having fun with software

27Jun09

One of the things I like to do is play with software.

That is, I like downloading software and opening it and tweaking around with it  – all just for the fun of exploring new stuff.

I should say that I have all the software I need for what I do, which is not a lot – editing photographs, doing drawings, editing music files, drafting blogs, putting together a Web site, email, browsing, a bit of correspondence, a little spreadsheet stuff, desktop publishing, RSS feeds … and so on.

But if I come across, for example, a photo editing program I have not seen before, I will download it in a flash and see what it is all about. Now the curious thing here is that I am ultimately not all that interested in what it can do (most of the software I have is, for me, top of the line). Of course I am a little interested – there may be some feature which is interesting – it is just that I get such fun from the process of downloading and exploring software programs.

Here’s an example. The slick browser Opera, in its Beta 10 Version, has come up with a feature called Unite, whereby you can build a little Web site that sits in the browser. So, as I understand it, you can, for example, try this url and find the beginnings of my playing around with this newly discovered toy: adampc.alvason.operaunite.com/_root/content/ (Warning: I don’t think this link works yet, sorry!)  I came across this on WIRED magazine, by the way, a good place to check out regularly for new stuff.

Now that’s a bit of fun to play with and set up. Will I use it? Not likely, although if I can get it to work well, and it does what it says it does, then, well, I might.  It’s got a file, picture and music sharing feature (all pulled from my PC, you can’t add any of these), a lounge where we can chat, a fridge where you can stick notes and a place where I can build a Web site.  I think – not sure about the last or how to do it but this is where the fun comes in – playing with it. Here’s a screen shot of it in my Opera browser:

Of course I have had a go at all these “social websites” and picture sharing places, even made a book online once, but once I have tried them I never know what to do with them, not being of a generation that is into this stuff.

Other fun:

• I played with online storage (heaven knows why) at IIC Internet. I had a trial subscription then had to go to hospital and when I came out, my trial had expired and I ad paid a year’s subscription!  Now that is something I will not do again!  IIC Internet is probably fine and dandy but no use to me.  Could be if I were travelling but I am not.
• I started to set up the said IIC Internet as a drive on my PC, was working on that when I went into hospital and now I cannot remember how I was doing it. NetDrive came into it, I’ll have to look at that again …
• I’m a sucker for all these places like Google Docs and Zoho, where you can prepare and store files of various kinds online.

Here’s a list of the software I have and use on my PC:

• Image editing: The Gimp and Photoshop (the latter having the excellent adaptive layers, which The GIMP has not). Photoshop is now bound into a “creative suite” well beyond my humble years-old Version 7.
• Drawing: Photoshop (bitmap) or Inkscape (vector). Inkscape is also good for illustrations.
• Music files: I slice and dice music programs with WavePad or Audacity. You pay for the first but not the second.
• Drafting and publishing blogs: I use Blogdesk, have used other programs but keep coming back to this for its simplicity.
• Hosting blogs: WordPress
• Building a Web site: HTML Kit is good.
• Email: I use Thunderbird
• Browser: I am embarrassed to say that I have no less that four on the go at the moment: Firefox, Google Chrome, Opera and Orca.  I like ‘em all in different ways.
• Correspondence and spreadsheets: Please do not go beyond OpenOffice, that wonderful free suite of software.  A big download and slow to load but well worth it.  Say NO! to MS Word!
• Desktop publishing: I use InDesign, without a doubt the top of the line, only ‘cos I was lucky enough to be able to buy it when I was running a business.  Scribus is free and looks good.  I think it was previously Mac only, but I got a Windows version today.
• RSS feeds: I haven’t bothered with this much, I just use Google Reader (free, of course).

I recommend all that software to you.  Most of it is free, so you can do pretty much everything without laying out a cent.

I sort of lost the plot with my theme of playing with software, maybe I can pick that up again some time.

Let me know what you think of my choices.

Filed under: software   |  4 Comments
Tags: software, inkscape, photoshop, BlogDesk, fun with software, software at home, free software, the gimp, indesign, scribus, openoffice, iicinternet, netdrive, google docs, soho, wavepad, audacity, wordpress, HTMLKit, thunderbird, firefox, google chrome, opera, orca browser, google reader