It’s the little things that count... revisited
Several years ago, I penned a column for this newsletter regarding software utilities and how they could make life easier in your day-to-day computer use. As we see more and more consolidation in the software industry, with Microsoft continuing to move through the software marketplace like an unstoppable juggernaut while adding features to its core software typically handled by other products, we again need to ask ourselves is there a place for simple programs that may only do one thing?
I think it’s critical to this question to define what exactly I’m talking about. Generally, I like to break computer software down into three broad categories of software:
1) Operating Systems (OS); 2) Applications (including the “Big 3” program types, i.e., word processing, case/matter management, time and billing) and; 3) Utilities. The OS is the engine that drives the computer. Applications are the tires, steering, seats and basic things that let you harness and use the OS engine. The difference between the basic model and the sports car is often times the “extras,” those things that make driving so much more enjoyable. Many times, a simple, single purpose program can make working on a computer much easier then navigating the morass of OS or application features, even though the OS or Application software may include utility programs to simplify operations.
I generally classify utility programs as follows: a utility program is a small useful program with limited capability. It is often difficult to classify and may be included as part of a larger software package or may be a stand alone program. Utility programs may offer services in addition to those offered by your Operating System or may provide completely autonomous functions and services such as spell checking, data back-up, indexing and full text searching and more. The Bottom line—a utility program is a program that makes your life easier by providing an easier or more efficient way for you to accomplish a task at a reasonable cost when weighed against the expense of achieving the same results without it.
While the next version of the Microsoft operating system now known as the Vista is due to be released sometime in 2007, for the majority of small offices and lawyers, adoption of this operating system is probably 12 to 18 months down the road. While this to offers many improvements over Windows XP, and will incorporate many core features such as and improved integrated search engine, desktop file handling improvements and much more, I still believe that good utility programs will have a place on your desktop. While which utility you may or may not find to be truly indispensable is a matter of personal choice, there are few that I use routinely on a day-to-day basis that I think are worth considering for most computer users:
Folder guide (http://www.freeware365.com/desktop/folderguide.htm) this is a free, handy utility that improves access to your most commonly used folders. This utility works from within the right-click context menu and allows you to reach your most highly used folders with just two mouse clicks rather than half a dozen or more. You can add new folders on the fly in the program requires minimal system resources. I found this utility to be absolutely indispensable and I didn’t realize how many mouse clicks it was taking her reach highly used folders until I installed and started to use this utility.
Alt-tab Thingy (http://www.nymtec.com/?q=att) is a free replacement for Microsoft Windows Alt Tab key commendation for moving between open programs and windows. While the basic capabilities built into the Windows OS are adequate, Alt-tab Thingy supercharges the basic capabilities found in Windows and gives you much more accurate and user-friendly control over the process of switching between open programs and windows. You can opt for a much larger screenshot view or a detailed list with associated screen image making it much easier to navigate using the Alt and Tab keys.
CCleaner (http://www.ccleaner.com/) is a free utility that helps remove temporary files and other information from your system and can also help with privacy issues by deleting cookies and “footprints” of where you’ve served on the Internet. Updated on a regular basis, this utility continuously receives high marks for its efficiency and usability.
Print Folder (http://www.sharewareconnection.com/print-folder.htm) is a free, very simplistic utility that does one thing: it will print a list of files in a folder which is something that Windows Explorer doesn’t do. While this is not a utility that I use on a regular basis, when I do need to use it, it makes life a lot easier for printing a detailed list of files in a specified folder.
Startup Control Panel (http://www.mlin.net/StartupCPL.shtml) is another free, simple, easy-to-use program that allows you to control which programs run when you start your computer.
TrueCrypt (http://www.truecrypt.org/) is a free security program designed to encrypt files folders and even hard drive partitions or an entire USB drive. This is a great utility protect confidential information from accidental loss or deliberate theft.
SnagIt (www.snagIt.com) is a commercial, screen capture utility that is around $40. However, think of this as screen capture on steroids. I’ve yet to encounter a more full-featured capable utility for capturing images off of the computer screen than SnagIt. However, for non-business use there is also the free Gadwin Printscreen utility (http://www.gadwin.com/printscreen/) which is not as full feature capable a SnagIt but is also very good program in its own right.
One of my favorite places to find utility software is that Shell Extension City (http://shellcity.net/) which provides information and links to numerous utility programs that the site finds valuable. Utilities can also be found at CNet (http://www.download.com/) and PCWorld (http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/).
As you should do before installing any program, you need to ensure that you have a backup of your computer system; that you have installed all operating system updates and patches; and that you have an up-to-date antivirus program and the latest antivirus signature files before you install any noncommercial software you download from the Internet. You should also run your antivirus scanner on the installation files once they’ve been downloaded before you actually install them on your computer.
Despite the prolific use of e-mail, faxing is still an extremely popular way to communicate. As a solo practitioner with a limited staff, I longed for a way to be able to receive faxes when I was out of the office. Traditionally, most people had their staff re-fax urgent faxes to their remote location (home, client office, hotel, etc.) This was often impractical or cumbersome as a fax machine was either unavailable, inappropriate for receiving sensitive or privileged information, or expensive.
What about sending a fax from outside your office? I prefer sending e-mails, but not everyone is on board yet. In addition, proof of transmission is sometimes an issue, and many contracts incorporate language to allow for fax notice, but not notice by e-mail.
Enter internet fax services. For the past year and a half, I have been using a service called “e-fax” (www.efax.com). For less than $20.00 per month, you are assigned a local or an “800” fax number that you may use as your own. No need to change your stationery or your fax number in Sullivan’s. I decided to retain my land fax line number and just forward all incoming calls to my e-fax number.
All incoming faxes are forwarded to e-fax, which, in turn, sends the faxes to me as PDF files in an e-mail. This allows me to retrieve my faxes from anywhere that I have access to my e-mail account, including my cell phone. Any smart phone that can download e-mail and attachments and then view PDF files will allow for this convenience. You may retrieve faxes using any compute or device with an internet connection, like a library computer in San Diego or an internet kiosk at Newark International Airport.
In addition to the e-mail option, e-fax will store your received e-mails for up to two years, so you always have access to them at their site. This is also handy as a backup in case your e-mail is down or if you misplace or accidentally delete your fax. Receiving your faxes as PDF files also assists in getting or keeping your office paperless!
Sending is a snap. You may attach any PDF or Word file (other formats are also supported) using the included software and send faxes directly from your computer. I even created my own fax cover page that works with their software to fill in basic information like: recipient, fax number, subject and notes. E-fax also has several pre-defined templates available.
When I was at the ISBA annual meeting this past summer, I needed to send an attorney review letter for a real estate contract to an attorney that did not have e-mail. I drafted a letter on my notebook computer in the hotel room on Microsoft Word. I then saved the document and opened the “Compose Fax” module of the e-fax software. I filled in my recipient information and attached the Word file. I then clicked a button and off my fax went. E-fax then sends me an e-mail confirmation.
E-fax has made my life easier. I can now be out of the office and check my faxes whenever I want. Vacations are more relaxing because I can set aside that 15 minutes per day to check in on my e-mails and faxes and make sure that the world has not ended during my absence. In theory, you could check you faxes while sitting in a hot tub in Las Vegas. Maybe that is going too far. After all, you wouldn’t want to get electrocuted.
I have owned a Treo 650 now for about one year. During that time I have grown quite attached to my Treo and I cannot imagine going back some other type of device. Despite my love of my Treo, there are some aspects about it that drive me crazy. These are mostly little things that do not inhibit the way in which my Treo works. However, they are items that could be easily remedied by Palm if it chose to do so. Palm has addressed a couple of these deficiencies (such as the limited internal memory) in the new 680 or 700p. However, Palm still has some improvements to make.
Below I discuss those aspects of my Treo that I love as well as those things that drive me crazy. For reference purposes, I have a Treo 650 with Verizon service. Other models or service providers may have slightly different features.
Things I like about my Treo 650
1. It keeps me connected. With my Treo I have access to my e-mail wherever and whenever I want. I let all of my clients know that they can reach me via e-mail even when I am not in the office. Many of my clients take advantage of this. This means that when I am out of the office, whether in court or on vacation, I can retrieve my e-mail and get messages from my clients. Depending on what the issues are, I can then (i) respond to my client via e-mail; (ii) call my clients from my cell phone; or (iii) contact my office to have someone else address the issue.
The best thing about his arrangement is that I control when I am contacted. If I give my cell phone number to my clients, they can contact me at any time. This prevents me from getting away from the office. By using e-mail, however, I can control when I retrieve the e-mail. This means that my Treo not only allows me to stay in contact, but that it also allows me to do so on my own terms.
Related to this is the fact that I use an e fax service (I use Venali, www.venali.com) this allows me to access my faxes as though they were e-mails. Thus, I know that if I’m away for a period of time, whether a couple days or longer, I can keep up with my e-mail and, at the same time, keep on top of my cases.
2. I have everything I need in one device. I have a telephone, a calendar, an address book, a book to read, an e-mail program, a word processor, and a video player all in one small device. This means that I can perform a wide variety of tasks without having to carry around seven different devices or items.
3. I do not have to worry about losing any of the information on it. I synchronize my Treo with my computer every day. Additionally, my computer synchronizes with our server. Consequently, I have multiple copies my information and I need not be concerned about losing it.
4. Because the information on my Treo synchronizes with my computer, I only have to enter calendar or contact information in one location and it is automatically populated to my Treo, my computer, and the Firm’s Exchange server. This reduces the chance of error in entry and ensures that I can find the information I need by checking any one of three different sources.
5. My Treo allows me to travel without my laptop. In addition to the fact that I can receive faxes on my Treo through e-mail, I can also review and edit documents created in Microsoft Office products such as Word and Excel. I certainly would not want to create a lengthy document in this fashion. However, it does allow me to review documents and edit them when I am out of the office.
6. My Treo gives me access to the Internet. I wouldn’t want to spend my entire day surfing the Internet on the screen of a Treo 650. However, it is a very convenient way to quickly check things of interest. For example, if you are stuck at a social occasion on a Sunday afternoon without access to a television, the Treo works great to check the score of the Bears game. I have also used it to retrieve driving directions when I do not have access to a computer.
Things I don’t like about my Treo
1. A version of the Treo without a camera is not readily available. To get mine, I had to physically visit a corporate Verizon store and special order one. This should be a standard option to order from either any store selling Treos or over the Internet.
2. The Bluetooth capabilities are too limited. I am a big fan of Bluetooth and have been using it for several years. I don’t like the fact that my Ericsson phone from three years ago had better Bluetooth capability than my Treo. For example, the Treo comes with dial-up networking disabled. This means I cannot use my Treo as a modem for my laptop. I could easily do this with my old Ericsson phone. Similarly, the voice dialing on the Treo is worthless. With my Ericsson, I could easily dial my telephone using voice commands over a Bluetooth headset. I have yet to find a voice dialing program for the Treo that works with a Bluetooth headset.
3. The Treo does not have enough internal memory. The Treo 650 has only 24MB of space. Yes, the Treo contains an SD expansion slot. This is great because I use a 2GB SD card on which I store songs, podcasts, books, etc. However, the internal memory is not sufficient for the number of applications that are reasonably installed on the Treo. Making this even worse is the fact that many applications do not run well from an expansion card. Thus, almost all of the programs must be installed in the internal memory. Palm has remedied this in some respect on the 680 (64MB) and the 700p (60MB).
4. I cannot listen to audio via my Bluetooth headset. I should be able to listen to audio such a songs, podcasts, or audio books through my Bluetooth headset. Unfortunately, Palm purposely did not include a Bluetooth audio profile on the Treo that would allow this. Additionally, Palm has no intention of releasing such a profile. Certainly a Bluetooth headset would not provide great sound, however, it would be more than sufficient to permit listening to podcasts or audio books.
5. The Treo does not include Wi-Fi. Given the ubiquity of hotspots and other wireless networks, having the ability to connect to them with my Treo would be quite convenient. Surfing the web over Wi-Fi is faster than doing so over the data package that I have. Further, I know that Palm can implement Wi-Fi well. I have used it on the Palm TX and it works great. I just wish that Palm included it on the Treo.
6. I have to reboot my Treo too often. My basic rule of thumb is that I should not have to reboot my phone. I usually have to perform a soft reset on my Treo two to three times a week. This does not cause any problems. However, it simply should not have to happen.
Even with the negative aspects of the Treo 650, I would not trade it for any of the telephone or PDAs of that I had before. If you are still my carrying both a cell phone and a PDA, I encourage you to move to a converged device such as a Palm Treo. You will not regret making the change.
Favorites is a feature of the newsletter that highlights those programs, utilities, gizmos, gadgets, etc., that we love. Sure, we could probably live without these, but who would want to. If you have a favorite you want to tell others about, contact Bryan Sims at bsims@trwlawyers.com. This installment of Favorites discusses my favorite Treo applications.
BackupBuddy
Blue Nomad
http://tinyurl.com/bk2t8
$19.95
Palm’s HotSync software works fine to synchronize your contacts, calendar, etc. However, it does not backup all of the applications and information on your Treo. Backup Buddy backups ALL of the information on your Treo. Thus, if your Treo is lost, stolen, or broken, all of the information on it can be easily restored.
Card Export
Softick
http://tinyurl.com/m376c
$14.95
Card Export allows your computer to see the SD card in your Treo as a disk drive. This makes it very easily to add or remove documents from the card.
Documents to Go
DataViz
http://tinyurl.com/e3h5j
$29.99 to $89.99
This program allows you to review and edit MS Word, Excel, and PowerPoint documents. Additionally, it allows you to review native Adobe PDF files. This application is essential for anyone wanting to edit Word files or wanting to review efaxes that are received as a PDF.
eReader
Palm Digital Media, Inc.
http://tinyurl.com/rt9c2
Free
This is the program that I use to read books on my Treo. It’s simple, it works well, and best of all, it’s free.
Google Maps
Google
http://www.google.com/gmm/treo
Free
Google’s latest offering in their attempt to achieve world domination is their palm version of Google Maps. This application simply allows you to easily retrieve Google Maps on your Treo. As is typical for a Google product, it is simple, elegant, and does what it is supposed to.
pTunes
Normsoft, Inc.
http://www.pocket-tunes.com/
$14.95
A great program to listen to songs on the Treo. It also works well for listening to podcasts. It could have an easier way to create and edit playlists. Nevertheless it synchronizes well with Windows Media player.
Ringo
Electric Pocket
http://tinyurl.com/7lu8o
$29.95
This program allows me to use any mp3 on my SD card as a ringtone. It works simply and easily. I can also easily set different ringtones for different people, different phone numbers, or different groups of people.
RoadSync
DataViz
http://tinyurl.com/y2gvwm
$49.99
I use RoadSync as my e-mail program. It has a variety of different settings that allow me to retrieve my e-mail according to my schedule. It is the best e-mail program that I have found for my Treo.
SplashID
SplashData
http://tinyurl.com/ldpem
$29.95
I have way too many account numbers, passwords, web login names, etc. to remember anymore. Splash ID gives me a place to put all of that information in an easily retrievable, secure form. The program allows you to create different categories of information to help sort and find information. In my program I store things such as web logins, passwords, association ID numbers, prescription information, CM/ECF logins. This application is absolutely invaluable to me. I cannot imagine how I survived without this program.
SplashPhoto
SplashData
http://tinyurl.com/mld5w
$29.95
I hate carrying a large wallet around. As a father, however, I am expected to carry photos of my children with me at all times. SplashPhoto allows me to do this. It easily imports photos, and reduces them for display on the Treo screen. This allows me to carry around as many photos as I want, as well as to easily change or update them. As an added bonus, SplashPhoto displays these photos when my Treo is in its charger. Therefore, I have a digital picture frame in addition to a device full of pictures.
World Clock
Palm
Free
This program comes installed on your Treo. However, most people do not make use of it. Not only does the program allow you to display the various times around the world, it also works as an alarm clock. I use this regularly as my alarm clock and have no desire to go back to using a regular alarm clock. One piece of advice, however, is to make sure that you do not have your Treo set on vibrate when you are planning on having it work as an alarm clock.