Today’s tip is more of an open question.

My thought is typically to go with the lesser freebie. For the most part, commercial packages do offer more, but I typically don’t really need it. For example, I swapped from Quicken to GNU Cash about 2 years ago and I haven’t looked back. Quicken has a fancy interface and a bunch of wizards, but I found I just preferred a simple register view which GNU Cash does very well.

Additionally, for tool/utility programs, freebies almost always do what I need. Notepad++, Keepass, CutePDF, Sysinternals, Winpatrol, etc. are pretty top-notch in my opinion so I can’t see any compelling reason to pay for something which does basically the same thing. I don’t use tech support (I prefer to Google it), so that isn’t even a consideration.

Now there are a couple of exceptions that I will always go with when it comes for business use:

• Windows over Linux
• MS Office over OpenOffice/fill in another free office suite

So what do you think? Do you lean more towards the commercial offering or the freebie?

Something alarming which seems to be more and more commonplace are software installers which attempt to install other software. For example, suppose you are installing “ABC”. During the installation wizard, there is an option (turned on by default) to install “XYZ browser toolbar”. Unless you notice this and uncheck, this option, you now have some garbage you didn’t want.

A few installers I have seen which attempt to install other software:

• Apple products (iTunes, Safari and Quicktime all try to install each other)
• Windows Update (Live Essentials)
• Java (OpenOffice, Yahoo Toolbar)
• Winamp (Winamp Remote, Trial Music downloaders)

To avoid this, be careful when you install software and do not just click next through the screens as you don’t know what other garbage is embedded in the installer.

Mac users who do a lot work in text files (HTML, coding, etc.) and are not fond of the editor you use, should take a look at TextMate.

TextMate brings Apple’s approach to operating systems into the world of text editors. By bridging UNIX underpinnings and GUI, TextMate cherry-picks the best of both worlds to the benefit of expert scripters and novice users alike.

TextMate has a very impressive feature list which are ideal for development projects. Additionally, it offers clipboard “memory” for multiple copy-paste commands which can be incredibly useful.

TextMate is not a free product (it does offer a free 30-day trial), however if a lot of your work is done in plain text files then having a powerful editor is a must.

Firmware, in generic terms, is "fixed software" in an electronic device. Your CD/DVD drive for example, has firmware. Your digital camera has firmware. Portable navigation devices (PND for short) has firmware. Even remote controls for televisions have firmware.

I’m the type of person that likes having the latest up-to-date firmware for whatever electronic device I use. But over the years I’ve had to train myself not to update if there isn’t any issue present with the way the device works.

Example: In one instance a few years ago I somewhat busted a CD/DVD drive I had because I updated the firmware. I found there was an update for the device, so I downloaded and applied it. After that the drive wouldn’t burn discs any longer. It would read them but not write no matter what brand of disc I used. It turned my DVD-R/W into a DVD-ROM. I tried applying a previous version of the firmware, but that didn’t work, so I had to junk it. $40 in the toilet. Lesson learned.

The only reason I bothered to update the firmware in that particular device is because it was available. Nothing was wrong with it, I didn’t need to do it, but did anyway.

Firmware updates for any electronic device serve two primary purposes. First, the update fixes a problem with the way the device works and/or second, the update adds in new features that weren’t there before.

If you spot a firmware update for whatever electronic device you use, but are not encountering any problems nor are there any features added in with the update, don’t apply it. If you do, chances are likely it will do more harm than good and in worst case scenario makes the device unusable.

As said above, I had to train myself not to apply firmware updates when I didn’t need them. I would look at the firmware version for my digital camera and it would be at 2.5a. But wait, now there’s 2.5b! My mind says, "I should really get this," but then common sense kicks in. "Hang on. There’s nothing wrong with my camera. And this update doesn’t add in anything I didn’t have before. No, I won’t do it." So I don’t.

This can be a temptation that’s tough to resist. After all, you want all your electronic stuff to have current software. Psychologically, having an old firmware version puts the message of, "I’m missing out on something" in your head. Trust me when I say that the vast majority of the time you’re not missing anything.

Whenever you see a firmware update for whatever electronic device you’re using, always read the release notes thoroughly. This documentation is always provided and is usually on the same page where the download is, or as a PDF or some other web page describing what’s in that particular version. If you see nothing in there that fixes anything or adds in features, don’t apply it, because having an update applied that breaks your stuff will ruin your day real quick. Every time it happens it’s money wasted that you have to spend all over again.

Have you ever had a firmware update go horribly wrong?

Let us know by commenting below.

The vast majority of times when I post tips to software, the respective product is free. However, just because it is ‘free’ doesn’t mean it has no restrictions as there are different models of free software. The primary ones are freeware, shareware and open source.

It is a good idea to know the difference between these release models. For a good plain English explanation, check out this article. To quote on a brief overview of the differences:

• Freeware is usually a very small program, released by a student or enthusiast.
• Shareware is usually a mid-sized utility or application, written by a professional developer or small software company. The developer or publisher does not have the resources to market it, so they release it as shareware with a “try-before-you-buy” business model.
• Open source spans the gamut, but the largest “free” software out there are all open source–Linux, FreeBSD, PostgreSQL, Apache. Before the advent of VCs in the “free software industry,” collaborative development around a shared code base was the only way a large free application could be built.

New software from Microsoft, Hohm, is a free web-based tool that you can use calculate how to save on energy costs in your own home.

Defined:

Microsoft Hohm is a free web based application (running on the Windows Azure platform) that enables consumers to better understand their energy usage by utilizing advanced analytics licensed from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and the U.S. Department of Energy to provide home owners with personalized energy-saving recommendations.

See this video for a better explanation (warning: it’s 23 minutes long but worth the watch).

This is good stuff, especially if you’re looking to cut energy costs.

You may have seen several posts and tips on this site in the past regarding the excellent open source password manager, KeePass, but today I’m going to point you to another excellent password manager: RoboForm.

RoboForm (available in a free and commercial version) offers just about everything you would ever need for managing passwords. Here are some features of interest:

• AutoSave passwords in browser.
• Click Login button for you.
• Take RoboForm with you on USB disk for ultimate portability.
• Sync your passwords and notes to Palm or Pocket PC.
• Works under Windows as an add-on to IE-based browsers.
• Works with Netscape, Mozilla, Firefox under Windows.
• Save Secret Text Data to Safenotes

Of course, all your passwords and (optionally) notes are encrypted, so rest assured your secrets are safe. If you have tried KeePass and it didn’t have enough features for you, RoboForm should do the trick.

Beta, to the best of my understanding, is a level of completion concerning software development.

There’s the alpha stage, which loosely translates to "this is the very early stage; it’s very rough around the edges".

Then comes the beta stage which usually means "almost everything works but its still somewhat buggy".

After that there may be several beta versions. Beta 1, 2, 3, 3a, etc.

Then comes the release candidate, often abbreviated as RC. The latest downloadable version of Windows 7 at the time of this writing, for example, is an RC. There may be a few versions of that as well. RC 1, RC 2, etc.

Some software titles skip the RC development part altogether and go straight from beta to release.

Speaking of which, the official release is the final version. For example, on my XP computer box I am running Internet Explorer 8. Not 8 beta. Not 8 RC. It’s the official release of 8, period. The long version number is 8.0.6001.18702, like this:

And with Firefox it looks like this:

You get the idea.

Beta to me means unfinished. I have never defined beta as "cool", because anything "cool" is worthless when you’re trying to get things done.

If Apple released an "iPhone 4G beta", the first question by iPhone users would be, "Why would Apple release an unfinished product?"

Upcoming Linux distributions that are in beta stage make it quite clear that everything doesn’t work like it’s supposed to and to expect that. This is perfectly okay because, well, betas are supposed to be buggy.

Generally speaking, the only time beta is misused as "cool" is when it comes to web sites such as Gmail. And in fact this may work against Google, because in all honesty, who wants to subscribe to a service for enterprise use that has "unfinished" tacked right on the title of the product?

Not exactly a confidence booster.

What do you think?

What is a keylogger? It’s something that records keystrokes and is normally used without the consent of the user.

You’ve probably heard that keyloggers are a bad thing. It is when used for illegal purposes, such as having a keylogger app installed without your knowledge via spyware. But it’s not a bad thing when you are the one who installed it to keep track of what people are doing when using your computer. For example, if you’re a parent who thinks your child is doing not-so-good things on the internet, you’ll be able to find out what’s been going on with a keylogger.

If you decide to use one, you can opt to use hardware or software.

Hardware

Above is a hardware keylogger from ThinkGeek. It connects directly to the keyboard connector, can be hidden easily and holds up to 128k of data. While that may not sound like much, bear in mind it’s all text so it is actually quite a bit. Additional features include password protection and keyword searching.

The only real drawback is that it is, as you can see, a PS/2 connector and not USB. However that can be easily remedied with an adapter should you use USB.

Cost is $59.99

There are other hardware-based keyloggers out there on the internet, just do a search for them and they’ll show up.

Software

You need not look any further than SourceForge to find freely available keylogging applications for Windows and Linux.

Best Free Keylogger, a.k.a. BFK, is one of the better ones.

Bear in mind you do have to set up appropriate permissions for this app, and if you use existing spyware/malware security software it may identify this app as "dangerous". Obviously it isn’t, so if you see the warning(s), give the app the appropriate security "pass".

Which is better, hardware or software?

Hardware is the better of the two because it’s not an app you can simply disable as it requires no software. The only way to disable the hardware is to literally unplug it.

Will either slow down my computer?

No. Either will run in the background seamlessly.

One of the most beautiful things about the internet is that anyone can develop a program, post it on a web site and charge for it. And if the program is good at whatever it does, people will readily pay for it.

"But I know very little about programming", you may say.

Don’t worry, you don’t have to be a rocket scientist. All you need is a decent text editor that recognizes typical programming code (like Notepad++, which is free), and then choose whether to use an SDK or API for whatever it is you want to program.

SDK: Software Developer Kit. An example is the Microsoft Office Developer Center. Lots of stuff with plenty of how-tos. SDKs are available for almost any popular application out there. Just do a Google search for "[program name] SDK" and it probably exists.

API: Application Programming Interface. For most people this is easier than using an SDK. And the best part is that you can use your web site (via PHP, Perl, MySQL and so on) as the testing grounds.

APIs are what make new and interesting things happen with a lot of different web sites.

Two examples: YouTube API, Twitter API.

Using YouTube as an example, be examining the Getting Started page there are things just about anyone can do even with the most basic of programming knowledge. And once you get familiarized with that you can move on to bigger and better things.

Another example: World of Warcraft API.

If you play WoW, you’ll learn things about the game by studying the API that you never knew before. And you may be able to put together the "ultimate" add-on that players would be willing to pay for. You never know unless you try.

SDKs and APIs are by nature openly available because software makers want you to program stuff for their products. When you do, this increases sales/popularity of their software and can also make you some money in the process. It’s a win-win situation.

The only thing you truly have to spend is time. Programming, especially for the beginner, is a slow learning process. But once familiarized you’ll be able to do some amazing stuff.

You wanted "hands-on" learning without spending anything? Well, it doesn’t get any more hand-on than this concerning making your own programs/applications.

If you do a lot of buying on eBay, going through the standard interface has some limitations with the most obvious being that you have to refresh the page to get the most up-to-date bidding information. To overcome this limitation and introduce new functionality not available via the web interface, check out eBay Desktop.

Features:

• Access eBay through an application, not your browser
• Search feeds, item reminders, and persistent filters put you ahead of the game
• Recent item cache, outbid alerts, and no need to refresh

Note the last feature: outbid alerts and no need to refresh. This is huge for obvious reasons as you can now stay on top of the auctions you are watching.

eBay Desktop works on Windows and Mac, so if you bid on eBay often it might be worth a look.

For a while now I’ve been using the Zune Windows XP theme (download). That one is by Microsoft and a complete theme compared to Royale which is incomplete (there are "rough" spots here and there).

I like the "Classic" XP theme but it’s a bit too bland. However there is an alternative called HmmXP. It is not by Microsoft and requires a DLL hack to get it to work.

Before explaining how it’s installed, this is what it looks like:

Above: The Start Menu is modified so "Start" is gone and replaced by a small flag icons, words are eliminated to show icons only. This is called the "Compact Menu".

Above: This is the "Normal Menu" view. Still minimal but more in line with how XP usually looks.

Above: HmmXP has several options on how the theme can look.

Above: With "Codename Whistler" selected, the top right of windows get a pixelated fading look.

Above: Applications in the taskbar do not have dividers, but it’s still easy to select anything you want.

I personally give this theme a thumbs up and have switched off the Zune theme to use this. It’s sort of like a "Classic Enhanced" of sorts. Looks very nice and is very functional.

HmmXP Download: http://fugacious.deviantart.com/art/HmmXP-2-0-1-5514034

But yes I did say this requires a DLL hack to get it to work.

The tool required to install this hack is  Uxtheme Multi-Patcher 6.0. You must run it, follow the instructions carefully and slowly, then reboot once.

Once you do that, you extract the HmmXP theme into the following directory:

C:\WINDOWS\RESOURCES\THEMES

This is what mine looks like:

"Luna" is the standard Windows XP theme everybody is familiar with, as is "Windows Classic". "Zune" is the one I downloaded prior from Microsoft, and the new one is HmmXP.theme along with its HmmXP folder that came with the archive file.

The archive file is a RAR file. You can extract with WinRAR or the freely available 7-Zip to "unzip" the file so you can extract it to the proper folder.

After the Uxtheme installation, the reboot and the extraction of the archive to the themes folder, you will be able to select it from Display Properties.

Final note: If this doesn’t suit your fancy and want to undo what Uxtheme did, just run it again and it will restore your old DLL for you.

Periodically I get asked the question, “So, what are you running?”, in relation to my computer box, its OS, the apps I use, the hardware I use and so on.

Before I list off my stuff, Dave uses a Mac Pro quad-core with I believe 9GB of RAM. His monitors are dual Dell 24-inchers and an older third one that I can’t remember the make/model of at the moment.

The hardware:

• My box is a custom case with a Biostar motherboard.
• My CPU is a 1.8GHz Intel Core 2 Duo.
• I run 2GB of RAM.
• My hard drive is 250GB (and yes I know I should really add in another drive given how cheap they are these days).
• I use a plain-jane wired optical Microsoft Comfort Optical Mouse 1000 with the wheel-click set as a double-click (very handy) using the Microsoft Intellimouse software. (INTERESTING TIBIT: On that link for the software, Windows 7 is already mentioned. Interesting, eh? There’s even a support page for it already.)
• My keyboard is a Saitek Eclipse blue LED backlit, bought on sale for $29.99 with free shipping so it was a true $29.99. Works fairly well. Not the best keyboard I’ve ever owned but does the job. I appreciate the fact the Saitek does not require any special drivers at all to use. Just plug in and go.
• I run a dual-monitor setup, one is a BenQ FP202W at 1680×1050 and the other an now-ancient Sony SDM-S73 17-inch which has definitely seen better days but functions fine as  a secondary monitor. I do appreciate that the base on the Sony is heavy. It stays put.
• The video card I have is 512MB EVGA which is an nVidia 8400GS dual-head (one DVI, one VGA).
• I own three USB sticks, all Sandisk cruzer micros. One is an older 512MB, one 2GB and one recently purchased 4GB. My next one will most likely be a 16 or 32GB because it would be very cool to offload most if not all the stuff I have backed up on DVD on to a single USB stick. The dream situation (which may happen in less than 2 years) is to have a 120GB stick or at least 80GB. For all intents and purposes, that’s a backup drive and a darn good one at that.

Some of the software I use (if I listed it all it would be a bit too lengthy on read):

• My primary OS is Windows XP Pro Service Pack 3 with all the latest updates. No, I do not own Vista and don’t plan to considering Win 7 will be here in less than a year.
• My primary office suite is OpenOffice. I have been using this for a long time. And since version 3 was released it looks and feels just about right.
• My secondary office suite is a now-ancient Microsoft Office 2000. This in my opinion was the last version of MS Office that ran fast before it got all bloated up and ran like crap. Some say that the current Office 2007 goes back to how fast the software used to be, but I personally don’t feel like shelling out $500 just to find that out, nor do I feel like installing the 60-day trial (although it is nice Microsoft offers a trial run for that long). OO does the job, and if not, MSO 2000 will.
• I use Launchy a lot. A whole lot. It is faster than using a mouse to launch apps and I like speed.
• I use Sizer to quickly resize windows to specific dimensions. It comes in handy when I record screencasts.
• My primary browser is Firefox. I use only a scant few plugins to keep memory use down. The two I use most are Foxmarks and ScreenGrab.
• My primary text editor is Notepad++. It’s the best text editor for Windows, period.
• My PDF reader is FoxIt Reader. It is lighter and faster than Adobe Reader.
• I create PDFs using OpenOffice (there’s a “PDF” icon right in the software) or PDF Creator as a pseudo print driver.
• My primary instant messenger is AIM Lite, and if I weren’t using that I’d most likely use Miranda. Both these IM apps are not about features but all about being lightweight and speedy.
• My primary blogging tool is Windows Live Writer. If I had to go without this, that would suck.
• My email application is Mozilla Thunderbird. No matter what mail I go with I inevitably always come back to t-bird.
• I backup my mail using KLS Mail Backup.
• I use KeePass Password Safe as my password manager.
• Being the GPS nut that I am, I have a host of mapping utilities including Garmin’s MapSource, WebUpdater, and POI Loader. I also use Google Earth, KMLCSV, GPXTOPOI and a few others.
• I do have Steam installed when I feel like playing a few games every so often.
• For easy dual-monitor wallpaper I use Display Fusion.
• For screencasting I use Camtasia Studio.

Well anyway, that covers about, oh.. 35% of the apps I use.

What’s your hardware?

List the stuff in your computer box. Does it work for you? What do you plan to upgrade later?

What’s your software?

What do you use most often and why? Do you prefer to stay with older versions or go with the latest/greatest?

Let us know.

When it comes to buying most software, you typically have the option of either going to a brick and mortal store and purchasing it or ordering it online. Obviously, going to the store gives you immediate gratification over ordering online, however more and more popular software titles are being offered online with the buy and download option.

When you buy and download, you get even more immediate gratification as you don’t have to go to the store, you just start a download. Not only does this save you time and gas, but often times the price is lower. This makes sense for software vendors because there is virtually no cost for distributing software via download when compared to producing packaging and shipping boxed software. If you need the manuals, these are usually either included with the download or are readily available on the vendor’s site. Additionally, you can burn the download to a CD or DVD to have a backup.

So the next time you purchase software see if immediate download is an option. Not only might it save you some money, but it is environmentally friendly as well.

If you’ve ever delved into the world of having your own web site, you will inevitably have a need to send and retrieve files from your server via FTP.

FTP is really (and I mean really) old and still widely used. While it’s true you can send or receive files from the command line in any OS, the GUI way of doing it is much easier because you get things like drag’n'drop, mass uploading or downloading with subdirectories with just a few clicks and so on.

Filezilla

Where to get it: http://filezilla-project.org/

Supported OSes: Windows, Mac OS X, Linux

Whether you’re using Windows, Mac OS X or Linux, Filezilla is a rock-solid reliable stable FTP client with many features and an easy-to-use interface. Most people if given the choice of which free FTP client to use would most likely opt to go with Filezilla first.

WinSCP

Where to get it: http://filezilla-project.org/

Supported OS: Windows

WinSCP has also proven itself to be stable and reliable. Its drawback is that it’s Windows-only but definitely gets the job done. If you’re a Windows user you may prefer this over Filezilla as the interface is a bit easier to understand.

Core FTP

Where to get it: http://www.coreftp.com/

Supported OS: Windows

Core FTP has many features with command line support, but its single largest drawback is that it looks terrible. In addition there is a small "nag" screen each time you start it. But it’s free so you really can’t complain.

Need more choices?

A list of many FTP clients (both free and paid) are available here.