The urge to upgrade your software every time a new version comes out is normal. But it is better to let the “MBA part of your brain” make that decision. The way I decide if I need an upgrade is simple. Will this upgrade make me money? For instance, when the latest version of Photoshop comes out, I look at the new features. If the new features do not contain any major useful enhancements, then I do not upgrade. Sometimes, I am forced to upgrade because a lot of my clients (such as advertising agencies) use the latest versions of the software and they require me to use the latest version. I call this the “upgrade virus”, because the only reason you need to upgrade is because others have got the upgrade bug – sad but true! Below is a list of low cost or no cost software that I use on a regular basis. Of course, I have not included the typical software you use, such as Photoshop, Flash, etc.
1. Mozilla Thunderbird
Open source e-mail client. This e-mail client saves your precious RAM for Photoshop. It fea
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tures a robust feature set and is easy to use. This e-mail client is unaffected by those nasty script
viruses, unlike MS Outlook.
2. CuteFTP Pro
Excellent commercial grade FTP software. The latest version supports several FTP servers. I
have found this FTP client worth every penny.
3. Sorenson Squeeze
If you need to add video to Flash, this is the program for you. If you have little or no experience
with digital video, do not worry – this program is straightforward, and easy to use. For video
professionals it offers many robust features under the hood
4. Avast Antivirus
This software does not consume many system resources as other popular anti-virus tools. If you
are using it for personal or home use, you can download a free version.
5. MS Virtual PC
It is unusual that you will hear me recommend a Microsoft product. But MS Virtual PC is an
amazing piece of software. It can run Windows 95, 98, 98se, 2000, XP and any other OS flavors
underneath your installed operating system. This is a must have for any freelancer developing
Web sites. You can test your sites against many variations of browsers simply by launching a
program on your desktop.
6. TransType
If you use Windows and work with Mac only agencies frequently, then this is the best tool for
you. It will convert Mac fonts to Windows fonts.
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