In the course of a long day at the computer, I take for granted software and hardware that work as they should. Stuff that fails often gets stashed in the garage alongside my eighth-grade algebra and college Elizabethan English books.
I've compiled a list of software and hardware I can't live without. This week I'll cover software; in a future column I'll tackle hardware.
�� Microsoft Word: The Home and Student edition on an old-fashioned DVD will set you back about $150, or you can subscribe to the cloud version for $70 a year. I've used Word since its DOS days and have no complaints. If you process words, this is your first and last stop. If money is an object, try the open-source Word clone in OpenOffice. (www.openoffice.org)
�� Quicken � Tracking income and spending couldn't be easier than Quicken. If you update your credit card and banking transactions often (I do it every day), you'll be able to pinpoint how you're going off a cliff, budget-wise. At tax time, Quicken's detailed reports are invaluable. Other financial software has come and gone, and, for good reason, Quicken endures. A one-year subscription starts at $35 a year; the Home and Business version costs $90 a year. If you have an earlier version on DVD, you can save money by skipping the upgrade. The difference between last year's and this year's Quicken doesn't amount to much. (www.quicken.com)
�� I've been using this mail client for years, and watched it graduate from nerdy software that (for me) took hours to set up to its present iteration �� version 52 �� which does most of the work of setting up email for you. Its parent company, Mozilla, champions open-source software that only gets better as more cooks � volunteer programmers � stir the pot.
�� Bing � Microsoft's search engine is faster and more precise than Google.
�� Chrome � There's no shortage of web browsers, but I rely on Chrome. It's a bit faster than Firefox, although in its latest version, Firefox is competing very well with Chrome.
�� WinZip � Today's hard drives are bigger than Texas, but sending large attachments by email still requires a program to condense the files. WinZip does that and much more, including the ability to search for files within a zipped file. At $25, it's a bargain.
�� VideoStudio � This powerful $80 movie-editing program requires, like its competitors, a lot of hand-holding, but if you're willing to tune into some excellent online video tutorials, your home movies will look like, well, more impressive home movies. Experienced amateurs will find a lot to like, too. (www.videostudiopro.com)
�� PaintShop Pro � I don't have the time or the desire to master Photoshop, so I turn to PaintShop Pro ($80) for photo-editing chores. It's intuitive, fast and has scores and scores of ways to make photos look as if they were taken by a professional. (www.corel.com)
�� Speedtest � You'll know if you're getting your money's worth from your Internet provider with this free app that measures upload and download speeds. There also are versions for smartphones and Macs. (www.speedtest.net)
