will be a Tosh with a 17" screen.