21 replies to this topic

[Stone]

I'm curious what applications you all are you using on your computers that I'm missing out on. As noted, I pretty much surf the net, use Word and run Quicken. And I have Canon photo software (but I don't really know how to use it). And iTunes. And I play around with Google Sketch-up.

What programs are out there that would make my life better? Or at least less boring and empty?

[Lex]

What programs are out there that would make my life better? Or at least less boring and empty?

Girlfriend 4.0.

[g.johnson]

IDL Analyst. I couldn't live without solving Carlson's elliptic integrals on a daily basis.

[LML]

Microsoft Messenger.

[TheMatt]

With OpenOffice.org's version 3.x, I've found I am using Word & Excel less and less. Only when there are some of those weird macros do I have to search out Word. Most of my actual writing is done with LaTeX using Winedt on Windows and Kile on Linux.

Hmm...I'm also using Calibre to load books on my Sony Reader trying to avoid Sony's software.

For communication, I am a big big fan of Digsby on Windows. It allows me to have IM + Email + Social Networking (Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin, &c) all in one place. It's like Adium on OS X, but on some steroids (although maybe Adium can be extended to the same level with Growl and more). On Linux, I use either Twitterfox for Twitter, or I use Tweetdeck with Adobe Air. In fact, I have Adobe Air on just about everything, although I have yet to find that one crucial Air app I need it for...but they keep getting better.

Anyone out there have a favorite Air app I should try?

[ghostrider]

Look in your Games file & see if you have the marvellously simple yet beguiling Inkball.

I swear, it's better than transcendental meditation.

[mongo_jones]

photoshop. utorrent. limewire. open office.

[Steven Dilley]

Adblocker.

[Carolyn Tillie]

All of the i-programs on a Mac (iChat, iDisk, iTunes, iPhoto...)
Photoshop
Quicken
QuickBooks
MobilMe
VLC
TomatoTorrent
Bridge
Parallels
Handbrake
Skype
Time Machine
Transmission
Transmit
Adium

[porkwah]

photoshop. utorrent. limewire. open office.

durian. avalanche. empire. waxbean. obstacle.

[Stone]

I can't figure out what most of these things do. What is bittorrent? It helps you download stuff from the Internets? Why do I need a separate program to do that? How many email, IM, chat, Facebook, etc., programs does one need?

[Carolyn Tillie]

What is bittorrent? It helps you download stuff from the Internets?

Yeah, kinda... you are tapping into a group of people downloading the same thing you are and you are helping "feed the torrent" by broadcasting back out, making the download that much faster. If I tap into a torrent that 100 other people are in, the download can take minutes. Right now, I am downloading a torrent of XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX. I am downloading from 18 of 38 peers and the download will take several days (it is a BIG file).

[Stone]

Is it also stealing copyright protected movies?

[TheMatt]

Is it also stealing copyright protected movies?

This has been done. I've also heard (BUT NEVER DONE IT MYSELF) that you can, say, download episodes of "QI", "Torchwood", "Top Gear", and "Doctor Who" hours after they are broadcast in the UK rather than having to wait 5 months for cut versions to make it here. (Or in the case of "QI", never.)

That said, bittorrent has many legitimate uses that should be better exploited. All major Linux distros and OpenOffice.org use torrents to make downloading multi-gigabyte ISO images much, much faster. Microsoft really should use it. When they opened the Windows 7 Beta a week or two ago, the MS servers just got hammered and essentially failed. But, others made a Windows 7 torrent with the file they already downloaded and thanks to BT that file was downloaded by, oh, 80% of all beta users, I'm guessing, and much faster than you could get it from MS.

[Peter Creasey]

Has anyone worked with both Lotus Symphony and OpenOffice and come to opinion(s) as to how they compare with each other?