Best Free Alternative To Microsoft Office

Anyone who ever priced the Microsoft Office Suite knows it represents a significant investment.

A quick check of the CompUSA.com website shows Microsoft Office Standard costs $399 and Microsoft Office Professional will set you back $449. Now, this doesn't discount the value of the software.

In fact, the functionality in MS Office represents the true workhorse of home and small business computing, namely: word processing (Word), spreadsheets (Excel), presentations (PowerPoint), and desktop database applications (Access).

However, with the cost for such functionality at a premium, it comes as no surprise that a viable alternative emerged to challenge Microsoft's position atop the office application market.

OpenOffice.org offers a suite of office software applications free to download for anyone with a computer, including PC's operating with Windows or Linux.

Open Office also offers a free version for Macintosh computers.

Open Office offers its software freely to anyone who wants to download it.

Their all-volunteer organization, sponsored in large part by Sun Microsystems, operates with the noble goal of making productivity software available worldwide in 36 languages, particularly to economies that simply can't afford the cost of other office solutions.

The Open Office software publishes in the Open Document Format to make data universally available (instead of using proprietary file formats that, for instance, make it hard to share between Microsoft Word and Word Perfect).

Open Office contains several main components, each of which help the user with specific tasks. They are as follows:

Writer:

This software offers a full-featured word-processing program enabling the user to type letters, brochures, faxes, even entire books. No matter what you need to type, this program lets you do it. It also offers such features as spell check, auto-correction, and thesaurus.

Calc:
It offers a spreadsheet program enabling the user to create cells containing text or digits, execute simple and complex calculations, database functions, and more. Calc is perfect for accounting spreadsheets, inventory and more.

Impress:
Impress enables the user to create "slideshow" presentations containing text and images for use in sales or group presentations. Impress also allows the user to create impressive slide transition effects and eye-catching animation.

Draw:
Draw gives the user the ability to create simple to complex drawings using vector graphics. Users can create drawings by hand, or incorporate an array of existing shapes, arrows, lines and other graphics.

Though it does represent an excellent alternative to expensive office software suites, Open Office is not without a few drawbacks.

Since they make the software available free of charge, tech support for the free version only lasts 30 days. Also, by its nature, the software is a "work in progress."

As such, you will find bugs periodically that should get reported to the Open Office website so they can fix them.

However, despite these drawbacks, Open Office software rates a "must look" if you need word processing, spreadsheets and other capabilities we've naturally come to associate with home and small business computing.

Author Bio:

            Jim Edwards is a syndicated newspaper columnist and co-author of an amazing program that teaches you how to use free articles to quickly drive thousands of targeted visitors to your website, affiliate links, or blogs... without spending a dime on advertising! Click Here.

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How To Prevent Unauthorized Access To Data On Your Computer

Unauthorized access refers to invading someone’s computer without permission. It may happen if you leave your workstation unlocked, if you have defenseless access to the internet as well as from viruses and malware. To protect the privacy of your data, you should always adopt some preventive measures, irrespective of the operating system that you are using.

           Users today are aware of password protection that is mandatory for their systems and wireless networks. Despite, cyber rogues can access your private data. There are certain security loopholes that are lesser known to common users and are thus exploited by cyber criminals to gain access to your system.

This article elaborates five different measures that you should adopt to prevent unauthorized access to your system or network:

1. Do not ignore security patches:

              Windows users often tend to ignore the security updates that keep popping up in between work. They contain security patches that are updated periodically to ensure better protection of your data. Updates are required because there are certain susceptibilities in the OS and browsers that are used by hackers to invade your computer. In order to avoid hacking, you are advised to install those updates to apply security patches that can bypass security loopholes. Windows users should download Windows/Antivirus updates without fail. To save time, you can turn on the Automatic Updates. Windows updates consist of security patches that are programmed by Microsoft for their OS, browsers and software.

2. Surfing the internet? Be careful while using the file sharing feature:

             When your system is on a Local Area Network (LAN) and file-sharing is set to unlimited number of users, you are recommended to disable this feature all together. Sharing files and folders only with systems that belong to people you know. Keeping it unspecific can make your system an easy target of rogues for injecting malware or obtaining your personal data.

3. Always keep the Firewall ‘On’:

                Firewall acts as a protective wall between your machine and the internet. All the data that is exchanged between a computer and the server are tracked and scrutinized by the firewall before it is sent across. It can pop up warning messages if it senses some unsafe data that is being directed to your system. Potential threats like virus, malware and spyware can be stopped to a certain limit by the firewall. It is also designed to prevent illegitimate access to your computer.

Malicious programs can invade your system and can carry data outside. In such cases, Windows firewall is capable of alerting the users before data is actually sent out from the computer.

4. Take caution while reading e-mails:

            E-mail security sounds obvious but it is not something that users can afford to neglect. Never open e-mail attachment from unknown sources. It is an old and existing practice to send virus and malware through e-mail attachments that can expose data on your system to cyber rogues.

5. Keep online backup of all your data:

            An infected computer is never safe for browsing important data. It can further worsen the situation by sending data to unauthorized users or rendering the system permanently useless. Keep a copy of all your confidential data on the websites that provide online data storage services. These sites store data on the server for users. These offer unlimited space in lieu of a monthly subscription. They are trustworthy and data is stored safely on the server. You can access and recover them by logging in with a username and password from any machine.

             In case you do not want to leave data in the hands of a third-party website, you can also opt for System recovery function on Windows. This feature restores your system to its original state prior to getting affected by virus. If you feel that someone is misusing your data from the computer, you can do a ‘System Recovery’ to restore it. Users can also opt for this function if there is any other disorder within the system.

             Data security is a perpetual concern for computer users, especially for those who use the internet day-in and day-out. Barely locking your machine with a password of your user account is not enough. You should change the password once in a fortnight. Besides, you are advised to implement the preventive measures discussed in this article for better protection. If you are using a wireless network, secure it with a password. Encrypt the necessary folders and drives as per your requirement. For further knowledge on data security, you can refer to the various discussion forums and how-to guides on the internet.
Don't forget to hit the "+1 button" or to comment if you like this post. Thanks!

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Tips and Tricks about Online Bargains

The internet, with the myriads of interconnected computers and sites, its not impossible that there is something good waiting to be discovered. Whether it be discounts, special offers, sales or coupons, its just right there, waiting to be discovered.

            But the problem is, its extremely hard to look for the right bargain for the right product. There maybe a lot of discount offers out there, but is there one that is just right for you? The real deal is very hard to distinguish from promotional ads, spam and scam. Looking for these discounts is tricky but theyre pretty easy to recognize once you have spent a considerable amount of time in surfing the internet.

            Watch out for scams that not only waste your time but might drain your resources as well. These scams are often contained within a very lucrative offer, but what you do not know is that you have to buy things before you can avail of that service. At the end of the transaction, you end up having more things that you dont want than of the things that you did.

          Another thing that you should look into is about the current trends that happen most especially if the product you are eyeing on is a product that updates and changes regularly. Watch out     for the updates on the product your looking for. Some discounts may be out just because they want to get rid of outdated products. Keep yourself always updated about these trends, who knows, the company who made them might be making something which would fix a current bug or imperfection. You do not want to own a cheap but bugged product. Or perhaps the technology it is using is outdated or soon to be phased out because of a recent standard imposed by the government. Buying it at a cheap price wont be a bargain if you cannot use the product in the long run.

            Once the above factors are on check and taken into careful consideration, its now time to weigh all of your options regarding the product. There are many factors to consider before buying a bargained product online. One is the price said in the bargain the only price you will be paying? Are there small asterisks at the side of each price? There are many attractive promotions that usually has some catch at the end of the page, so you should better be careful and look for the usual signs.

            Another option you should also check is if it is really cheaper to buy online or offline. Although the internet has given us choices and made us an inch closer to a more free market world, there are also several considerations you should watch for. Does the internet price include taxes and levies? Does it include service charges, processing charges or delivery charges? These are things that you also have to consider before trying to buy online.

           Another thing to watch for is the technical or costumer support. Does the maker of the product you are trying to buy have a technical or costumer support available for your area? Who will you be able to see or contact in case you need information about the product? Will there be an available technical support for the product in case it breaks? These after purchase factors are also worth some consideration, especially when you are the type who neither has the time nor the knowledge to expertly operate and fix these things. Product guarantee is also worth the consideration, some things are way cheaper versus other competitors simply because they do not guarantee the quality of their product.

          Last thing that you should watch is the competitors. The internet is home to a vast number of retailers and marketers. Whenever you try to search for them on the internet, the cheapest, best, most affordable site may not appear on top as you expect them to be, so its better if you check, recheck, and recheck again for the prices that competing retailers dish out.

            Also watch for the price of similar or higher end products of the ones you are buying, who knows, you might get an even better bargain than the one youve been eyeing on. You should also watch out for sites that allow you to avail of coupons, special offers and discounts that slash money off certain brands and products. You can go to www.wow-coupons.com if you want to know more about offers, coupons, discounts, grocery coupons, Online Coupons and Printable Coupons.

            Having said all that, what individual online customers and surfers alike should do is to be at least Careful and Vigilant. As many have said, its a jungle out there, a jungle that yields plenty of good things as well as plenty of hazards and dangers. It is entirely up to us to protect and shield ourselves from those dangers, so always be on your guard and have fun bargain hunting!

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Speeding Up Windows Vista - Easy Ways To Accomplish This

             Windows Vista is an operating system that you can speed up if you know some of the tricks. While many users have complaints about Windows Vista, and it's widely believed to be slower than either Windows XP or Windows 7, when you optimize it properly you should be able to get better performance out of it. Try applying the following tactics to speed up Windows Vista, and you may find that your computer runs like new.

Tweaking The Display Settings:

               Changing the display settings is one of the easiest ways to speed up Windows Vista. Windows Aero is the default display, and this contains lots of impressive colors and effects. Yet it also uses up lots of RAM, and most users would rather have their computer running faster and have a plainer display to look at. If you fall into this category, you'll want to change your display to Windows Standard. You can do this through the Control Panel, under "Appearance and Personalization." This will make your display less colorful and animated, but it will also mean better performance.

Desktop Changes:

               Doing a thorough cleaning of your desktop can be a good way to make Windows Vista run faster. If your desktop is very crowded and cluttered, you might have files, icons and applications that you haven't looked at in months or even years. There's a good chance that you wouldn't miss many of these, so delete anything that's not important to you. For files that you frequently use, create shortcuts on your desktop. This frees up operating memory, and allows you to open up these files more efficiently. Shortcuts, as the name implies, speed up the time it takes to do things. Cleaning up your desktop will probably enhance your computer's speed, and it will also make it easier for you to find what you're looking for.

Defragmenting Your HD:

                One task that many users don't do that can speed up the performance of any computer is defragmenting your hard drive. If your computer is fairly new, this probably isn't necessary, but if you've been accumulating files over several months or years, then it's likely that you have fragments of the same file in various locations on your hard drive. This is a waste of space and memory, and defragmentation is a way to make your hard drive more efficient. You can do this by using the defragmentation utility that comes with Windows Vista. One thing you should make sure of is that you back up all of your essential data before you do this to avoid the risk of losing anything vital. Also, avoid this process if there's a risk of losing power, such as during a storm.

Final Thoughts...

             There are, as we've seen, a variety of strategies that can help Windows Vista speed up. Which ones work best for you will depend on the setting of your computer and what might be causing it to run slowly. You should always check for viruses and other malware, clean the registry and keep your desktop free of clutter. If you want Windows Vista to run smoothly, you should regularly perform such maintenance on your computer.

Author Bio:

          Omar is very passionate blogger and SEO expert. He runs multiple sites including his well established Best Binoculars blog.

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Decorate Your Blog For This New Year

Happy New Year To All My Visitors!

Hi friends here i would like to share with you a simple way to decorate your blog for this new year 2013. Here you will find the code to add a small widget to display two balloons on the bottom right and left cornor of your blog. Just add the below code to your blog. That's it! The below code displays ballons as you see below.

Code:

<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMJL_ymHPM75BSDQ3KzV6jV7madmzdwqKA1wS41Vk329th6UCBpGfVkZKi9kYGuTC3r1iAdwk9wC9Xi8cTJ-awVojiqLEp18VJwQ7WamC0E5uuVhViOUVFEGnTtnR3dKqMHMfYo_oH_LI/s128/xmas-balloon.png" style="position:fixed; bottom: 0px;left:0px;border:none;z-index:5;"/><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMJL_ymHPM75BSDQ3KzV6jV7madmzdwqKA1wS41Vk329th6UCBpGfVkZKi9kYGuTC3r1iAdwk9wC9Xi8cTJ-awVojiqLEp18VJwQ7WamC0E5uuVhViOUVFEGnTtnR3dKqMHMfYo_oH_LI/s128/xmas-balloon.png" style="position:fixed; bottom: 0px;right:0px;border:none;z-index:5;"/>

<div style='float:right;'>

</div>

Note: Change the lines in red to the url of whatever the pic you would like to get displayed.

Friends! Don't forget to +1 or Comment if you found this useful!

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6 simple ways to earn money from home

1. Paid surveys:

          Online surveys are a very easy way to earn quick money from home using your computer. All you need is an internet connection and be over the age of 16/18 (depends on the company). In this role you will answer surveys on a wide range of issues.

The data you give is used by marketing companies for research purposes. This is therefore fairly valuable to them because the success or failure of their efforts relies on quality information. With most online survey companies you get paid in blocks once you have reached a certain threshold. The most common payment methods are check/cheque or PayPal.

2. Data Entry:

          Data entry is a growing market any many people are making regular money online from it. The demand for freelance data organization work has increased significantly in recent years. The reason for this is that more and more processes are becoming digitally recorded and managed.

The web is growing at a rapid pace many organizations are struggling to keep up. This has presented an opportunity for people to make good money sorting out data from home. You will be employed as and when you’re needed. The work is regular and reliable.

Have a look at: Work At Home Opportunities!

3. Graphic Design:

           If you have decent enough skills to be able to create logos or touch up photos you can monetize this. There is a big demand for freelance graphic design workers, visual aspects of web design and marketing are becoming more important in attracting and retaining customers.

Not all companies have the time/resources to employ a full time graphic artist. In such cases they will hire a freelancer on a job-by-job basis. If you can earn a reputation as a good freelancer a lot of work and incredible rates will come to you.

4. Be a virtual assistant:

          Virtual assistants are pretty much home based office workers. In these full time/part time positions you will work with a business to help with any additional or unexpected work that arises. This means that you will probably not be specializing in any one department. You will be aiding the business with whatever additional work they have.

 Once you’ve worked with a business for a while and built up a relationship it is probable that your pay will increase. The reason for this is that good VA’s are hard to come by, so when someone dependable and hard working comes along they want to keep them!

5. Article writing:

          Have you heard the phrase ‘content is king’? Well it’s the message that is being passed around the online marketing world currently. The way to build a solid converting traffic base is to have great content that engages readers.

Anyone with good English grammar skills can earn money writing articles and content online. There are a lot of communities set up to unite authors with writers; but the real money is in working with businesses/webmasters on a private client basis. This way you can vary your rates and don’t have to pay commission fees/

6. Affiliate marketing:

           Affiliate marketing is the process of making money through referral commissions. There are literally hundreds of thousands of affiliate products and opportunities out there. People can make money from a wide range of customer referrals. This can be the sale of a product on Amazon.com, an independently sold ebook or a subscription based service such as Netflix (is an example only).

Most people earn affiliate commissions by first building up an audience somewhere online. This could be on facebook,twitter, linkedin, a blog, youtube etc. As long as you have an audience that will listen to what you say you’re likely to make money out of affiliate marketing.

Author Bio:

This article was written by Pete McAllister from becomeselfemployed.co.uk. To find free expert tips and advice on how to earn money online visit his become self employed website for details.

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Invisible Yahoo Detector

Invisible detect users on Yahoo! Messenger (YM)

        Use our Invisible Yahoo Scanner to detect if a Yahoo Messenger users is in fact offline or just invisible.

         Have you ever wondered why a person appears offline in your messenger list all the time? Have you ever asked yourself the question, whether someone is truly offline or is he invisible? Did you ever want to detect invisible users from your messenger list? Were you looking for an invisible scanner? Well, you can stop looking now, because you found one of the biggest and fastest invisible detector available online.

          For a couple years now, we have been detecting invisible messenger users with our yahoo detector. There is no more hiding your yahoo status, our invisible scanner will detect invisible users and not only that! Use our invisible detector and you shall not only spy your buddies, but you will be able to see their true yahoo status and we will reveal their avatars. You can also download his or her avatar with the help of your invisible scanner.

          Since there had been questions and rumors lately about whether these invisible scanner really work, we only ask you to check it out yourselves. Since our invisible scanner service is permanently online you don't have to download anything and you don't have to create any account. Therefore you won't get viruses, malware and we will most definitely not try to steal any information from you and not spam you either. The only thing we do is invisible detect Yahoo users. You don't believe we can? Try it! Set your yahoo status as invisible. When you will become an invisible messenger user, you can test our yahoo detector scanner. It will work!

          So let's see what our yahoo detector does. First of all our detector yahoo does not spam. We have a strict anti-spamming policy. Furthermore our yahoo detector does not require downloading or an account registration. In order to use our yahoo detector all you have to do is go online, come to our site, IMvisible.info and check your buddy's yahoo status. After you have detected invisible messenger users you can also keep them in your buddy list if you want to check their yahoo status again later on with our invisible detector yahoo.

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