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COMP1260 > Understanding the Internet

Introduction There are many different ways to transfer files to and from the U of M. The university provides two options to students: Novell NetStorage through web browsers and FTP via the command line. There are also alternatives to the options the university provides, such as Dropbox, that you can use to transfer your files as well. Through any of these methods you can easily transfer files from home to the university, or vice versa.

...by students Ever since I started using Dropbox I haven't touched my memory stick to transfer my files. I just save everything into my Dropbox folder. As soon as I hit the 'Save' button everything is backed up online and I just have to login to the website to retrieve my files from any computer I want. I don't even have to think about it, it just does it automatically.

Software Fundamentals

Software is a set of one or more computer programs. There are two types of software that you may encounter.

• Applications
• Operating Systems

We will focus on application software in this section. Application software are computer programs that allow you to do different tasks. You can use them to write a term paper, analyze an experiment, edit digital photos, communicate with friends, etc. Software can be found preloaded on your operating system and can also be bought individually in stores.

Application software is usually "platform specific", meaning that a software package that was developed for a Windows machine will not work on a Mac. Though if a program was written in the Java language, it is cross-platform, meaning it will work on both a Windows machine and a Mac.

Office Software Suites

Offline (Traditional Computer Programs)

Offline software packages are programs that run exclusively on your machine. Usually these programs can be purchased from a store or online, and are installed on your machine before use.

Microsoft Office

The most common software suite out on the market today, Microsoft Office[1], is an example of an office productivity bundle. Microsoft Office consists of many different bundled programs but the most common versions include:

• Word (word processor)
• Excel (spreadsheet)
• Access (database)
• PowerPoint (presentation)
• Outlook for Windows or Entourage for Mac (e-mail)

OpenOffice

OpenOffice[2] is a free software suite that is in direct competition to Microsoft Office. The OpenOffice suite, originally called StarOffice, was first developed by the company StartDivision. Eventually, they were bought out by Sun Microsystems. StarOffice was dubbed OpenOffice and made free to everyone in 2000. OpenOffice includes many office productivity software including:

• Writer (word processor)
• Calc (spreadsheet)
• Impress (presentation)
• Base (database)
• Draw (drawing tool)

Online (Cloud Computing Movement)

Online software packages are programs that are run through a web browser over an internet connection. These software suites are growing in popularity as they provide the convenience of having your work with you anywhere you go, as long as an internet connection is present.

GoogleDocs

Google offers a free web based office suite that combines versatility of the internet with the power of an offline software package. Google presenting GoogleDocs[3], an online office suite that looks and feels like a desktop application with toolbars, office editing features right from your internet browser. Your work can be accessed from anywhere since your documents reside on Googles servers. With your documents stored on Googles servers, you know they will be safe. Any local hard drive failures or computer malfunctions does not affect the auto-saved document. Another useful feature is the ability to allow collaboration on a particular work or works. You are able to control who has access to your documents so that a group can edit and contribute to a consistently up to date file. GoogleDocs includes many office productivity software including:

• Document (word processor)
• Presentation (presentation)
• Spreadsheet (spreadsheet)

Hybrid (Offline and Online)

The Hybrid of an offline and online software suite gives the user the best of both worlds with hardware dependability and online convenience.

ThinkFree Office

The service provided by this software package would be popular with those users who work on more than one computer. ThinkFree Office[4] provides synchronization between all your computer's ThinkFree documents, where each machine could update its collection of documents with the most recent modified versions. ThinkFree offers office software that includes:

• Write (word processor)
• Calc (spreadsheet)
• Show (presentation)

Graphic Software Suites

Graphical software programs give you the power to let your creative juices flow and express your imagination with the click of your mouse. A suite of graphical programs that work seamlessly together is optimal so no boundaries are blocking ideas from coming to life.

Maxon Cinema 4D Bundles

Maxon Cinema 4D[5] has been growing in the industry for 3D Modeling, Animation and Rendering. Over the years, various modules have been bundled together to give a full collection of programs for graphical illustrations. There exist bundles for Architecture, Engineering, and Studio work. Bundles can also be customized to give you every tool necessary. The Cinema 4D program list contains such modules as:

• Advanced Render (save your work as a picture or video)
• Hair (for creation of hair, fur and feathers)
• Dynamics (control physics)
• Sketch and Toon (render your work with a sketch look)
• Thinking Particles (for smoke like effects)
• BodyPaint 3D (paint like photoshop on a 3d model)

Conclusion

There are many software suites out there enabling you to capture your thoughts, ideas, or creativity under various mediums. It is up to you, the user, to choose the software suite for the job that you feel comfortable with and is under the medium that fits your lifestyle. Your current assignment might mean you choose a office suite for your computer at home like Microsoft Office or your creative artistic side to make pictures and animations with Maxon Cinema 4D, the digital world is your playground, play with the toys you desire most.

Further Reading

• Answers (Computer Software)
• Software Suite

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