SOFTWARE FORHOME, PERSONAL, EDUCATIONAL USE

By: Fernando Ariete Jr.

Personal Finance Software

is a simplified accounting program that helps home users and small office/home office (SOHO) users balance their check books, pay bills, track personal income and expenses, set up budgets, manage home inventory, track investments, and evaluate financial plans.

Intuit - QuickenI haven’t used this type of software because there’s no really use for me, but I think this is really helpful for people that is running small businesses so they can track their income.

Personal Desktop Publishing Software

helps home and small business users create newsletters, brochures, flyers, advertisements, postcards, greeting cards, letterhead, business cards, banners, calendars, logos, and web pages.

Microsoft - PublisherI have personally used this when I was in high school when we need to create brochures for our group project. You can do these in word processing programs, but this one is easier to use for this type of work because it has different layouts already available for you and all you have to do is to input the information.

Photo Management Software

allows users to edit digital photos by removing red-eye, erasing blemishes, restoring aged photos, adding special effects, enhancing image quality, or creating electronic photo albums.

allows users to view, organize, sort, catalog, print, and share digital photos. Some photo editing software includes photo management functionality.

Personal Photo Editing Software

Adobe - PhotoshopI still use this application software whenever I edit some photos to enhance them. If the picture is a bit dark, I use this to change the brightness, contrast, or saturation of the photo. I also like adding special effects to play with the photos and see what it looks like, if it becomes better or not. Some digital cameras have also capabilities of this application software, but of course only the basic features.

Personal Video and Audio Editing Software

allows home users to edit home movies, add music or other sound to the video, and share movies on the web.

Microsoft – Movie MakerI have used this application and it’s not only for home videos being edited. I used this before to create a video presentation of a collection of photos. You can add some effects how the next picture or clip will appear in a video. You can also add music and put photos or clip that you want to appear in a certain part of the music.

Travel and Mapping Software

enables users to view maps, determine route directions, and locate points of interest.

Google – Earth/MapsThis application is really helpful when you want to know the direction you’ll take to get to your destination. I was able to use this when I was applying for passport and I didn’t know how to go to the Department of Foreign Affairs. With this, I was able to know which means of transportations to take and was able to know landmarks near the location. My friends and I realized the importance of this Google Map when we went to Marinduque. We were asking locals in Boac how to get to Poctoy Beach and of course, we just follow their directions to ride this and that. We reached Poctoy after 2 or 3 hours and my friend realized that she has Google Maps installed in her iPhone. She checked it and found out that we literally travelled the whole island because two towns more and we’re back in Boac! So now, we learn to check this application first before asking anyone.

Reference Software Educational Software

provides valuable and thorough information for all individuals. It includes encyclopedias, dictionaries, and health/medical guides.

is software that teaches a particular skill.

Microsoft - EncartaI was able to use this when I was in high school when we’re asked to research on something. Before, using an internet is quite expensive. We were only using a dial-up connection that time. We don’t have a lot of internet cafe around and if you found one, you’ll prefer to rent for just an hour or two because we know it’s pricey. So I found a solution and that is to install this software in my PC. It’s literally an encyclopedia installed in your PC. It’s easier because you just have to type the topic you want to research on and it will show you the results. You just have to update this to add more information and be updated with the latest ones.

Fogware Publishing - Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary & ThesaurusThis application, just like the Microsoft Encarta, is very helpful, especially for people that have English as second language. So it’s just a dictionary/thesaurus installed to your computers.

Broderbund Encore - Mavis Beacon Teaches TypingI remember using this back in high school. We got this installed in our library and computer laboratories. Just like the name of the application, it teaches you touch typing. It includes a number of speed tests and constantly tracks the user's words-per-minute typing speed.

MATLABMATLAB (Matrix Laboratory) is a programming environment for algorithm development, data analysis, visualization, and numerical computation. Using MATLAB, you can solve technical computing problems faster than with traditional programming languages, such as C, C++, and Fortran.

I remember using this during my early years in college wherein we have this as one of our subjects. As far as I remember, you have to input commands to arrive with a certain correct result. We used this to compute for different operations using matrices.

MoodleDid you know Moodle is an abbreviation? It stands for Modular Object-Oriented Dynamic Learning Environment. It is a free source e-learning software platform, also known as a Course Management System, Learning Management System, or Virtual Learning Environment (VLE).

This is not new to APC students because we have our own Moodle community. It’s necessary for us to access this because this is where the modules/lecture being uploaded. It’s also important for us to check this as often as we can because sometimes this is where the instructors post quizzes and research assignments being uploaded.

References and Photo Credits

Credits to the Authors: Shelly, Gary B. and Vermaat, Misty E.; Contributing Authors: Jeffrey J. Quasney, Susan L. Sebok, and Steven M. Freund. Discovering Computers 2010: Living in a Digital World; Course Technology; 1st edition (March 8, 2009).

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http://geektrio.net/?p=1979http://www.vodule.com/?p=5313http://www.itreviews.com/buyers-guides/software/choosing-the-best-reference-cds-and-dvds/

http://www.softpedia.com/progScreenshots/Merriam-Webster-s-Collegiate-Dictionary-and-Thesaurus-Screenshot-117226.html

http://www.superkids.com/aweb/pages/reviews/typing1/mavis/merge.shtmlhttp://www.mathworks.com/products/matlab/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:MATLAB-R2008a-for-Linux.pnghttp://moodle.org/?lang=tl