Useful & effective software

Here you will find information on software which I am impressed with. Simply click on the links and you will be taken the relevant page where you can find out more.

1) Roboform Password Manager.

This is a fantastic time saver - it makes life much more efficient. Check out the software developer's page here.

2) VIP Organizer software for boosting your effectiveness - this is very good indeed and extremely well thought out. I have Microsoft Outlook 2007, however VIP Organizer is far superior for organising tasks. Very good support. Because managing time is so important I conducted extensive research into the best application for myself, and clients. VIP Organizer was the clear winner with JetTask a close second. They are the only two applications that passed my selection criteria. Even well known applications such as those by Franklin Covey failed e. g. their application was buggy, customer service was extremely poor and a key element of their website did not work correctly. I was surprised at my experiences, which occurred on a persistent basis over time and with more than one application, especially because Franklin Covey espouses efficiency!

3) JetTask - "Successful people manage their time effectively" - another excellent application which handles both tasks and calendar. Support is very good and exceeds that of VIP Organizer. JetTask is visually very attractive and well thought out. Easy to use with an excellent online tutorial it will appeal to many.

4) Acronis® True Image 11 - Backup your files and the whole system, restore your data in minutes

Are you worried about losing the data on your PC?

Do you back up your data often enough; or is it just too much hassle?

Have you stopped to think about what would happen if you last your data?

There are many reasons why we can lose our precious data, or corrupt a drive so badly that we have to reformat and reinstall Windows. Storms, power surges, hard drive failure, software conflicts, Windows crashes - all these can result in serious loss of valuable data. Not all of this data can be recovered, and that which can may be incomplete, corrupted or just plain expensive to get back.

My solution is to use Acronis® True Image 11 to keep a backup copy of my drive. I make one every night.

In the event of a lightning strike, nasty virus penetration or severe system corruption I am always safe. I even keep a spare drive offsite and update it once a week. Acronis® True Image 11 is so easy to use and saves so much time and stress, which means peace of mind. And importantly, I use Acronis® True Image 11 despite doing all the following:
- Regularly maintaining my system and keeping it current with updates
- Running Windows Vista Ultimate - a reliable operating system
- Running Anti Virus and system maintenance software and keeping them up-to-date
- Using a firewall
- Regularly running Trojan detector software
- Running other security software
- Using power and line surge protection
- Unplugging during storms.

In other words, I don't just rely on good practice to keep my system safe. Acronis® True Image 11, in conjunction with removable drives, means ultimate peace of mind and security.

In the past, I used Symantec Ghost for back ups, however Acronis® True Image 11 is much easier to use and does not cause the system issues & problems which Symantec's range of products did. Today, after many years of computing experience I have a policy of not using Symantec products. Besides the computer problems and issues I have had, other products are actually a lot better.

Here is a basic guide to using Acronis® True Image 11 to back up your computer:

1) Obtain an external hard drive of the correct size. (Usually bigger than the drive you want to back up)
2) Purchase, download and install Acronis True Image: Acronis® True Image 11     
3) Select Disk Utilities Menu and then Clone Disk.
4) Copy the whole hard drive via USB to the external drive - besides being a simple total back up process (with less incentive to put it off) it also means that if you wish you can copy back your complete operating system and all your settings/programs etc (because it is a cloned copy). If you reinstall Windows then you simply plug the external drive in afterwards and suck your data files back in.
5) Thou shalt back up at least once a week!

5) Nuance Dragon Naturally Speaking

I use this software, which saves me heaps of valuable time. The excerpts below in italics are from their website.

Dragon NaturallySpeaking Preferred  gives small business users and PC enthusiasts the power to create documents, reports, e-mails and more-all by speaking! Fast, easy and amazingly accurate, it’s over three times faster than typing. Just use your voice to dictate and edit in Microsoft® Word and Excel®, Corel® WordPerfect®, and virtually all Windows®-based applications. You can even dictate into a handheld device when you’re away from your PC, or use a Bluetooth microphone! It’s never been easier to use-no script reading required, so you can get started right away!

When you use Dragon NaturallySpeaking Preferred 9, it will change the way you think about PCs. You'll be faster, and have more fun, as you create letters, reports, and e-mails all by speaking. Just talk, and you can surf the web, open and close applications, even control your mouse and the entire desktop!

* AMAZINGLY ACCURATE!
Dragon NaturallySpeaking 9 is up to 99% accurate, and often more accurate than typing. Dragon NaturallySpeaking never makes a spelling mistake, and it actually gets smarter the more you use it!
* FASTER THAN TYPING!
Most people speak over 120 words per minute, but type less than 40 words a minute. Dragon NaturallySpeaking lets you create letters and e-mails about three times faster than typing by hand!
* SO EASY TO USE!
You’ll be dictating letters, e-mails and surfing the web by voice right away! No script reading required to get started. We even include a full set of on-screen tutorials, and a Nuance approved free noise-canceling microphone.
* USE WITH ANY WINDOWS PROGRAM!
Use your voice to dictate, edit and control applications like Microsoft® Word, Microsoft® Excel, Microsoft Internet Explorer, and Corel® WordPerfect®.
* A BEST SELLER AROUND THE WORLD
Dragon products have won over 175 major awards for accuracy and ease of use, and are used by more people around the world than any other speech recognition software.
* BLUETOOTH SUPPORT
Use Dragon NaturallySpeaking with Nuance-approved Bluetooth headsets.
* MOBILE
Dictate into any Nuance-certified handheld device for automatic transcription when you synch with your PC.