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219 posts found.
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Google Sheets

February 24, 2015 by Andy Voelker
Categories: Productivity & Utility
google-sheets-iconAvailability: Faculty/Staff
Part of: Google Apps
Comparable: OpenOffice, Excel

Google Sheets is a basic cloud-based spreadsheet editor that can be accessed directly through any web browser.  Spreadsheets are automatically saved to Google’s servers (Google Drive), and a revision history is automatically kept so past edits may be viewed (although this only works for adjacent revisions, and there is currently no way to find and isolate changes in long documents). Documents can be tagged and archived for organizational purposes.

Sheets also gives users the ability to share the document.  Typically when a normal document is shared the recipient accesses a copy from one point in time.  With a Google Sheet the document is shared in real-time, so recipients can always access the most recent version of the document.  Sheet owners can also grant permissions for the recipient to comment on the document, edit, or revision.  This introduces real-time collaboration, where multiple users can be editing the same document simultaneously, see each others’ edits, and even chat with each other in a sidebar.  There are many other powerful features in Google Sheets.

Google Sheets can also be linked to a Google Form to collect data for surveys, web forms, and many other purposes.

Tags: cloudspreadsheet

Google Docs

February 24, 2015 by Andy Voelker
Categories: Productivity & Utility

Availability: Faculty/Staff
Part of: Google Apps
Comparable: OpenOffice, Word

Google Docs is a cloud-based word processor that can be accessed directly through any web browser.  Documents are automatically saved to Google’s servers (Google Drive), and a revision history is automatically kept so past edits may be viewed (although this only works for adjacent revisions, and there is currently no way to find and isolate changes in long documents). Documents can be tagged and archived for organizational purposes.

Docs also gives users the ability to share the document.  Typically when a normal document is shared the recipient accesses a copy from one point in time.  With a Google Doc the document is shared in real-time, so recipients can always access the most recent version of the document.  Doc owners can also grant permissions for the recipient to comment on the document, edit, or revision.  This introduces real-time collaboration, where multiple users can be editing the same document simultaneously, see each others’ edits, and even chat with each other in a sidebar.  There are many other powerful features in Google Docs.

UNCC has the basic Google Apps suite available for all faculty, staff, and students.

 

Tags: cloudword processor

MiniTab

February 24, 2015 by Andy Voelker
Categories: Analysis & Modeling

minitab

Availability: Download
Comparable: SAS, SPSS, Stata

Minitab is a statistics package developed at the Pennsylvania State University in 1972. It contains functions such as graphing, regression, variance analysis, process control, reliability analysis, multivariate analysis, equivalence tests, simulation, and macro customization.    Today, Minitab is often used in conjunction with the implementation of Six sigma, CMMI and other statistics-based process improvement methods.

Tags: statistics

Oracle Database

February 24, 2015 by Andy Voelker
Categories: Math & ProgrammingProductivity & Utility
117069905_640Availability: Download
Comparable: Access, Filemaker Pro

Oracle DBMS (DataBase Management System) is an enterprise grade database system designed to handle very large and complex databases with high availability and redundancy.  Oracle databases are popular in ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) systems such as Banner and PeopleSoft.

Oracle licenses are very complex due to its scalability and typical usage.  Often the license is priced per processor, since the number of processors typically scales with the size of your database usage and operation.  Large server clusters often have dozens of processors dedicated to processing request for an Oracle database.

Tags: database

Drupal

February 24, 2015 by Andy Voelker
Categories: Design & Visualization

drupal-logo-1

Availability: UNC Service
Comparable:  WordPress

Drupal is a free and open-source content-management framework written in PHP.  It is used as a back-end framework for at least 2.1% of all Web sites worldwide ranging from personal blogs to corporate, political, and government sites including WhiteHouse.gov and data.gov.uk. It is also used for knowledge management and business collaboration.

Drupal must be installed on the web server hosting the needed content.  UNCC has Drupal hosting as a service which is described here.

Filemaker Pro

February 24, 2015 by Andy Voelker
Categories: Math & ProgrammingProductivity & Utility
filemaker_logoAvailability: Download
Comparable: Access, Oracle

FileMaker Pro is a cross-platform relational database application from FileMaker Inc, a subsidiary of Apple Inc. It integrates a database engine with a GUI-based interface, allowing users to modify the database by dragging new elements into layouts, screens, or forms. Current versions are: FileMaker Pro 13, FileMaker Pro Advanced 13, FileMaker Server 13, and FileMaker Go 13 for iPhone and iPad.

Since 1992 Filemaker Pro has been available for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS, and can be used in a cross-platform environment. FileMaker server briefly ran on Linux, but Linux support was abandoned with FileMaker 7, and the server currently runs only on Windows or OS X servers. It is available in desktop, server, iOS and web-delivery configurations.

Tags: database

Notepad ++

February 24, 2015 by Andy Voelker
Categories: Math & ProgrammingProductivity & Utility
NotepadplusplusAvailability: Free Download
Comparable: PyScripter, GCC

Notepad++ is a text editor and source code editor for use with Microsoft Windows. Unlike Notepad, the built-in Windows text editor, it supports tabbed editing, which allows working with multiple open files in a single window. Notepad++ opens large files significantly faster than Microsoft’s Notepad and Wordpad.  Modes are available for different programming and scripting languages that highlight portions of code according to a color scheme.  For instance, it highlights all variables one color, classes another, and so on.

Project

February 24, 2015 by Andy Voelker
Categories: Productivity & UtilityProject Management
project logoAvailability: Available at discount
Comparable: OpenOffice
Microsoft Project is a project management software program that is designed to assist a project manager in developing a plan, assigning resources to tasks, tracking progress, managing the budget, and analyzing workloads.  Project can be used as a stand-alone application on an individual computer or used in conjunction with a Project Server for synchronization between multiple project managers or project participants.
Project creates budgets based on assignment work and resource rates. As resources are assigned to tasks and assignment work estimated, the program calculates the cost, equal to the work times the rate, which rolls up to the task level and then to any summary tasks and finally to the project level. Resource definitions (people, equipment and materials) can be shared between projects using a shared resource pool. Each resource can have its own calendar, which defines what days and shifts a resource is available. Resource rates are used to calculate resource assignment costs which are rolled up and summarized at the resource level. Each resource can be assigned to multiple tasks in multiple plans and each task can be assigned multiple resources, and the application schedules task work based on the resource availability as defined in the resource calendars. All resources can be defined in label without limit.
While Project is considered to be part of the Microsoft Office Suite, it is licensed separately on an individual basis.  For more information look at Microsoft’s Project page.

Solidworks

February 24, 2015 by Andy Voelker
Categories: Analysis & ModelingDesign & Visualization

Print

Availability: Download
Comparable: SketchUp

Solidworks is a professional quality solid CAD software suite that is available for Windows.  Solidworks is most famous for usage in engineering for design of physical objects, mechanics, and product design.  It includes an elaborate simulation suite for stress testing, load testing, physics simulation, and structural integrity testing.  Over 2 million engineers use Solidworks worldwide.  It is also heavily used in 3D printing and fabrication.

Tags: engineering

Foxit Reader

February 24, 2015 by Andy Voelker
Categories: Productivity & Utility

Foxit-Reader

Availability: Free download
Comparable: Adobe Acrobat Reader

Foxit Reader is a multilingual freemium PDF tool that can create, view, edit, digitally sign, and print PDF files. Early versions of Foxit Reader were notable for startup performance and small file size.  Foxit has been compared as an alternative to Adobe Reader. The Windows version allows annotating and saving unfinished PDF forms, FDF import/export, converting to text, highlighting and drawing.

Tags: freemiumpdf

CentOS Linux

February 24, 2015 by Andy Voelker
Categories: Operating Systems

Availability: Free download
Comparable: Red Hat Enterprise Linux
CentOS (abbreviated from Community Enterprise Operating System) is a linux operating system that serves as the free, open source, functionally compatible mirror to Red Hat Enterprise Linux, its upstream source of code.  CentOS is often used by amateur developers or server administrators for testing purposes, or even in a live production environment.
Tags: linux

Red Hat Enterprise Linux

February 24, 2015 by Andy Voelker
Categories: Operating Systems

redhat_logo

Availability: Faculty/Staff
Comparable:  CentOS Linux, Ubuntu Linux

Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) is a Linux distribution developed by Red Hat and targeted toward the commercial market.  It is often abbreviated to RHEL, although this is not an official designation.

Red Hat Enterprise Linux is frequently used to power high security, high availability, and large scale servers across the enterprise and the internet.  Red Hat systems are also frequently used as a platform for large database systems like Oracle and ERP systems like Banner.

Red Hat Enterprise Linux is built from open source software, but the Red Hat Enterprise distribution is built with support comments that are licensed with a subscription cost.  For a free open source alternative that is identical minus the support, look at CentOS.

Tags: linux

Adobe Acrobat Reader

February 20, 2015 by Andy Voelker
Categories: Productivity & Utility

Adobe_Acrobat_X_icon

Availability: Free Download
Comparable:  Acrobat Pro, Foxit Reader

The Adobe Acrobat Reader is a free PDF reader that allows for reading, copying, printing, and basic annotation of PDF files.  It also allows the user to open encrypted for write-protected PDF files.  One popular use is to fill out pre-made forms that are generated using Acrobat Pro.  Acrobat Pro or a comparable PDF authoring program is necessary to create or change structure within a PDF.

Adobe Acrobat Reader is available on MacOS and Windows.

Tags: pdf

Publisher

February 19, 2015 by Andy Voelker
Categories: Productivity & Utility

Microsoft_Publisher_2013_logo.svg

Availability:  Windows labs | Citrix | Download
Part of: Microsoft Office Suite
Comparable:  InDesign, OpenOffice, Scribus

Microsoft Publisher is an entry-level desktop publishing application differing from Microsoft Word in that the emphasis is placed on page layout and design rather than text composition and proofing.  Publisher allows for the easy layout of images and text designed for print media.  Publisher is only produced for the Windows platform, but it is available on the mac platform via Citrix.

Tags: desktop publishing

Access

February 19, 2015 by Andy Voelker
Categories: Productivity & Utility

Logo_Microsoft_Access_2013

Availability: Windows Labs | Faculty/Staff | Download
Part of: Microsoft Office Suite
Comparable: OpenOffice, Filemaker Pro

Microsoft Access is a database management system with a graphical user interface and software-development tools. It is a member of the Microsoft Office suite of applications, included in the Professional and higher editions or sold separately.  Access is produced for the Windows platform only.

Tags: database

Powerpoint

February 19, 2015 by Andy Voelker
Categories: Design & VisualizationProductivity & Utility

239091_567_powerpoint2013

Availability: Labs | Faculty/Staff | Download
Part of: Microsoft Office Suite
Comparable: Google Apps, OpenOffice, Prezi, Sway, Keynote

Microsoft Powerpoint is slide show presentation software.  The user develops slides with text, graphics, charts, animations, videos, sounds, and other multimedia content to display during a presentation.  The slides proceed in a linear fashion either at a timed pace or according to the user prompt.  Slides can then be exported to pictures, PDF documents, videos, or web pages.  Powerpoint is available on the MacOS and Windows platforms.

Powerpoint has also been used for basic graphic design, flow charting, and digital signage.  Though other tools are often more appropriate for this kind of function, a user can save time by using a tool they are thoroughly proficient in.  For other tools proficient in these functions see GIMP, Inkscape, or Dia.

Excel

February 19, 2015 by Andy Voelker
Categories: Analysis & ModelingProductivity & Utility
Microsoft_Excel_2013_logo.svgAvailability: Windows Labs | Faculty/Staff | Download
Part of: Microsoft Office Suite
Comparable: OpenOffice, Google Sheets

 

Microsoft Excel is the spreadsheet application in the Microsoft Office Suite.  It features calculation, graphing tools, pivot tables, and a macro programming language called Visual Basic for Applications. It has been a very widely applied spreadsheet for these platforms.  Excel also facilitates basic statistical functions and data visualization.  Excel is available on the MacOS and Windows platforms.

Tags: spreadsheet

Word

February 19, 2015 by Andy Voelker
Categories: Productivity & Utility

Microsoft_Word_2013_logo.svg

Availability: Windows Labs | Faculty/Staff | Download
Part of: Microsoft Office Suite
Comparable: Google Docs, OpenOffice

Microsoft is the standard word processor in the Office Suite.  Though its primary focus is document editing, creation, and annotation, Word also contains some desktop publishing features.  Word is available on the MacOS and Windows platforms.

Tags: word processor

Read and Write Gold

February 19, 2015 by Andy Voelker
Categories: Accessibility

read and write gold

Availability: Labs | Free download
Comparable:  JAWS, Orca

Read&Write is a discreet, customizable toolbar that integrates reading, writing, studying, and research support tools with common applications.  The software supports individuals of all ages and abilities with reading and writing, learning disabilities, or learning English.

Tags: accessibilitytrm

Handbrake

February 19, 2015 by Andy Voelker
Categories: Multimedia

handbrake

Availability: Free Download
Comparable: Quicktime

HandBrake is a tool for converting video from nearly any format to a selection of modern, widely supported codecs.  It is free and open source and available for Windows, Mac, and Linux.  Handbrake offers a variety of device presets to convert media to suit your device needs.  For instance, if you had a very large video file you wanted to scale down for viewing on a phone without taking up too much space, you could use an easy filter to convert the media for that specific situation.  Handbrake can also convert DVDs to video files, encode chapter markers, subtitles, and menus.

Tags: multimedia
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