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Choosing the Right Software Programs Software programs are becoming more and more complex. Even the names often don’t depict what features the program offers. To help alleviate some of the confusion, I’ve compiled a list of commonly used categories and some software products that belong within them. I will continue to add more programs to this list in the future so please bookmark (control-D) this page in order to check back for related updates later. The programs are divided into two primary categories: desktop application and Internet/Web. Each of these two primary categories is then broken down into subcategories which describe the type of each program. Please note that this listing is not exhaustive. It is, however, a starting point in which you can begin to determine what software products you want to learn. Once you’ve decided which programs are best suited for you, you can decide how you want to learn - in a classroom or through self-study. |
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Category |
Description |
Popular Products |
Common Uses |
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Word Processing |
Used to create documents mainly made up of words. |
Word, WordPerfect, and WordPro |
Create letters, legal documents, newsletters |
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Databases |
Used to organize large amounts of related data. |
Access, File Maker Pro, Approach, and Paradox |
Address book, inventory system, sales system |
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Operating System |
The "brain" behind the computer. Your computer will not work without an operating system. It coordinates the information you put into the computer with the software program you are using. |
Windows, Linux |
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Presentation |
Used to create presentations, like a slide show. |
PowerPoint, Freelance, Presentations |
Share pictures with friends, create a presentation for speaking engagements |
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Project Management |
Used to assist in managing projects where there are tasks and teams of people involved in the project. |
Microsoft Project |
When managing small to large projects this software allows you to organize and coordinate your project and share this information with your team and with management. |
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Spreadsheets |
Used to create documents mainly made up of numbers. It does simple to difficult calculations with ease. |
Excel, Lotus 1-2-3, Quattro Pro |
Budgets, expenses, commission and sales reports, charting and graphs. |
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Category |
Description |
Popular Products |
Common Uses |
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Used to create "electronic mail" to friends, family members, clients and coworkers. |
Outlook, Lotus Notes |
Writing letters, sending pictures, and scheduling meetings. |
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Web Browsers |
Offers a graphical interface to view the web pages and information on the internet. |
Internet Explorer, Netscape, and AOL |
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Web Design - Page Layout |
Used to design the look of web pages. Once designed they can be used to include content. |
Dreamweaver, Visual Page Design, FrontPage. |
Create simple web sites. |
| Web Design - Graphic Design | Used to create pictures and illustrations to add spice to a web site. | Photoshop, Illustrator, Fireworks, CorelDraw, PhotoDraw | Create graphics that can be used in web sites or in advertising pieces. |
| Web Design - Multimedia | Used to add multimedia elements to a web site | Flash, Director, LiveMotion, AfterEffects, etc. | Add animation and multimedia to web sites. |
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GoCertify.com offers an excellent listing of certifications available. The list is organized by Vendor, such as Microsoft. Click on the vendor and then click on the certification you are interested in to learn more about it. The direct link to the certification listing is: http://www.gocertify.com/vendors/index.shtml . Clicking on this link will open a new browser window. You can quickly return to this page by minimizing or closing the GoCertify.com window. |
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