Previously, we could only dream of the opportunities that technology had given us. Nevertheless, having a personal computer at home, many modern users use it to the fullest extent. The fact is that most of them simply do not know what practical use can be made of computer technology.
Now there are many special programs that can be installed on your PC. All of them differ in their functions and properties, but have one common goal: to make the workflow easy and convenient.
In this material, we have described the working “tools” for the computer, which should be available to everyone at their fingertips.
Text Editor
Even if you don’t work with large volumes of text, you should have Microsoft Office installed anyway, which is very helpful when you need to print a document or letter. You will need Microsoft Word for typing, Microsoft Excel for creating tables, and Microsoft PowerPoint for preparing presentations. Also, for every Internet lover will not be superfluous online notebook, including the Google Doc service.
It allows you to use all the above tools online. In principle, this is more than enough, but if you want to try something else, we advise you to familiarize yourself with our computer literacy course “Word Processing”.
Internet Browser
If we can do without text editors at least somehow (though it is problematic), having written down necessary on a sheet, without a browser we precisely as without hands. He allows us to search for information, visit sites and do many other things. In other words, it is a door to the world of the Internet and to open it it it is possible different browsers.
The most popular of them is Google Chrome, which is installed on 60% of the world’s computers. Among the most popular also worth noting Opera, Mozilla and Yandex Browser. Of course, everyone chooses the most familiar option, based on their needs and tastes. One way or another, they all have their pros and cons, which can be found in more detail on our blog in individual articles or in the training course “Internet from scratch”.
Messenger
So, we learned that without a web browser we would not be able to fully use the Internet: watch movies and TV series, listen to songs, browse the web. “How do we communicate then? – Ask you and you will be right. Perhaps, it is messengers who now have the title of the most necessary programs for PC and phones.
Skype is the most popular program for communication among Israelis, but with the advent of WhatsApp, Telegram, Facebook Messenger and Viber it is now even easier to get in touch with a loved one. They are convenient and especially easy to use both on your computer and smartphone.
If you haven’t had time to appreciate these benefits yet, be sure to try them out. You can also improve your skills by reading our blog articles or enrolling in an online conversation course.
Antivirus
Let’s not forget how important the privacy of personal data is today. We have already written about how to protect them from theft and hacking in the article “Memo for Israelis: how to protect your computer from viruses”. We also have an article on our blog entitled “Signs of computer infection with viruses” in which we share tips on how to detect dangerous programs.
Perhaps one of the most reliable such methods is the presence of an antivirus – a special program to protect your device. If you do not have it installed yet, we strongly recommend you to do it as soon as possible.
Now there are a lot of antiviruses that you can try for free: Avast, Kaspersky, Avira, Panda, AVG, 360 Total Security. If you have problems with your choice and installation, please contact us or read our “Computer Security” course.
Computer cleaner
No matter how careful we are with the computer, over time it collects garbage (literally and figuratively), after which the PC starts to work slowly and unstable. Thanks to special cleaning programs, this can be avoided. The most famous of them is the CCleaner. It monitors the state of your operating system itself, checks it regularly and finds unnecessary files.
You can use it to free up space on your hard drive, remove old data that accumulates and “clogs” your computer’s memory, or disable unnecessary programs or applications that you do not use. All this does not require lengthy and complicated setup, so you can even use CCleaner.
Archivator
One day you may need to send a large number of files to a friend or relative, and you will face a common problem that many people have: the recipient will have to download them one at a time, spending a lot of time on it.
To avoid such inconveniences for others and yourself, it is enough to install a useful program that can reduce the size of any files: documents, photos, videos, etc. But its main advantage is that all files can be merged into one archive, which can then be sent via e-mail, Skype or messenger.
The recipient will only need to quickly “remove” the files from the archive. It is done easily and simply in the presence of such programs as 7-Zip or WinRar.
PDF editor
Often, on many sites you can find a variety of technical documentation, instructions and even e-books in PDF-format. You can open it in any browser. But if you need to download this file to your computer, read the contents or print it out, you can only do it with the help of a special application.
Most Israeli users may already be familiar with the names of Adobe Acrobat Reader and Foxit Reader. They allow you not only to view documents in PDF format, but also to edit them: take notes, highlight and comment on the text, as well as search for words and phrases on the content.
Media player
Despite the fact that all videos and music are already available online, many people still store a large number of memorable media files on their computers. If you also like to watch movies and TV shows or listen to songs, then you can’t do without a universal player designed to play such files.
VLC Media Player is considered to be one of the best free programs that supports almost all audio and video formats on your computer. You can be sure that after its installation you won’t have any problems with using it – the media player setup is intuitive.
Cloud storage
This is not exactly a program, but rather a useful service. Nevertheless, it deserves attention in our rating at least because millions of people already use it every day in work and leisure.
You can easily create documents, spreadsheets and presentations, upload photos and videos, and most importantly, share them with other people. In other words, it’s your own personal repository that contains important information for you.
The big advantage is that you can access it instantly from different devices. The most popular cloud drive is Google Drive. Alternatively, you can also consider the OneDrive or Dropbox.
Remote assistant
We think that everyone at least once had some difficulties with the computer. It is twice as unpleasant when it happens at the most inopportune moment. The problem needs to be solved quickly and there is no time to wait for the wizard.
It is for such cases that a remote access program has been created, which will allow the wizard to connect to your computer from a distance and troubleshoot the problem.
TeamViewer is one of the most effective tools for such operations. With its help you can not explain the problem “on your fingers”, a person will see your computer on your screen.