Software
If hardware options are bewildering, what software to choose can seem
like an impossible task. Click on the links for answers.
Do
I need Microsoft Office or will Works be sufficient.
Do
I need Microsoft anything, what are the alternatives.
What
accounting software meets my needs.
Is
it worth buying a DTP program, if so, which one.
Do
I need Microsoft Office or will Works be sufficient.
What you hope to do with the software? It is often said that
80% of users use only 20% of the available functions. If you will
primarily be writing letters, doing basic accounts, and
maintaining a small contacts database, then it may
well suit you to get Microsoft
Works
It's
certainly come a long way from it rather humble origins and can now read both
Word and Excel files. Although most modern word
processors, spreadsheets, and databases have the means of reading
files created by other programs, you will sometimes find that it
doesn't end up looking quite the same. However, if you never swap
files with anyone else this is not a problem. It is made easier
by the different versions of Office, as they often have both Word
and Works included in the same package, such as the Microsoft
Home package. There is also the Office Small Business edition,
Office Standard and Office Professional (the latter includes the
Access database, whereas the others don't). Each edition comes
with a different mix of software titles, so one will most likely
have what you want.
If you do need the full might of Microsoft Office, it comes in many
flavours, but the main ones are Office
Standard Edition 2007 (Excel, Outlook, Word, Powerpoint) and Office
Professional Edition 2007 (Excel, Outlook, Word, Powerpoint, Publisher,
Access).
It is worth noting that there are upgrades at reduced cost for owners of genuine
copies of previous versions.
Do
I need Microsoft anything, what are the alternatives.
No you don't have to buy from Microsoft, there are
alternatives to Office, such as Lotus Smartsuite and Corel Suite,
and alternatives to Works, such as Clarisworks and Ability
Office. What you decide on will probably depend on what you are
used to, what your computer has space and power for, and whether
you will have to swap files with other people (see above). Of
course you may just go with what may have been bundled with your
computer when you bought it.
What
accounting software meets my needs.
If you intend to run a full accounting system with invoicing,
stock control, multiple cost codes and such like, then you are spending serious
money and need to set aside a lot of time to get to grips with the packages.
However TASBooks,
Intuit
QuickBooks Regular and Sage
Instant Accounts 12 all have low-end as well as full-blown versions. Although
they are all well established now, they could not
realistically be described as easy to use, and unless you have
some accounting knowledge, they can be difficult to set up to get
the best from. If all you need is to keep track of income and
expenditure, then programs like Microsoft
Money may
be sufficient.
Is
it worth buying a DTP program, if so, which one.
The distinction between word processing and desktop publishing
is increasingly blurred. Even the cheaper word processors have
the ability to do multiple columns and include graphics. So why
buy DTP at all? Well, if you regularly send files for colour
printing, you may need to send colour separation (where each of
three primary colours is effectively sent as a separate file).
Even if this is not the case, the print bureau may only be able
to print from high-end DTP packages like Adobe PageMaker
7.0.2, QuarkXPress
7 or Corel
Ventura 10. The output from these programs is of a
professional standard, even down to specifying colours according
to international standards (Pantone), and is more likely to print
out as intended. The complexity of these programs can however be
mind-boggling. At the lower end, there are programs like Serif
PagePlus and Microsoft
Publisher 2007 which will
enable easy production of fliers, leaflets and publicity,
particularly if used with a colour printer. You may find that if
you already have Microsoft PowerPoint as part of a bundle, that
will give you all you need for publicity production.
