NET 11: Module 4 - Downloading tools / plug-ins task

Task: Peruse a selection of web tools and download at least 2 unfamliar programs and record which I download and what use they will be, if at all.

I can soro that! (catch cry of a friend, sorry had to add it lol ;) )

1. Adobe's pdf reader

Got this installed already. Besides the fact that I make a lot of pdf documents, there are so many sites that utilise this file format. A number of munfacturers put their product brochures up as pdf since it can be as many pages as they need it to be and will look the same no matter what type of web browser the user is using.

2. Flash/Shockwave Players

Installed already. I used to do Flash animation, haven't done it in ages though and can't even remember any of the Actionscript >.< Very handy for making things look the way you want without having to wangle the HTML or CSS, specially since you can add a preloader to it. On the flip side, to do any of the really neat stuff you need to really know the Actionscript, which is a coding language that Flash uses, it's based on Javascript.

3. Media Players

I'm pretty sure I have all 3 options installed (Quicktime, Real and Windows Media). Not a fan of Windows media player, not a big fan of Windows full stop (I'd live in Linux if it wasn't for the Windows onry software I have to use >.<). If a site gives an option of which player you can use, I usually choose Real, just find it easier to use... that and I don't like Windows and Apple >.>

4. Search Manager/Combiners

Didn't have installed :O Do now though >.> I downloaded and installed Copernic. I usually just end up using Google to find things so it'll be interesting to see what turns up with multiple search engines working for me instead of just one.

5. Bookmark Manager

Haven't downloaded and don't intend to either. Firefox has a pretty good inbuilt bookmark manager and on top of that I use Blinklist since I have 3 computers that I use and trying to keep up to date bookmarks on all 3 is frustrating at times.

6. Offline Browser/Copier

Didn't have any of the ones listed installed but I do have Google Gears installed which does the same thing. Not that I use it alot, since I'm really not interested in downloading a website onto my harddrive. It's rare that I don't have access to the web and when I don't have access to it something pretty drastic has happened (Victoria bush fires and the heatwave the preceeded it was the latest reason for Internet troubles, that knocked about our Internet for about 2 weeks... and I'm in Tassie ._.).