Review of Free Web-based Software

Review of Free Web-based Software

                This week for class we were asked to review two free web-based software.

                The first web-based software I looked at was Google Documents.  The first 5 GB are free to the user.  If you wanted 25 GB you could upgrade and pay about $2.50 per month. The Google documents works with many types of equipment such as android devices, Chrome OS, and PC and Max. They are in the process of creating connections with iphone and ipad.  With all these connections it allows you to have your documents at your fingertips anyplace you go. This also allows for collaboration between people and easy access to documents and projects. With one click you can download your document as a Microsoft word, Open document format, rich text format, PDF document, plain text, or web page. It is easy to use as Web, email with collaboration or as an attachment.

                The Google Documents are set up similar to Microsoft word. I did find it had some feature that I really like. One of these included a research button. I just click on the button and was able to explore the web for information to the side of my document. I could also search for images and just drag them right into my document. When pictures were added it automatically added a footnote about where the picture was loaded from. I was impressed with the wide range of images at my fingertips and the ease in which it entered my document. The search time was very quick. You had your information within seconds.

                The second feature is the dictionary. When needing more information about a word, you can click on the dictionary and type in the word.  It  brings you up all the information you would find in a dictionary. In addition it has clickable links in which you can find additional information about something mentioned in the definition. Again the speed for processing was very quick.   

                It includes other easy to use and find documents such as PowerPoint, spread sheets, forms, and drawing. Each of these were simple and easy to use. It was easy to go between one document to another. I found once I started to "play" it was hard to stop.  

                Drawing was similar to other drawing application. It was easy to change background, add shapes, and include information in the document. I was not as impressed with Word Art. I did not find it as easy to change the shape and angle of the words.   Again, it can be loaded right to the web or located from other places. It would be easy to have a group of students work on an drawing application and working  from different location. 

                There where two drawbacks that I would consider. One  of the draw backs could also be considered a benefit as well.  The document is always updating which means if you don't want to save the document it is saved and stored for you up to 30 days or longer if you ask it to save for longer. This can be an advantage as well because you won't lose a document and you can always look back at the original document you created.  They save each change so you can refer back to the previous documents.

                The second is the fact that is was harder for me to figure out how to exist because instead of saving and then existing you log off instead.

                I have never used Google documents before or even looked at it. I found it to be easy and fun to use.  It gives you a place to post questions, look and see how other people are using it, and to explore new features as well. There are too many features to list all of them. I would recommend you spend some time playing on the site. 

                The second Web-based software I reviewed was FotoFlexer.  Again, this was an site I have never seen or heard of. It was fun playing with the different options and changing the look of my pictures.

                Some of the basic features included flip, rotation, fixing red eye, as  well as dewrinkle components. It allowed me to decide on different effects of my picture. Some of the effects included tint, sketch, blueprint, heartify, and pop art.

                I think some of the fun parts where adding boarders around pictures. I also turned a couple of pictures into posters with text. All photos allow the option to add written text as well as change the back ground, and word colors.  It was also easy to make a collage which allowed you to arrange in various pictures. You could have as few as 2 all the way to 12 pictures in your collage.

                You would get your photos by uploading photos, grabbing photos from the web, or from another sites. I did try to get my Flickr pictures to work with, but was never successful even though I followed all the directions. It was must easier to upload straight from the computer.

                The product reminded me a lot of scrapbooking only using the computer. It was easy to use and fun to see what a picture would look like, but also easy to change if I didn't like it.