And that's where shareware came from. There were lots of young (and some not-so-young) go-getters out there, looking to make a buck. For instance, McAfee, the anti-virus stalwart, started out as shareware. We're talking the Wild West and raw pioneers!

Things are very different today. If anything, computers arrive with a lot of software that we don't want. Nonetheless, there still are ambitious, independent programmers with good ideas.

This week, I want to discuss shareware programs that I really like. Some of the links to these programmers' sites are too long for a newspaper column. To make things easy, I've rounded them up at my site. You'll find links to these programs at www.komando.com/bestshareware.asp.

Belarc Advisor: This little gem will tell you exactly what you've got on your computer. It takes seconds to run and produces a window of easy-to-read information. Belarc displays information on hardware and software. Cost: Free for personal use.

Apple System Profiler: If you have a Mac, check out this Apple utility. Like Belarc, it will give you a thorough breakdown of your equipment. This type of information is very handy when you call for help. Cost: Free.

ZoneAlarm: This is my favorite firewall. Made by Zone Labs, it will render your computer invisible to hackers' probes. Hackers run scanning programs over the Internet, looking for computers with electronic openings, called ports. A good firewall such as ZoneAlarm makes your computer invisible to the scanners.

The goal of these intruders is to place a Trojan horse on your computer. The rogue program uses the open port previously identified by a scanner. However, ZoneAlarm blocks those transmissions. They can only go through if you agree. Always say no, unless you recognize the program. Cost: Free for personal use.

Ad-aware: This program finds spyware, also known as adware. These are little programs that advertising companies place on our computers. They report back on our browsing habits. Run Ad-aware weekly, and get this garbage off your hard drive. Cost: Free.

PowerToys: This is a collection of little applications that make Windows run better. They were written by Microsoft programmers, although the company does not officially support them. In fact, Microsoft warns that it can't take responsibility for them. Don't let that throw you off. I've used them for years. They work well. Cost: Free

WinWhatWhere Investigator: Do you need to know what someone is doing on a computer? Perhaps you need to know how much time they spend surfing. This program can collect window titles, URLs, keystrokes, date, time and more. You get the information in a report. Furthermore, you can exclude any program, day or time. Cost: $99.

SpyCop: If you're on the receiving end of a snooping program, wouldn't you want to know? SpyCop can ferret out hidden spy programs. The full version will give you automatic updates to the program's database. Cost: $49.95.

EPrompter: This program will retrieve messages from up to 16 e-mail accounts, allowing you to manage everything from one program. You can use it to forward or reply to messages from the original address that received the e-mail. Cost: Free.

MacWasher: This program will clean your browser's cache, cookies, history, recent document list and more. You can automatically erase your tracks each time you surf. It works with Microsoft's Internet Explorer, Netscape and America Online. Cost: $29.95.

Image Resizer: Take a whole batch of pictures and resize them. Convert them to JPGs, GIFs or BMPs. Cost: Free.

Yeah, Write: Need a good word processor? Yeah, Write will fill the bill. This application is loaded with features, but remains small and fast. The download is less than 1 megabyte. Cost: Free for limited version. Full version is $29.

PopNot: There are a number of programs that promise to block pop-up ads. PopNot is unusual — it works! In my tests, only one pop-up got through. That's pretty darn good! The program offers an alert when it blocks an ad. And if there's a pop-up you want, it can be configured to allow it. Cost: $19.95.

To help you in this course, here is a brief listing of free or relatively inexpensive computer programs.

A list of campus microlabs is available, along with information about their hours and number of computers.

You can purchase software at steep discounts through the University. See this page for details. Notice at the bottom that single user licenses of Microsoft Office are relatively cheap (as low as $52)!

3D Chemical Structure Drawing Programs

CrystalDesigner (Mac only) is used in this course to draw solid state structures, including polyhedral representations. A demo version is available. You can not print or copy structures, but you *can* save data and use all the other functions. This would enable you to work at home or elsewhere and only require you to come to campus to print or paste.

2D Chemical Structure Drawing Programs

• ISIS/Draw from MDL is completely free for academic or personal use and is fully functional. Available for Mac and Windows, it's a hard price to beat!
  
  
  
• ChemDraw Ltd from CambridgeSoft is available in Mac and Windows versions for $99 or less (note the option to click for special student pricing; sometimes they discount deeply!). A free non-printing, non-saving version is also available. They also offer a limited version of the entire ChemOffice suite (including Chem3D) for only $49.
  
  
  
• Bio-Rad (formerly SoftShell) offers ChemWindow for Windows machines, but you have to fill out a form to get student pricing. They also offer free ChemWeb (Mac and Windows) which will only output GIF quality images (72 dpi), which are great for web publishing but poor for anything else.

The University of Michigan today (Dec. 6) announced a multi-year licensing agreement that offers faculty, staff and students Microsoft software products at significantly reduced costs.

The Microsoft Licensing Agreement allows all U-M faculty, staff and students on all three campuses—Ann Arbor, Dearborn and Flint—the use of a specific set of Microsoft products for all of their computers. In addition to gaining access to the most popular Microsoft products, including operating systems and Microsoft Office¨, members of the University community may upgrade their covered Microsoft product licenses to the latest version at discounted prices throughout the life of the agreement.

“The savings we will realize from this agreement will allow us to do other important work while at the same time providing the tools our faculty, staff and students need to succeed,” says Jose-Marie Griffiths, university chief information officer and executive director of the Information Technology Division.

Under the agreement, students, for example, will be able to purchase Microsoft Office 2000 and FrontPage 2000 on CD for $33. The price is a significant savings over the current educational price of $174 for Microsoft Office Professional and the more than $500 price tag in local software supply stores. The $33 package does not include documentation.

The University expects to realize a significant savings for all schools, colleges and administrative units for the software and server licenses and upgrades. Other benefits include more accurate budgeting by departments, and the ability to obtain and install the software on office, home and mobile computers as needed without paying for a license agreement for each machine.

Griffiths notes that while the Microsoft agreement is a cost-saving initiative, the University is not limited to using only Microsoft products. “The University will continue to enter into purchasing agreements with any software vendor who develops products that are requested and required by the University community,” she says.

Students will be able to purchase the Microsoft Office 2000 Professional for Windows, Office 98 for Macintosh, and FrontPage 2000 for Windows with a U-M ID card at the Michigan Union Ballroom 9 a.m.–4 p.m. Dec. 13 and 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Dec.14. Faculty and staff products will be available for individual purchase at the Computer Showcase in the Michigan Union beginning Dec. 13

The University of Michigan today (Dec. 6) announced a multi-year licensing agreement that offers faculty, staff and students Microsoft software products at significantly reduced costs.

The Microsoft Licensing Agreement allows all U-M faculty, staff and students on all three campuses—Ann Arbor, Dearborn and Flint—the use of a specific set of Microsoft products for all of their computers. In addition to gaining access to the most popular Microsoft products, including operating systems and Microsoft Office¨, members of the University community may upgrade their covered Microsoft product licenses to the latest version at discounted prices throughout the life of the agreement.

“The savings we will realize from this agreement will allow us to do other important work while at the same time providing the tools our faculty, staff and students need to succeed,” says Jose-Marie Griffiths, university chief information officer and executive director of the Information Technology Division.

Under the agreement, students, for example, will be able to purchase Microsoft Office 2000 and FrontPage 2000 on CD for $33. The price is a significant savings over the current educational price of $174 for Microsoft Office Professional and the more than $500 price tag in local software supply stores. The $33 package does not include documentation.

The University expects to realize a significant savings for all schools, colleges and administrative units for the software and server licenses and upgrades. Other benefits include more accurate budgeting by departments, and the ability to obtain and install the software on office, home and mobile computers as needed without paying for a license agreement for each machine.

Griffiths notes that while the Microsoft agreement is a cost-saving initiative, the University is not limited to using only Microsoft products. “The University will continue to enter into purchasing agreements with any software vendor who develops products that are requested and required by the University community,” she says.

Students will be able to purchase the Microsoft Office 2000 Professional for Windows, Office 98 for Macintosh, and FrontPage 2000 for Windows with a U-M ID card at the Michigan Union Ballroom 9 a.m.–4 p.m. Dec. 13 and 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Dec.14. Faculty and staff products will be available for individual purchase at the Computer Showcase in the Michigan Union beginning Dec. 13

• Improved file management, new design possibilities, and a more intuitive way to create for the Web


• Support for 16-bit images, digital camera raw data, and non-square pixels


• Create or modify photos using painting, drawing, and retouching tools


• Customized workspace; save personalized workspace and tool settings; create customized shortcuts


• Unparalleled efficiency--automate production tasks with built-in or customized scripts

Product Description:
Get superior results faster with industry-standard Adobe Photoshop CS software and its integrated Web production application, Adobe ImageReady CS software. Graphic and Web designers, photographers, and video professionals can take advantage of indispensable features that include improved file management, new design possibilities, a more intuitive way to create for the Web, and support for 16-bit images, digital camera raw data, and non-square pixels. Now you can create the highest quality images more efficiently than ever before.

Features:

• Professional toolset: create original images or modify photos using a full assortment of painting, drawing, and retouching tools.


• Color correction: improve the color, contrast, and dynamic range of any image with a comprehensive set of professional color-correction tools.


• Enhanced layer control: composite images, text, and effects on hundreds of layers that you can organize with up to five levels of nesting and save in different combinations as Layer Comps.


• Improved File Browser: quickly preview, tag, and sort images; search and edit metadata and keywords; and automatically share batches of files from the improved File Browser.


• Advanced Web capabilities: create sophisticated Web page elements, such as rollovers and animations, using ImageReady--the only Web application that's completely integrated with Photoshop.


• Healing Brush: effortlessly remove dust, scratches, blemishes, wrinkles, and other flaws with the Healing Brush.


• Special effects filters: Easily experiment and achieve amazing results by accessing more than 95 special effects filters. Preview and apply more than one filter at a time with the new Filter Gallery.


• Advanced type control: add vector-based text that you can edit at any time, format, warp, convert to outlines, and use for masks or other special effects.


• Customized workspace: work the way that's best for you by saving personalized workspace and tool settings, and creating customized keyboard shortcuts.


• Unparalleled efficiency: automate production tasks with built-in or customized scripts and the Actions palette which lets you record editing steps to quickly process batches of files.
  Top Features for Graphic Designers:

Top Features for Photographers:

• Professional toolset: create original images or modify photos using a full assortment of painting, drawing, and retouching tools.


• Color correction: improve the color, contrast, and dynamic range of any image with a comprehensive set of professional color-correction tools.


• Improved File Browser: quickly preview, tag, and sort images; search and edit metadata and keywords; and automatically share batches of files from the improved File Browser.


• Comprehensive 16-bit support: perform more precise editing and retouching with expanded support for 16-bit images in core features, including layers, brushes, text, shapes, and more.


• Healing Brush: effortlessly remove dust, scratches, blemishes, wrinkles, and other flaws with the Healing Brush. Integrated digital camera raw file support: get truer, higher-quality output by working with the complete raw data files from most major digital camera models.


• Match Color command: achieve a consistent look between package shots, fashion photos, and more by instantly matching the color scheme of one image to another.


• Histogram palette: monitor changes to your image in the Histogram palette, which dynamically updates as you make adjustments.


• Shadow/Highlight correction: quickly improve the contrast of over- or under-exposed areas of an image while preserving the overall balance of the photo.


• Crop and Straighten command: Scan multiple images at once and let Photoshop automatically straighten and save each image as an individual file.

Top Features for Web Designers:

• Enhanced ImageReady user interface: create and modify Web designs faster with multiple object selection, object grouping, and smart guides.


• Improved Photoshop integration: enjoy quicker, more seamless integration between Photoshop and ImageReady, plus automated file saving and common commands, tools, and shortcuts.
  Image slicing: slice complex, layered images and apply appropriate format and compression settings to each area before exporting as an HTML table.


• Variable data support: easily import database and spreadsheet information to automate the production of Web graphics.


• Macromedia Flash (SWF) file export: use ImageReady CS to create Macromedia Flash (SWF) animations, complete with vector artwork and variable text.


• Animated GIF creation: turn layered Photoshop or Illustrator files into compact GIF animations in a few short steps.


• Web Content palette: create and edit rollovers and other interactive Web elements more easily using the new Web Content palette.


• Layers-as-files export: optimize and export individual layers as separate files for use in Macromedia Flash (SWF) animations and dynamic HTML.


• Weighted optimization: smoothly vary compression settings using channels to display higher-quality results in critical image areas.
  Streamlined HTML output: create leaner, more easily edited HTML with new controls for nested tables, XHTML, and more.

Top Features for Video Producers:

• Professional toolset: create original images or modify photos using a full assortment of painting, drawing, and retouching tools.


• Non-square pixel support: create and work with different aspect ratios to accommodate non-square pixels without distortion.


• Enhanced 16-bit compositing: perform more precise matte painting, 3D rendering, and other advanced film compositing with expanded support for 16-bit images in core features, including layers, brushes, and more.


• Guide presets: easily design using video-specific presets that show action-safe and title-safe areas of the screen.


• Layers-to-files export: quickly integrate layered Photoshop artwork with a variety of video editing and compositing systems using the built-in Export Layers to Files command.


• Unparalleled efficiency: automate production tasks with built-in or customized scripts and the Actions palette which lets you record editing steps to quickly process batches of files.


• Enhanced layer control: composite images, text, and effects on hundreds of layers that you can organize with up to five levels of nesting and save in different combinations as Layer Comps.


• Customized workspace: work the way that's best for you by saving personalized workspace and tool settings, and creating customized keyboard shortcuts.


• Color correction: improve the color, contrast, and dynamic range of any image with a comprehensive set of professional color-correction tools.


• History palette: experiment freely knowing you can instantly undo or redo multiple steps with the History palette. 
  
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Macromedia Studio 8 is a complete toolkit for Web designers and animators, and it introduces new features that will make creative mouths water. Many digital content makers can find their way around Macromedia software in their sleep, but the upgrade to Studio 8 makes common tasks easier to execute for those without coding expertise. The suite wraps together an animation tool, Flash 8; a Web design app, Dreamweaver 8; and a graphics editor, Fireworks 8. Also included are the PDF maker FlashPaper 2 and the Web site manager Contribute 3. Vector graphics app FreeHand MX has vanished from the suite, partly because it duplicated functions offered by Fireworks. The most tantalizing new product in this bundle is Flash 8, particularly because it introduces alpha channel video creation and provides abundant new effects that animators can manipulate in real time. To shrink the file sizes and hasten the playback time of Flash animation on end-user desktops, Macromedia gutted and rebuilt its popular Flash Player. And Flash, Fireworks, and Dreamweaver now optimize multimedia content for cell phones, PDAs, and other mobile gadgets yet to come. Just don't expect Adobe's plans to buy Macromedia to result in hybrid Adobe-Macromedia software quite yet; Studio 8 offers no such surprises. Studio 8 costs $999, or $399 to upgrade from Studio MX 2004 or earlier versions.

We installed the entire Macromedia Studio 8 suite in less than half an hour without problems on our test Windows XP computer. To make room for the suite, Macromedia recommends freeing up 1.8GB of free hard disk space on a PC running Windows 2000 or higher. Once you open the programs, their well-organized interfaces look similar to those in version Studio MX 2004. The lower-right corner of the main windows of Dreamweaver 8 and Fireworks 8 allow you to zoom in up to 6,400 percent.

Nips and tucks include zoom-in views to examine layouts, as well as collapsible palettes to free up the work space. You can even save your customized work-space arrangements. To minimize the amount of code wrangling, Dreamweaver now nests and color-codes elements within Cascading Style Sheets (CSS). And Flash includes Script Assist (similar to the former Normal mode of Actionscript) to visually guide you through coding.

The palettes within Studio 8 snap open and shut, which is helpful for navigating through complex projects, as shown here in Flash.

Macromedia aims to make its complex suite friendlier for people who lack coding knowledge, although amateurs will need some education before diving in, particularly for the intricate Flash and Dreamweaver. But professionals and design teams can jump right into work-flow improvements designed to reduce multiple round-trips between apps. Large companies also get tools within Contribute 3 to centrally manage Web sites with multiple editors. And subtle layout changes throughout the suite, such as ruler guides within Dreamweaver, help import graphics from Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator.

Flash 8 Professional adds a bundle of new effects and blend modes, which you can control at runtime.
Macromedia expanded Studio's tools for making dynamic and expressive content. To start, Dreamweaver lets you drag and drop XML feeds into pages, handy for newsy Web sites and blogs. The addition of FlashPaper 2 to the Studio suite adds the ability to make print-ready, interactive PDF documents within the suite. But Flash 8 offers the most-intriguing new toys, such as the ability to lay video on top of video so that you can make, for example, a superhero fly above a traffic jam. Flash 8 also handles pixel graphics for the first time and provides better font control. Both Flash and Fireworks get a bevy of new blend modes and filters.

The apps within Macromedia Studio 8 all include extensive help files, plus access to an excellent online support center with well-written FAQs, tutorials, and peer forums. Macromedia includes four "getting started" tech-support incidents (a telephone call and follow-up calls for the same issue) within 90 days of purchase. But post-90-day phone assistance quickly gets expensive; $99 for a single incident, and $449 annually for extended support plans. The $1,200 support package provides help for unlimited incidents, as does the $3,000 Gold support plan, which adds direct contact to product engineers.

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With an ever increasing attack on everyone's PC being the fashionable thing to do these days for hackers, and the largest software company in the world desperately trying to nail down each piece of software that it makes to prevent hackers from getting inside your PC - it needs to beome apparent that software users need to take a more active part in the war on hacking/spamming.

Most software couch potatoes just want to use their software and be left alone to go merrily on their way. That use to work in the days of old when hackers didn't want to steal your identity to empty your bank account. Also you used to only get emails from people you knew or had sent email to way back when, now you get email telling you about a wonderful diet plan that will work in 10 days or less - -and you weigh 140lbs. (I get this all the time, don't ask how much I weigh...noneyabusiness.)

Now things are different and we need to take action - yesterday. With that in mind I humbly define some reasons to get busy fighting spam.

1. Your hard drive looks like a zoo of spam from people you will never know, with viruses plus various malware and is being used to spam other computers around the world.

2. Everyone is spending more time deleting spam-filled email, instead of reading email.

3. Your 14-year old opened an email about a bank account in her name or a free credit card offer in her name and she entered everything she knew about your address and bank. Then asked you for your credit card to pay for postage to recieve the offer in the mail. (True story)

4. The 14-year old's sister opened an email for free access to a cartoon/gaming site and the browser installed a porn-laced bookmark with popups that froze your computers for several hours - even after rebooting 4 times. (Another true story)

5. It feels good to have legitmate emails identified separately from spam so you won't delete the email about a new job offer and don't respond to it until you call and find out the position was filled yesterday...didn't you get our email Mrs. Smith? (ditto)

6. Everyone in your house can open their email without fear of release some form of malware that spreads faster then gossip.

7. The only popup you see is from the software saying spam eliminated/identified, no viruses found, port scan blocked and malware destroyed. (That's a good thing..)

Specialists in the IT sphere as well as other people are always potential clients of any software manufacturer. Engineers, accountants, architects, designers, programmers, people who start home-business and other specialists in any sphere today use a computer. But the hardware is not enough in order to work on a PC or Mac. People need software but only a minority can afford buying full versions together with necessary plugins and add-ons. Great if you work in a corporation on in a firm where “everything [software tools] is already installed“. But where is an exit from the situation when you have to buy, say, Windows XP or Mac OS, Microsoft Office, Adobe Photoshop and other? Away with questions – let’s look through possible variants of solving this issue:

1) Buy any software you need directly from a manufacturer;
2) use trial versions of a brand-name company software limited in functionality;
3) try to find a similar software tool at a less famous manufacturer;
4) download pirated software from “underground” hacker-sites (illegal);
5) download cheap oem software from manufacturers’ affiliates or third-party suppliers.

The first option requires a “fat purse” of a client. Ideally in order to operate a PC or Mac, to make presentations, write and send letters, watch films, burn data CD’s, listen to music and so on you need to spend thousands of dollars even if you limit yourself in your desires as well as the functions of your computer. A license even for your operating system costs more than 500$. Are you able to afford this? Yes? Then go on and enjoy fully functional brand-name software, receive free periodical updates, get a discount for a later version and receive technical and software support.

Trial versions of software from the great manufacturers like Adobe, Microsoft, Corel and other are available for download free of charge. Though you get a limited functionality and a trial period of working (from 15 till 60 days from the 1st launch), you may then decide whether you really need these programs or not. Trial software is demo programs – no great difference.
The third option is also a possible variant if you say “No” to the first two. Some software tools have open sources and any firm can make their own “brand” and money by a transformation of it. Such software is cheaper than from “the giants” of software development. But the functions are few and the new versions of software come out very rare.

It’s not a secret to anyone anymore that in the Internet you can find everything… This applies even to high cost brand software - you can get it for free! together with viruses, trojans and other harmful programs. Moreover, this is illegal and be ready then to dreadful consequences.

Consider one more option – OEM software. First of all, what is “oem software”? OEM means Original Equipment Manufacturer . In general it is 100% fully functional software. But it lacks manuals, promo-discs and bulk-boxes. Consider if you really need them. It may lack live support as well as registration from a manufacturer because the license for this software has “already expired of wasn’t intended for second-hand buyers”. So, you may conclude that firms that sell oem software get it from other sources, not directly from a manufacturer. But where does it come from? Well, for instance, oem software comes from auctions, from special resellers of older versions of software, from other users who do not need this software anymore. That is why it is so cheap. Sometimes the price for oem software is no more than 5-10% of a nominal manufacturer’s price. And at the same time you may be sure that it is really LEGAL though you can’t register it anymore and receive updates, but for such a low sum – it is really marvelous.

Many people sometimes do not believe in legal oem software and they have grounds for it: some web-sites that are selling software products name them oem but in reality they are selling pirated non-working software or trial versions that you may get for free. Beware of such firms!