The best FREE software you will actually use

With Christmas right around the corner, we should be spending more on each other and less on software we don't need.  I know lots of people pay for software they can get for free, just because they didn't know a free alternative exists.  So here is my list of the best FREE software:

Paint.NET is a free Photoshop alternative for Windows computers.  The user interface is very similar, it supports layers, and is $400 cheaper than paying for Photoshop.

OpenOffice.org is a free alternative to Microsoft Word, Excel, and Powerpoint.  The best part is that the files are interchangeable, meaning if you save a file in OpenOffice, your friend can open it using Microsoft Word and vice versa.

A great online alternative (you use it in your browser instead of downloading software) is Google Docs.  While not as powerful as Open Office, Google Docs is accessible from any computer.

Microsoft Security Essentials is a free add-on for windows that now includes Anti-virus protection.  Previously Microsoft only provided anti-spyware with windows, but their latest security add-on now includes anti-virus.  No need for the average user to pay for anti-virus software any more.  Another free alternative is AVG.

Doro PDF Printer lets you turn any document into a PDF.  If you can print it, you can PDF it.  After installing Doro PDF Printer, when you go to print something there will be an extra printer called "Doro PDF".  Just select this printer instead of your usual printer and it will save your file as a PDF.  There are many great free "PDF Printers" around, but I chose this one because it is a one step install.

Livewriter is a great and free way to compose blog posts.  It works with both Wordpress and Blogger blogs. It is more intuitive than the online composers provided by Wordpress and Blogger, but is only available on the computers you install it on.

Foxit PDF Reader.  When windows has stalled or crashed, too many times I have found Adobe Reader to be the problem.  I also get annoyed when Adobe Reader asks me to update every 3 days.  Foxit Reader is an extremely fast "no bloat" alternative to the ubiquitous Adobe Reader.

CCleaner is a free registry cleaner for windows.  Sometimes when your computer gets slow, it's because a bunch of old programs have junked up your registry.  This free program cleans it all out so your computer runs fast.  There are many junk programs that say they do this, CCleaner is the real thing.

Chrome and Safari 4.  If you are still using Internet Explorer to surf the web you are wasting your precious time.  I posted about this here in the BlogStar community.  Independent tests have shown Internet Explorer to be 3 times slower than Firefox, Chrome, and Safari.  So why do the majority of internet users still use it?  Because they always have.  Some people don't switch because they are worried they will lose their bookmarks and settings.  Anytime you install a new browser it will import your old settings from Internet Explorer.  I personally don't care for Firefox because it requires an update almost every week.

Hopefully this list can save you some money this holiday season.  Is there a free piece of software you love that I missed?

Beware the easy fix

Do you recognize what the above is?  It's my own worst enemy.  The "Jet-Start" button on the microwave.  I can place my food in the microwave and with one touch I start it running for 30 seconds.  I love the speed at which I can accomplish my task - close door, press one button, done.

The problem is, there are many items which don't need to be microwaved for 30 seconds, like bread or baby food.  What's a guy to do?  Press two-extra buttons like "1,5,Start"?  No way.  I try to get around this additional burden by pressing the "jet-start" button and then grabbing the door at the correct time.  Unfortunately more often that not I forget and the food is ruined.

I've fallen victim to valuing speed vs. efficiency.  I posted about this subject from a different angle when I wrote about Good vs. Good Enough.  Being efficient means finding the best balance between the long-term and short-term value of a task.  Sometimes the quickest way to get something done isn't the best, because you could have produced much greater long-term results (or saved much more time in the long run) by spending a little more time on the task.  For example, it takes 5 extra seconds to press the additional two buttons on the microwave, but 5 minutes to replace and rewarm ruined food, a factor of 300.  The efficient thing to do is press the two extra buttons.

I am still all about quickly getting things done.  But I always try to weigh the short-term and long-term results.

In the lighter side of news:  If you haven't heard it yet - my business partner, Holly, made national news when for kicks she put her Eggo waffles on eBay in response to the national Eggo shortage.

Why do some people go to conferences? My next invention...

Count how many people are paying attention at this conference

I feel bad for speakers at conferences these days.  Because Wi-Fi is standard, and every cell-phone is a computer, it's really hard to get peoples attention.  At the conference I went to last week, I saw some who didn't look up from their computers the entire time!  It was like the speakers were just background noise.

There were a few people taking notes and sharing quotes from the speaker, but most people were working their email, and I even saw one guy checking his fantasy football!  There were some sessions where I counted 50 people in the room and not one of them was looking at the speaker.  And this is an expensive conference I might add!

I have to confess, I was not completely attentive the entire time either.  If the speaker was boring or the subject was not interesting, I cracked open my laptop and got some work done.  The speaker had about 2 minutes to engage me, but at least I gave them a shot, unlike others who didn't even look up between speakers.

So here is my next invention:  It's a special Wifi Network for conferences.  It has a built in activity meter that can be used to measure the speakers performance.  If the Wi-fi activity is high, the speaker must be boring because everyone is going to the internet.  If the Wi-fi activity is low, the speaker is engaging enough to keep people from their email and fantasy football.

          my next invention - a wireless router with a built-in activity monitor for conferences

A bad speaker could easily be recognized by high Wifi-activity as all the attendees work on their laptops.  Good speakers would have low Wi-fi activity.

So what's the underlying root of the problem:

• Is the quality of speakers going down?
• Is it because we're so work obsessed that we can't step away for 1 day?  
• Or is the internet just too tempting and if we have it in front of us we can't look away?

The bar has certainly been raised for conference speakers.  Previously they just had to compete with your wandering thoughts.  Now they have to compete with the entire internet.  At my next speaking gig, I'm going to be monitoring the Wi-fi.  

Enjoying the ride

(picture by toastforbrekkie)

You can't listen to someone talk about starting a company without them using the word "rollercoaster".  You have the highest highs and the lowest lows.  In comparison, working for a large aerospace corporation was a pretty steady and stable ride.

But it's not just starting a company.  Life is filled with roller coaster highs and lows.  I often find myself thinking, "let's just get through this, then things will calm down".  First it was graduate school, then it was working for that big promotion, and now it's starting a company.

The problem is there is always another "next thing" just around the corner to get through.  Especially with kids.  "I can't wait till she grows out of this stage" - Well another "stage" is right around the corner.

The hard part is enjoying the ride for what it is, and not just "holding on until the ride comes to a complete stop".  Because if you do things right, it's all just one big long ride. Showing gratitude for the everyday things is a great way to enjoy the ride.

Easier said than done.  What are your tips for enjoying the ride?  

Are all superstars early risers?

photo by davekellam

When they were handing out "morning person genes", I must have been absent that day.  It's not so much that I hate the morning, it's that I love staying up late at night.  I find the quiet hours of the night are a great time to get work done and gather my thoughts.

The problem is that most of the successful people I know are early risers.  I am referring to many personal role-models that you wouldn't know, but many prominent figures are also early risers: Fred Wilson and Brad Feld (All-star Venture Capitalists), Barrack Obama, and Jack Welch (former CEO of GE) to name a few.  It seems that there is a correlation between rising early and success.

So I've been trying to adapt.  I now go to sleep earlier and get up earlier.  So far I'm liking it, but I do miss those quiet late night hours.

What about you?  Are you an owl or a lark?

In reading some more I found that Thomas Edison was a night owl, and this british study that states night owls live longer make more money than early risers.  I'm moving to England.