Patrick Shaw’s Weblog

PC Magazine occasionally creates a list of their top/favorite free tools. It’s worth a read to see if there are any tools that are available that might make your work better/easier/more efficient. They’ve broken those tools into several different categories -and while I haven’t used all of them - here are some of my favorites for nonprofits:

• Operating Systems
  • None of the above! Overall, I’m bullish on open source software - but choosing an operating system of any sort (Windows, Mac, Linux/Unix) based on price alone probably isn’t a great idea. If you opt for an free operating system - make sure that you’ve done your homework!
• AntiVirus/Anti-Malware
  • I used the avast! home edition for years and it kept my home computer virus free. You’ll want to check the license agreement to make sure you can use this somewhere besides at home.
• Firewalls
  • I’m also a fan of ShieldsUP! - a tool that scans your computer and lets you know if your firewall and other settings are protecting your computer. It’s speedy, effective - and if you aren’t sure of what the results are telling you - call your local tech provider to make sure you’re protected!
• Security
  • Hotspot Shield sounds terrific - it creates a VPN (virtual private network) between your laptop and the router at a public wi-fi hotspot. I haven’t tested this - but it sounds like a great option for adding a layer of security to your wireless browsing!
  • Send Shield strips out all of the tracked changes in an MS Word document - great for those documents that have had so much internal review that there might be untidy language in your final copy!
• Finance
  • None of the above! Your nonprofit should be using a tool that works for nonprofit and business organizations, not a personal finance tool.
• Office
  • Gliffy is on online diagramming tool - terrific for a mockup of a website, to show how data moves through your agency, or to figure out how to arrange your office furniture!
• Calendar and Personal Information Managers
  • Power Calculator replaces the Windows Calculator with a mathematical one - better for anyone needing more than a simple calculator.
• Backup / Synch
  • DriveImage XML. If you’ve ever had to replace your hard drive, you’ll know that even with all of your data backed up - you’ll have to reinstall your operating system, apply updates, and do the same for all of your software. An Image tool takes a snapshot of your hard drive so you can reinstall more quickly.
• Blogging
  • Windows Live Writer is a what you see is what you get tool that lets you compose and format blog postings offline - and I’ve been using it for more than a year. Simple to use - and works well with Word Press and other blog platforms.
• Video
  • Ready to start moving some of your “how to” information online? Jing will let you record what is happening on your screen so you can create a screencast to share with others.